Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from October, 2012
Tajikistan's ‘Million Dollar Baby’ Hangs Up Her Gloves
Mavzuna Chorieva, Tajikistan's female boxer who brought the country its only medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, has married and hung up her gloves, at least for a year. While...
Turkmenistan at Twenty-One: Double Holiday and Thaw with Russia
As Turkmenistan marks the 21st anniversary of its independence today, the celebrations coincide with a major Islamic holiday. Also, Turkmenistan's Independence Day this year comes at a time of an...
Afghanistan Post-2014: Will the Dark Days Return?
With two years to go until NATO troops leave Afghanistan the country’s netizens have mixed feelings about the eventual withdrawal. While many are terrified at the prospect of the return...
Kyrgyzstan: Child Abduction Caught on Tape
A spine-chilling video caught on a CCTV camera in a small provincial town in Kyrgyzstan appears to depict an abduction of an 11-month-old child in a crowded market place. The...
Tajikistan: Russian ‘Migrant Guide’ Deemed Insulting
A new 'migrant worker's guide' to the city of St. Petersburg depicts foreign labor migrants as brooms, paint brushes, trowels, and paint rollers. The leaflet has provoked widespread anger in...
Kyrgyzstan: Lake Son-Kul in Photos and Prose
The lonely beauty of Lake Son-Kul has long caught the imagination of foreign visitors to Kyrgyzstan. At the beginning of October when the grazing season ends, when yurts are packed...
Tajikistan: Mixed Reactions Over Russian Base Deal
Russian President returns from a visit to Tajikistan with a deal that extends Moscow's lease on its military base in the Central Asian country for another three decades. Within Tajikistan,...
Kazakhstan Joins the Ban on Anti-Islam Film
Kazakhstan has joined a number of other countries in banning the controversial anti-Islamic film "The Innocence of Muslims." The ban has sparked debates in the country about the effectiveness of...