This week Firuz at Tajik-Tajik blog neweurasia shared the story of a handicraftsman from Istravshan (northern Tajikistan) who was involved in leather working since childhood and for almost 60 years. He inherited this skill from his father and his father from his father. This tradition is inherited from father to son for many centuries.

The handicraftsmen say that the leather working is a very difficult and painstaking work. Process of a fell of one cow requires the effort of three men in ten days.

Meanwhile, the cultural life in tajik cities seems to be far less creative than the traditional arts legacy. A new author on Tajik-English blog neweurasia C offers some thoughts on the Tajik music scene. He thinks that people in Tajikistan are so isolated from big music events happening in the world that they are ready to go to local concerts even if they are fed up with them.

Whatever place you go you see the same faces on the stage as well in the auditorium. And it seems that faces that I see in the auditorium come not because they are extremely interested in the concert or in the group, they come because they are starving for cultural events.