Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from February, 2014
Tajikistan: Welcome to the “Facebook Republic of Pitzostan”
A government committee in charge of enforcing language regulations in Tajikistan has recently caused many laughs by insisting that the word “pizza” should be replaced with “pitzo” on restaurant signs in the country's capital. According to the committee's chair, “pitzo” sounds more “Tajik”. #Tajikistan has officially renamed pizza “pitzo”. For...
Russian Commentator Apologizes for Mistaking Uzbekistan for Tajikistan
Renowned Russian sports newscaster has apologized for mistaking the national team of Uzbekistan for that of Tajikistan during a live television broadcast from this year's Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Responding to thousands of angry messages addressed to him through social media sites, Dmitry Guberniev posted [ru] an apology on his...
“What the Hell Is Tajikistan? Why Do They Even Exist?”
Tajikistan is a small and relatively young country unknown to many people throughout the world. Tajikistan Monitor writes: The opening ceremony for this year’s Winter Olympics gave me an opportunity to monitor people’s online reactions to watching team Tajikistan enter the Sochi stadium. Below are just some of the most...
Patients in Uzbekistan “Have Nobody to Rely on Except for God”
On Registan.net, Gulnoza Saidazimova paints a bleak picture of the healthcare system in Uzbekistan (part one, part two): [The system is so inadequate and outdated that] a wealthy few head to foreign countries for medical treatment, drawing on their own savings and often those of their close relatives, whereas the majority poor can...
Three Main Blogging Platforms in Kazakhstan
Mr Wow! introduces [ru] the three most popular domestic blogging platforms in Kazakhstan: A decent and law-abiding blogger in Kazakhstan inhabits one of the three reserves: Yvision [yvision.kz], Gonzo[gonzo.kz], or Horde [horde.me].
Russian Commentator Mistakes Uzbekistan for Tajikistan at Olympics Opening Ceremony
A renowned Russian sports commentator mistook Uzbekistan's national team for that of Tajikistan in a live broadcast from the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Some Kazakh Bloggers Dine With the Mayor, Some Get Jail Terms
Three Kazakh bloggers have been sentenced to 10 days in jail for protesting outside a restaurant where a mayor was meeting with their fellow bloggers.
Surname Change As “National Duty” in Tajikistan
Following a controversial assertion by Tajikistan's Prosecutor General, senior officials in the country continue claiming that citizens whose surnames end in “-ov” or “-ev” are not patriots. Speaking to journalists today, Gavhar Sharofzoda, the head of the Tajikistan Language and Terminology Committee, said [ru], “Getting rid of Russian endings in...
Tajikistan Is “Besieged by Snow”
A massive snow storm has caused a nightmare for hundreds of thousands of people in Tajikistan.
About our Central Asia & Caucasus coverage
