· October, 2011

Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from October, 2011

Kyrgyzstan: There Is No Silence Day in Internet

  30 October 2011

Yesterday, October 29, was the so-called “Silence Day” in Kyrgyzstan, the last day before the presidential elections. At this day any political agitation is prohibited in the traditional media. But the law has no hold on Internet. The main representative of the Russian newspaper “Rossiyskaya Gazeta” Igor Shestakov said [ru]:...

Global Voices Russian Partners With Neweurasia.net

  28 October 2011

We are pleased to announce partnership of Global Voices in Russian with Neweurasia.net, one of the most prominent citizen media platforms in Central Asia and about Central Asia, which has a large Russian and English speaking audience.

Azerbaijan: Diplomatic triumph or trap?

  27 October 2011

South Caucasus Diary comments on Azerbaijan becoming a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. The political blogger notes that voting was not as straightforward as it could have been, perhaps because of the country's human rights record, and says that a diplomatic triumph might yet turn into a trap.

Armenia: Pizza Paradox

  26 October 2011

Cilicia.com recounts a recent experience of dining out at a Pizza restaurant in Central Yerevan. Sitting on the roof terrace of Diamond Pizza the group of ethnic Armenians from the Diaspora were told they could not eat pizza because if they did so “that’s all people would order.”

Azerbaijan: Twitter Diplomacy

  25 October 2011

The British Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, has announced that newly arrived Ambassador Peter Bateman will take questions via Twitter on Thursday 27th October.

Armenia: An Azerbaijani car in Yerevan

  22 October 2011

Fresh from his recent journey through Turkey, Areg Harutyunyan posts a photograph of a Mercedes with an Azerbaijani number plate driving on the roads of Yerevan, the Armenian capital, on his Google+ page. Although likely a foreign resident of the oil-rich country, the photo has initiated an interesting discussion as...

Armenia: Newfound Support for Domestic Violence Victims

  20 October 2011

Domestic violence has long been a taboo subject in Armenian circles. But when 20-year-old mother Zaruhi Petrosyan was brutally beaten to death by her husband and mother-in-law last October, the case mobilized individuals and organizations in confronting this issue which affects over a quarter of women in Armenia.

Armenia: Extreme Metal in the Caucasus

  20 October 2011

Shreddernet examines the Extreme Metal scene in Armenia and asks whether its dark melodies and themes have a place in the Caucasus. For a small number of the region's inhabitants the blog says the answer appears to be yes, and the post includes an interview with Daeron, a local metal...

Azerbaijan: Twitter Action for Jabbar Savalan

  17 October 2011

Following a Twitter campaign by Amnesty International calling for the release of imprisoned journalist Eynulla Fatullayev, the international human rights watchdog has launched another in support of a young Facebook activist in Azerbaijan who was jailed in May. The earlier action was followed by Fatullayev's release just days later and...

Armenia: More military deaths

  17 October 2011

Unzipped comments on the latest deaths in the Armenian military and says that it is an indication of endemic problems of violence and bullying in the ranks. The blog also criticizes the official response that highlighting such problems lowers morale and is the work of ‘foreign sponsored NGOs.’

Azerbaijan: Culinary blogging

  16 October 2011

Scary Azeri posts an interview with fellow Azerbaijani blogger Feride Sadikhova Buyuran best known for her blog on national cuisine, AZ Cookbook.

Afghanistan: Theater for Social Change

  15 October 2011

Kayhan Irani, an award-winning writer and “artivist” from New York, blogs about her experiences in Kabul, Afghanistan training theater groups in the theory and practice of theater for social change.

Azerbaijan: More Voices

  11 October 2011

Aaron in Azerbaijan introduces his readers to other bloggers writing from the former Soviet republic, including one half of his two fellow PCVs who went viral with their Caspian Dreaming music video and a young female blogger already making a name for herself with personal observations of life in her...

Azerbaijan: Land of extreme politeness

  11 October 2011

Having read about the culture of politeness in Iran, Aaron in Azerbaijan says he has a deeper insight into the culture in Azerbaijan, a country where traditions and hospitality permeate every sphere of life, although not necessarily always genuinely.

About our Central Asia & Caucasus coverage

Nurbek Bekmurzaev
Nurbek Bekmurzaev is the Central Asia editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.

Arzu Geybullayeva
Arzu Geybullayeva is the South Caucasus editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.