Category: Interview
“A Person of Conscience Is Almost a Fairytale Character”: Chingiz Narynov on His Kyrgyz Thriller Mergen
Blending Kyrgyz mythology with crime drama and psychological suspense, Mergen explores corruption, environmental exploitation and the struggle for justice. Director Chingiz Narynov speaks to Novastan about the legends that inspired… [...]
Can design help reimagine the future of the Aral Sea? Joseph Grima on a different kind of school
Can design help address the Aral Sea region’s environmental challenges? Aral School director Joseph Grima discusses climate change, local knowledge and a new approach to design education in Uzbekistan’s Karakalpakstan. [...]
From Madrid to Kabul: An Afghan Diplomat on Spain, the Taliban and the Republic’s Collapse
Five years after the Taliban's return to power, former Afghan diplomat Hamed Wahdat Ahmadzada reflects on the collapse of the Afghan Republic, Spain's two decades of engagement, the Afghan diaspora… [...]
Uzbekistan’s Disability Rights Reforms: Progress on Paper, Barriers in Practice
Uzbekistan has introduced significant disability rights reforms, but barriers to accessibility, employment and social protection remain. Oybek Isakov, Chairman of the Association of Disabled People of Uzbekistan, explains why legislation… [...]
The Middle Corridor is growing, but can it deliver? A logistics operator’s perspective
The Middle Corridor is attracting growing freight volumes, but can its infrastructure keep pace? Christian Hirschmann of Azurite Logistics discusses the Caspian bottleneck, commercial competitiveness and Kazakhstan's growing role in… [...]
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Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir: “Housing is the Mongolian dream – and nightmare”
Mongolian filmmaker Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir discusses Ulaanbaatar, the country’s apartment obsession, masculinity, spirituality and her determination to show a modern Mongolia beyond stereotypes of nomads, horses and the steppe. [...]
On a disappearing Kyrgyz glacier, seven women learn to read the ice
Seven women joined glaciologist Gulbara Omorova on Kyrgyzstan’s rapidly retreating Adygene glacier. Their expedition is now becoming part of a documentary about science, climate change and the women working to… [...]
‘I am a German from Kazakhstan’: Lena Wolf on deportation, memory and finding home
Lena Wolf, a German from Kazakhstan, reflects on her family’s deportation, Soviet-era Russification, migration to Germany and the search for identity across generations. [...]
Dotor Khuree: “We want to make Mongolian music with contemporary instruments”
Dotor Khuree blends Mongolian musical traditions with contemporary instrumentation. The Ulaanbaatar band discusses its latest EP, musical identity and Mongolia’s independent scene. [...]
Janina Arsenjeva: “Finding a problem doesn’t mean reform has failed”
Disability rights are gaining ground across Central Asia, but progress remains uneven. Janina Arsenjeva discusses what is changing, who is still being left behind, and why finding problems can itself… [...]
Share Happiness, build an industry: Lola Animation’s Uzbek animation story
Producer Azimjon Rahimjonov speaks to Novastan about Lola Animation, the making of Share Happiness, the rapid growth of Uzbekistan’s animation sector and the ambition to bring Uzbek-created films to international… [...]
From Tashkent to the international stage: Diana Skobina brings Uzbek music to new audiences
From Tashkent to international concert halls, pianist Diana Skobina reflects on her Uzbek musical roots, classical training, life in the United States and her ambition to bring Central Asian repertoire… [...]