Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from December, 2013
Search Engine Suggests Kazakhstan is a “Satan's Den”
Popular web search engines often have bizarre autocomplete suggestions. Kazakhstani blogger Fyodor Kovalyov writes [ru]: Сейчас решил узнать о наиболее значимых событиях уходящего года, произошедших в разных городах Казахстана, и пришёл в тихий ужас – если верить поисковой системе Yandex.kz, то мы живём, как минимум, в логове сатаны! I have just...
“Tajikistan is not the Center of the World”: Rewriting of Country's History Spurs Ridicule
As historians in Tajikistan seek to move the origins of the nation as far back in time as possible, netizens are increasingly distrustful of the updated history.
Misuse of National Flag Causes a Stir in Tajikistan
An image of a Tajik flag used to collect trash has angered social media users in the country.
Empowering Women in Afghanistan: Interview with Anita Haidary
Global Voices interviews Anita Haidary, an Afghan women's rights activists and co-founder of an organization that works to empower women across Afghanistan.
The Caucasus Network: In Blogs, Russian is the Common Language
No indigenous languages dominate any of the blogging platforms in the North Caucasus. Even the forums dedicated exclusively to local issues operate in Russian.
The Caucasus Network: On Blogging and Keeping Up Appearances
The Russian North Caucasus divided into clusters and studied for reader interactivity.
In Tajikistan Protest Occurs Online
While many people in Tajikistan are unhappy about the country's dire economic situation and political leadership, public protest is rare in the country. The fear of inevitable punishment by the state, the weakness of political opposition, and the memories of the 1992-1997 civil war make the likelihood of mass protest...
VIDEO: Young Men Are Forced to Join Army in Tajikistan
As Tajikistan's military faces a struggle to get enough volunteer conscripts, recruitment officers often rely on illegal practices in drafting military-age men into the army. One of the most common among such practices is “oblava” which involves “military press gangs making sweeps of city streets, bazaars and bus stations, rounding up...
The Caucasus Network: What They Blog About
North Caucasus bloggers appear to exist in a bubble, demonstrating little interest in the outside world. There are roughly six topics the most popular blogs focus on.
Czechoslovakia's Architectural Heritage in Kyrgyzstan
Karina Ditkovskaya writes [ru] about a unique architectural heritage left by volunteer construction workers from Czechoslovakia in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan: In the 1920s a commune of volunteers from Czechoslovakia built a whole district of Bishkek. Now, after almost one hundred years, this area of Kyrgyzstan's capital city stands out due...
The Caucasus Network: The Subtleties of Censorship
The mechanics of Internet censorship in the North Caucasus are not dramatically different from elsewhere in Russia. But they are unique in their own way.
The Caucasus Network: Personable Blogger, Svetlana Anokhina
Svetlana Anokhina—a 50-year-old journalist, writer, and community manager from Makhachkala, Dagestan—is as personable and undoubtedly real as netizens get.
The Caucasus Network: Dagestan Blogger Rasul Kadiev
Rasul Kadiev is a lawyer, born and raised in Makhachkala, Dagestan. Constantly among the region’s top five bloggers, he writes in Russian and uses LiveJournal.
Ukrainian TV Show Angers Tajiks
A popular Ukrainian travel series has recently aired an episode about Tajikistan. Many Tajikistanis then turned to social media to curse the video.
The Caucasus Network: Grozny Blogger, Ali Suleymanov
A 28-year-old Chechnya native, Ali Suleymanov, "Archidesigner," spent most of his adulthood in the Moscow region, where he studied and later worked as exterior designer.
The Caucasus Network: Special Forces Blogger, Hard Ingush
Based in Ingushetia, Hard Ingush claims to be an officer in the Special Forces. In the last couple of years, he has led the North Caucasus’ blogosphere.
Introducing the Blogosphere of Russia’s North Caucasus
Our new study explores the people and culture of the blogospheres of Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, and Ossetia.
Like Father, Like… Kyrgyz Opposition Leader's Son Gets Arrested
"Like father, like son" is the most popular theme in netizen reactions to the recent arrest of a controversial Kyrgyz politician's son on theft charges.
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