Author: Novastan 
Novastan
Written articles:
Kyrgyzstan’s march to smother the free press
Kyrgyzstan is sliding down to full blown autocracy. The country has traditionally stood out for offering greater protections for free speech, political parties, and NGOs than any other Central Asian… [...]
A brand-new parliament
The city centre of Dushanbe, the Tajik capital, is notable for its modern skyscrapers, the comings and goings of its yellow and green taxis, and its wide tree-lined streets. [...]
Memories of KarLag
This wall sculpture is located at the Museum of Memory for the Victims of Repression in the Dolinka Colony, also known as the KarLag Museum. For many years, the… [...]
Distant Persia?
Tajikistan is the only Persian-speaking country in Central Asia, in a region dominated by Turkic languages and cultures. In Khorog, capital of the independent region of Gorno-Badakhshan or… [...]
Live watermelons or still life?
A few watermelons await their fate in the entrance hall of Kokil Dara Khanagha. Kokildor-Ota Khanaka in Termez, in the far south of Uzbekistan, was originally a resting… [...]
Kyrgyz luthier
One of the few komuz makers, Yrys Ava, welcomes visitors to a timeless workshop where magnificent instruments are on display. All have been handmade using traditional techniques. Credits :… [...]
Fall horizon at the Chorsu bazaar
A woman walks through the bustle of the streets of the Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent. Credit: Daria Novikova (Uzbekistan, @dasha.novasha) Find all of… [...]
The Karlag infirmary
The former infirmary of the Soviet prison labour camp in Karaganda (KarLag) reveals a bare interior where medical care must have been rudimentary. This labour camp, one of… [...]
Old quarter
View of the mahallah, or neighbourhood, north of Osh from Sulaiman-Too, the city’s sacred mountain, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Credits: Simone Bergonzi (Italy,… [...]
The Museum of Musical Instruments of the tajik capital
Hidden behind a small door on a side street, the Gurminj Museum of Musical Instruments showcases the rich musical heritage of Tajikistan and Pamir. The impressive collection of instruments… [...]
In the Karaganda Gulag
In this office at the Karlag labour camp in Karaganda, the only decoration is a portrait of Lenin hanging on the wall. Some historians believe that Stalin’s… [...]
