A new documentary on a Soviet soccer star also tells the story of Central Asia’s ethnic Korean community, which was deported en masse to the region by Stalin.
Reliving ancient glory, exaggerating modern accomplishments, and introducing ATMs that demand to see birth certificates: This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.
Although Karimov was hardly warm and cuddly, he had, on occasion, a sort of sense of humor, writes the U.S. ambassador to Uzbekistan in the late 1990s.
What did America have to offer the Central Asian states at their independence? A senior diplomat reflects on programing assistance to support development, rather than squabbling elites.
Today celebrated for blending classical music with Turkish folk tunes, Anjelika Akbar’s education was strictly Soviet, intolerant to non-classical styles.
The roots of today’s revival are found in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, when circles of nonconformist creative youth emerged in cities like Kyiv and Lviv.