Eurasianet

Georgian cinema has been enjoying a renaissance, becoming a darling of the international independent film world. But it’s also running into political problems at home.

The Ministry of Culture issued a new statement responding to international criticism of an earlier announcement that it intended to “remove” Armenian “forgeries” from churches on its territory.

The minister of culture said that a working group will be set up to identify what he called “Armenian forgery” from churches, putting into practice a pseudoscientific theory that denies the churches’ Armenian origin.

The unfinished structure was the result of a brief period of direct Roman control over Armenia in the second century CE.

Geneticists say the popular vegetable was first domesticated in the region.

To renovate or destroy? The Culture Ministry is dragging a dispute about Georgia’s heritage into the country’s muddy politics.

When Koma Wetan was formed, singing in Kurdish was illegal in Turkey. Now, the group is a legendary influence among Turkish Kurdish rockers..

Will Turkmenistan come to Kyrgyzstan’s rescue?

Azerbaijanis, the largest ethnic minority in Georgia, say that Tbilisi neglects their culture while Baku tries to co-opt it. Now they are claiming it for themselves.

The president seems troubled by the well-documented shortage of hard currency. This and more in our weekly briefing.

Fears are growing in particular for Armenian monuments being handed over.

Reliving ancient glory, exaggerating modern accomplishments, and introducing ATMs that demand to see birth certificates: This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

The song used verses from the Koran, resulting in death threats from some religious Azerbaijanis. But the singer says he quoted the book respectfully.

The conspiracy involved many players from around the former Soviet Union who have previous records of match fixing.

This year, Azerbaijan embraces both the Orient and bisexuality, while Georgia complains about the West.