Everyone in Kyrgyzstan is looking forward to a warm and sunny spring after a long and cold winter. Nooruz marks the astronomical start of the spring, or spring equinox, when day and night even up and daylight time starts to grow. March 21st is full of different events, performances, and delicious food. Novastan interviewed Kyrgyz people to find out how Kyrgyzstan celebrates Nooruz.

On the 21st of March, Kyrgyz citizens are having a Nooruz (“noo” – new and “ruz” – day) celebration. Nooruz is an ancient national celebration of the spring equinox when the day and the night become equal. It is celebrated on the 21st of March and marks the beginning of the New Year and the renewal of nature in many cultures. 

Bazarkan

Neighbors usually organize events within their village. Bazarkan is a Kyrgyz teacher from a small village called “Jangarach”.

“Nowruz was a highly awaited holiday … My mother would sew new dresses and tebeteis (Kyrgyz national hats worn by girls) for me and my sister. Everyone would clean their houses and yards for the guests and cook a lot of delicious food to share with family and friends,” says Bazarkan.

Unlike the popular belief that Nooruz is about the awakening of nature and the coming of the New Year, Bazarkan grew up with a different opinion on the meaning of the holiday.

Read more on Novastan: Beyond fun and games – the politics of Nowruz

“Nooruz is all about friendship and community,” she says. The whole day is supposed to be spent having a good time by playing traditional Kyrgyz games, eating traditional food, singing, dancing, and chatting with the neighbors to establish a stronger bond with them. 

Nowadays her village does not celebrate this holiday as it used to. “It is becoming less popular to celebrate Nooruz,” says Bazarkan sadly. Today the elders of the village still try to organize some games and celebrations but fewer and fewer people are participating. “I think this is happening due to changes in people’s beliefs and religions,” she adds. 

Ruslan

Ruslan is a youth activist who involves foreigners and tourists in cultural games such as Kok-Boru. 

“I always follow the elders. To be honest, I don’t even know when Nooruz will be this year” says Ruslan. Growing up, he celebrated Nooruz in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Now that Ruslan moved back to Kyrgyzstan, he still celebrates it with his family. Unlike before, his whole family and relatives gather together to celebrate and eat traditional food – in Russia it used to be just him and his immediate family. 

When asked about the meaning of the holiday, Ruslan uncertainly says, “The beginning, right?” 

Sezim 

“We usually celebrate Nooruz at home, however not as large as the New Year. Although, Nooruz is our New Year” says Sezim. She shares that her family usually celebrates by cooking boorsoks (traditional Kyrgyz pastry), plov, and inviting their closest relatives. When Sezim used to be younger, she used to live in the Issyk-Kul region where every Nooruz would be celebrated by having a big fair, and she would even perform there sometimes as she used to attend musical school. 

Sezim sees Nooruz as a family holiday. Her favorite parts of the Holiday are the colorful traditional Kyrgyz clothing and rituals such as the burning of juniper which is supposed to clean the house and get rid of bad spirits. 

Kubanych

For local designers, Nooruz is more than just a national holiday. It is a chance to share their art with people.

The coming of spring is celebrated yearly in the Supara Ethno-complex with a lot of laughter and fun. Every Nooruz ethno-complex comes up with different programs. Guests can take part in traditional Kyrgyz games, learn how to work with clay, take a stroll around the museum that is located on the territory of the complex, and take a look at traditional Kyrgyz clothing. 

A couple of days before the big celebration, the staff prepares sumolok (a traditional dish prepared specifically for Nooruz), which all of the guests love. 

“This event is mainly organized to teach the young generation about Kyrgyz values and traditions,” says Kubanych, the organizer of the event. Kubanych also shares that throughout the years they have witnessed more young people attending the event dressed in traditional clothing.

Background

Kyrgyzstan has been an independent country for 31 years. However, Nooruz was celebrated in this region long before. Nooruz is considered a holiday with origins in Zoroastrianism and its roots go back to ancient times before the arrival of Islam to Kyrgyzstan.

Today this holiday is celebrated in large parts of the South Caucasus, Western Asia, and Southern and Central Asia, in countries such as Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and some parts of Russia (Bashkortostan, Dagestan, Tatarstan).

All photos by Tasnim Azimova, unless indicated otherwise

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The post How is Kyrgyzstan celebrating Nooruz in 2024? appeared first on Novastan English.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the U.S., the EU, and other countries have imposed massive sanctions against Russia. They range from financial and economic (such as removing Russia from the international SWIFT-System and banning the import of oil and gas) to personal sanctions against Russian oligarchs. However, some find a way around the direct import bans – and Central Asian countries have become integral components of such evasion schemes. The consequences are yet to be faced.

Sanctions against the Kyrgyz companies

The US Department of Commerce has blacklisted 69 Russian companies, including one from Kyrgyzstan and one from Armenia. 

“We will continue to impose costs on the Kremlin for continuing this war both by further restricting their access to additional items, as well as through aggressive enforcement,” reports Reuter.

According to information disclosed in the Federal Register of the United States, the Kyrgyz company is identified as Tro. Ya, with its headquarters located in Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan. Listed as a Legal Consulting Company on the official website of the Kyrgyzstan Ministry of Justice, Tro.Ya is noteworthy due to its director, Hilo Naser, also being the owner of Nas.Tech is a company registered at the same address. Records indicate that Tro.Ya is associated with Nas.Tech, further highlighting their interconnectedness.

There are no official statements from the Kyrgyz authorities regarding the Western sanctions. The fallout for the Kyrgyz company remains uncertain. Still, the U.S. resolute move is a stark reminder that associating with Russia’s military endeavors invites severe consequences, including international sanctions and restricted resource access. 

Russian companies circumvent sanctions and increase trade relationship with Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s import-export value significantly increased to Russia. 

Despite Western sanctions, Russia continues to import cutting-edge technology from friendly countries, including drones, microchips, and microelectronics. “Important Stories”, OCCRP and Der Spiegel published an investigative article on how Russia dodges the sanctions.

Russian companies specializing in military equipment are unable to officially import goods – but with the help of side companies registered abroad, the ban seems to be easily evaded.

For example, Kazakhstani company Aspan Arba became the official distributor of DJI in Kazakhstan in November 2022. “Aspan Arba” obtained a license to import 18,000 DJI drones worth $45 million, and 500 drones were sent to “Nebesnaya Mekhanika” in Russia. The exporter is DJI Europe B.V., the Dutch subsidiary of a Chinese company. 

Kazakhstan’s “Aspan Arba” was founded in April 2022 by the same person who founded  “Nebesnaya Mekhanika” – Ilya Gorberg, – and the current director of “Aspan Arba,”, Mikhail Sapozhnikov, was a co-owner of “Nebesnaya Mekhanika” with Gorberg. 

Another company, “Elix-st”, registered under the names of Evgeny and Elena Cherneta in Europe, owns the company “Elix-M” in Russia. The company specializes in the development of materials for absorbing electromagnetic waves, which are used, among other things, for radar camouflage (including military equipment), and primarily serves Russian defense enterprises.

In March 2022, a company “Da Group 22” was registered in Astana, Kazakhstan, listing Alexander Cherneta (presumably the son of Evgeny Cherneta) as owner and manager. It is worth noting that between 2018 and 2021, before the war, “Elix-st” did not import any goods into Kazakhstan (while exporting to Russia, conversely). 

“Nebesnaya Mekhanika” and “Elix-st” are not the only examples. There are numerous other companies listed in the OCCRP investigation with similar narratives, importing military equipment from Western countries and channeling them through Kazakhstan. The scheme itself is quite intricate and convoluted.

Trade volume is growing

OCCRP mentions that, according to the Office for National Statistics, the import of microelectronics into Kazakhstan more than doubled since the Russian invasion. In 2021, integrated circuits worth $35 million were imported, similar to previous years. Yet, the import value surged to over $75 million in 2022. On the other hand, microchip exports from Kazakhstan to Russia were negligible, totaling $245,000 in 2021 but increasing to $18 million in 2022. Drones were not mentioned in Kazakhstan’s 2021 import-export report, but the OCCRP investigation states that in 2022, Kazakhstan imported drones worth $5 million and exported drones valued at $1.23 million to Russia.

During a press conference in February, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Mukhtar Tleuberdi, expressed that Kazakhstan is striving to prevent any potential sanctions evasion by Russia. However, he acknowledged the challenges posed by the fact that both Kazakhstan and Russia are members of the Eurasian Economic Union, which exempts trade between them from customs control.

Read more on Novastan: Effects of Sanctions on Russia strongly felt in Dushanbe

The trade data from Kazakhstan strongly indicates that the country is being utilized as an intermediary destination for the import of drones into Russia. This highlights the complex dynamics at play in the region’s trade relationships.

Kazakh authorities provide contradictory statements concerning their trade partnership with Russia

Despite assurances from the Kazakhstani authorities regarding compliance with Western sanctions, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized in an interview with a Russian television channel that Kazakhstan is by no means abandoning its alliance obligations.

“Emphasizing our continued collaboration with the Russian government, I would say that we are working at an accelerated pace and achieving necessary agreements without violating the sanctions. There are complex issues that require time to understand how to resolve specific situations, but once again, we find solutions to these matters. The situation is unique. No one could have expected us to live in this particular reality. However, it exists, and therefore, we must address these issues that arise from this reality,” concluded the Head of State. 

Read more on Novastan: Kazakhstan’s gradual divorce from Russia

In April, following the visit of high-ranking Western officials responsible for sanctions to Astana, information emerged that Kazakhstan intends to monitor the movement of goods from border to border in real time and establish a system to track violations of sanctions. Moreover, on 20th of June, deputy foreign minister Almas Aidarov stated at the briefing at the central communications service that Kazakhstan prohibited the supply of military goods to Russia.

“<…>Regarding sanctioned goods and the latest package of sanctions, where Kyrgyzstan was also included, as of last year, we have completely banned the supply of military-purpose goods to Russia. For dual-use goods, a special certification has been introduced, meaning a special license is required, along with obtaining permission for export.”, – stated Aidarov.

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has issued a strong statement condemning the presence of Central Asian presidents at the May 9 parade held in Moscow to commemorate Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War. The parade saw the participation of the presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, along with the Prime Minister of Armenia.

In its official statement, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscored that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who led the parade, is currently wanted internationally for committing war crimes due to the Russian military’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“The participation of foreign leaders in a public event alongside a war criminal, who proudly instigated a war in Europe on an unprecedented scale since World War II, is viewed as an immoral and unfriendly act towards Ukraine. It demonstrates a disregard for the Ukrainian people who are fighting for their survival and freedom,” stated the ministry.

Moreover, the ministry emphasized the invaluable contributions made by the peoples of Central Asia and the Caucasus to the victory over Nazism 78 years ago. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly believes that these nations should not be exploited by the Kremlin for participating in an event that lacks any connection to the heroic acts of the victorious nations over Nazism.

Read more on Novastan: Kazakhstan: commemorating Victory Day without military parade

Russia initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, which was met with condemnation from countries within the European Union and the United States. As a response, these nations implemented unprecedented economic sanctions against Russia.

In March 2023, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin, specifically for war crimes committed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Despite the arrest warrant and warnings from Western countries, including the European Union, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan extended an invitation to Putin for an official visit to Bishkek, which Putin accepted.

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