Author: Novastan 
Novastan
Written articles:
Luncheon on the grass
Pasta, mutton and potato stew, eaten straight from the communal dish, tea and bread broken for the lunch break after picking apples and peaches from the family orchard. Kok-Talaa,… [...]
Sunrise by the lake
Sunrise at Son-Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan. In summer, inhabited by nomads who build yurts to accommodate tourists but especially to tend the summer pastures there. Horses are used… [...]
Alone in the canyon
Ominous clouds rise over the empty canyon during a late afternoon hike. In the Almaty region, close to the famous Charyn canyon,… [...]
Mosaics in peril
On the road to Iskanderkul, in Tajikistan, a Soviet mosaic with its usual heroic and dynamic decor is immortalised before its partial destruction. This fragile and poorly maintained… [...]
Sandstorm over Shetpe
A strong gust of wind sweeps across the arid landscape around the village of Shetpe in western Kazakhstan, obscuring the view of the road and the landscape. Climate change… [...]
Blue walls
A woman passes by beautifully-ornated walls inside the Khujand fortress complex. This complex has been rebuilt from scratch using only traditional techniques, like the… [...]
Trompe-l’oeil
Inside one of Samarkand‘s neighborhood houses, you’ll find the traditional toptchan (a kind of platform where you sit to share a cup of tea or a meal) and antique… [...]
The mist fountain
During hot summer days, the people of Almaty gather at the mist fountain facing Kazakhstan Hotel to enjoy some freshness. Almaty has a… [...]
Hide and seek
Play of light and shadow under the arcades of the Kok Gumbaz Mosque in Shahrisabz, Uzbekistan. The construction of this large Friday mosque was ordered by Ulugh Beg… [...]
Grey Breath over Astana
Not far from the Hazrat Sultan Mosque, smoke from domestic fires fills a modest street. In the background, Astana’s modern towers struggle to rise above the haze, a stark… [...]
Summer at the lake
One of the beaches of the northern shores of the Lake Ysyk-Köl with snow-capped mountains in the background. The lake has been an important summer vacation… [...]