Latest posts by Alexander Sodiqov
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paints a bleak picture of the healthcare system in Uzbekistan (part one, part two): [The system is so inadequate and outdated that] a wealthy few head to foreign countries for medical treatment, drawing on their own savings and often those of their close relatives, whereas the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.
Photos Uzbek Authorities Do Not Want You To See
EurasiaNet.org presents “Twenty Photos Uzbekistan Does Not Want You to See“, a collection of black-and-white images by photojournalist Timur Karpov. The photos were removed [ru] from a group exhibition at Tashkent's House of Photography two hours before the beginning of the show on January 25, apparently because they were deemed to be “undermining” national pride....
“Disaster” for Supporters of Ukraine Protests in Uzbekistan
On January 29, police in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, detained eight individuals for picketing the Ukrainian embassy in support of Euromaidan protesters. Those arrested for holding an unsanctioned rally included a prominent photographer Umida Akhmedova, photojournalist Timur Karpov, and culture blogger Alex Ulko. Following the activists’ arrest, blogging platform NewEurasia.net asserted: What happens when you mix...
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan: Trip to the Dying Aral Sea
The Aral Sea lying between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan was once one of the world's four largest lakes. Over the last five decades, however, the sea has lost over 90 percent of its original size, mainly as a result of disastrous irrigation projects which diverted rivers feeding it. On the Caravanistan travel...
Qaraqalpaqstan, the ‘Forgotten Stan’ of Central Asia
Qaraqalpaqstan (or Karakalpakstan) is one of the least-known “stans” of Central Asia. Part of Uzbekistan, this region is a true gem for a curious traveler. On the Caravanistan blog, Steven writes about this “forgotten stan”: …Living under the shadow cast by the desiccation of the Aral Sea, this little-known stan has gotten...
“Real Patriots Choose Patriotic Names” in Tajikistan
In Tajikistan, a person's name is no longer a private matter. Officials insist that a name is an indication of the degree of patriotism of its bearer.
“It Has Become Hard to Breathe”: Tajikistan's Capital Gets a Coal Plant… and Hazardous Dust
As Dushanbe's new coal-fired power plant begins to supply electricity, rising levels of coal dust set off alarm bells in the city.
Hero or No Hero? Opinions Split Over Jailed Tajik Tycoon
A court in Tajikistan has recently sentenced a former minister and emerging opposition leader to 26 years in prison on charges seen as politically motivated. Since his arrest in May 2013, Zayd Saidov has become a symbol of resistance to the repressive state for many opposition activists, journalists, and intellectuals in the...
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.
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...
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...
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.
VIDEO: Kazakh Students Sing Love Songs for President
After a massive rally in which some 3,000 students expressed their love for Kazakhstan's president, netizens compare the country to North Korea.
Uzbekistan's “Twitter Warrior” Gulnara Karimova Is Back
After disappearing from Twitter yesterday, Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of Uzbekistan's “enduring dictator“, has returned to the micro-blogging service. In a flurry of angry tweets, Gulnara is blaming [ru] her mother for using intimidation and arbitrary arrests against her colleagues, allies, and business partners. Gulnara also suggests that her mother is...
Gulnara Karimova Ends Provocative “Twitter War” in Uzbekistan
Uzbek president's glamorous daughter has deactivated Twitter account she used to expose power struggles in Uzbekistan and feuds within the first family.