Editor’s Note: What follows is part of a cross-blog survey that sheds light on the rich ethnic tapestry of Central Asia.
Prior to the events of March 2005, Kyrgyzstan was probably best known for the fact that representatives of more than 80 ethnic groups reside within its borders and a key slogan under Akaev was […]

Editor’s Note: What follows is part of a cross-blog survey that explores minorities in Central Asia. This article was written by Ted Callahan*, a Research Fellow at the Social Research Center of the American University in Bishkek.
A visit to the Afghan Pamirs reveals nothing so much as the timelessness of certain economic forms. Animal […]

Editor’s Note: What follows is part of a cross-blog survey that sheds light on the rich ethnic tapestry of Central Asia.
A few years ago the issue of Russians living in Kyrgyzstan has become a real issue. With the collapse of the Soviet Union it was suddenly discovered that Russians living in the country are […]

Editor’s Note: What follows is part of a cross-blog survey that sheds light on the rich ethnic tapestry of Central Asia.
The Ferghana Valley, especially its Kyrgyzstani part (southern Kyrgyzstan), has always fascinated people from all over the world, especially Westerners, because of the variety of ethnic groups living there (more than 20 ethnic groups […]

It’s happened! Finally, one of the greatest singers of Russia’s pop-music stage, originally from Bishkek, Svetlana Nazarenko, the lead singer of the band Gorod 312, was awarded the honorary title of “Honored Artist of Kyrgyz Republic.”
Svetlana Nazarenko, aka Aya, was born and grew up in Frunze (Bishkek), Kyrgyzstan. She is one of the few […]

Kyrgyzstan is commemorating the anniversary of the tragic events in Aksy, when 5 people were shot dead by security forces in the south of Kyrgyzstan. 5 years is not such a big term in the historical context, but according to a number of Kyrgyz newsmakers, this anniversary is to become a milestone in the […]

This is a translation of the article that Mirsulzhan Namazaliev wrote for the Russian version of neweurasia.
Someone recently told me: “I hope that this spring Kyrgyzstan will not be on front pages of world newspapers because of the new unrest”.My reply to that was: “We’ll, probably, be featured not only be leading news outlets but […]