Author: Mathieu Lemoine 
Mathieu Lemoine
Written articles:
How Central Asia became home for the Koryo-Saram
Support Novastan, the European Central Asia magazine By supporting Novastan, you are supporting the only English, French and German-language media specialising in Central Asia. We’re independent and we need your… [...]
Beyond the Counter: Uzbekistan’s Public Service Reforms and the Hidden Infrastructure of the Digital State
For most citizens, the state is not first encountered through laws, strategies or official speeches. It is encountered in practical moments of need: registering a birth, obtaining a passport,… [...]
Minsk’s Eastern Bet: Why Central Asia Matters More Than Ever
As Uzbekistani President Shavkat Mirziyoyev prepares to travel to Minsk on 8-9 July, the visit is expected to produce another series of agreements on trade, industry… [...]
The Vocabulary of Reform: Why Central Asia Is Reimagining Its Political Traditions
From Kazakhstan’s Kurultai to Uzbekistan’s Mahalla, governments across Central Asia are increasingly framing political reform through institutions rooted in local history rather than imported political models. For much… [...]
Kazakhstan’s Next Elections: Between Reform and Managed Competition
Kazakhstan’s next parliamentary elections are unlikely to determine who governs the country. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s political dominance is not seriously in question. Yet the vote matters because it will… [...]
Money, boxes and absent men: the hidden economy reshaping Central Asia
At Central Asian airports, remittances do not always look like money. They can look like taped cardboard boxes arriving from Istanbul, oversized suitcases from Moscow, bags of clothes bought… [...]
Beyond the big clubs: the football map behind Uzbekistan’s World Cup dream
Uzbekistan’s first World Cup appearance is often told through the players who carried the national team there: Eldor Shomurodov, Abbosbek Fayzullaev, Abdukodir Khusanov, Oston Urunov and the rest of… [...]
Bunyodkor Tashkent: the prestige project that tried to put Uzbek football on the world map
Special series – The Clubs Behind Uzbekistan’s World Cup Dream As Uzbekistan plays in its first-ever FIFA World Cup after a historic qualification campaign, Novastan looks at the… [...]
Neftchi Fergana: the oil-workers’ club that dominated early Uzbek football
Special series – The Clubs Behind Uzbekistan’s World Cup Dream As Uzbekistan plays in its first-ever FIFA World Cup after a historic qualification campaign, Novastan looks at the… [...]
Navbahor Namangan: the Fergana Valley’s football heartbeat
Special series – The Clubs Behind Uzbekistan’s World Cup Dream As Uzbekistan plays in its first-ever FIFA World Cup after a historic qualification campaign, Novastan looks at the… [...]
Nasaf Qarshi: the club that put Uzbek football on Asia’s map
Special series – The Clubs Behind Uzbekistan’s World Cup Dream As Uzbekistan plays in its first-ever FIFA World Cup after a historic qualification campaign, Novastan looks at the clubs… [...]
Pakhtakor Tashkent: The Club That Carries Uzbek Football’s Memory
Special series – The Clubs Behind Uzbekistan’s World Cup Dream As Uzbekistan plays in its first-ever FIFA World Cup after a historic qualification campaign, Novastan looks at the clubs… [...]
Translated articles:
In Uzbekistan, one family wants to support the revival of wine production
Once known for its grapes, Uzbekistan saw many vineyards destroyed after the fall of the USSR. The Akhunov family is now helping revive the country’s wine culture. [...]
How Central Asia is trying to protect the snow leopard
From Kyrgyz volunteer rangers to strict penalties in Uzbekistan, Central Asia is stepping up efforts to protect the rare and emblematic snow leopard. [...]
Edited articles:
When irrigation becomes a nightly struggle for Uzbekistan’s women farmers
Support Novastan, the European Central Asia magazine By supporting Novastan, you are supporting the only English, French and German-language media specialising in Central Asia. We’re independent and we need your… [...]
The Hidden Weight of Divorce in Kyrgyzstan: Why Its Social Consequences Remain Gendered
This article is published as part of a partnership between AUCA and Novastan, which brings graduate students’ academic work to a wider readership. Through this collaboration, Novastan aims to… [...]
“I only needed a passport” : In Ukraine, Central Asian prisoners of wars caught between loyalty and regret
Citizens from Central Asia now represent the largest group of foreign nationals fighting in the Russian army. Novastan spoke with several of them after their capture by Ukrainian forces. [...]
In Tajikistan, daughters-in-law face a hidden system of control
This article is published as part of a partnership between AUCA and Novastan, which brings graduate students’ academic work to a wider readership. Through this collaboration, Novastan aims to… [...]