Category: Kazakhstan
What lies beneath Central Asia? Rare earths, critical minerals and the new race for resources
Central Asia is often described as the next frontier in the global race for rare earths. The reality is both more promising and more complicated. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and their… [...]
“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. [...]
Between Extended Family and Personal Boundaries: How Parenting is Changing in Kazakhstan
Every year on June 1st, Kazakhstan celebrates International Children’s Day. In many cities, it is marked with concerts, theater performances, and free activities for children. For families, it is… [...]
Rinat Bekchintaev: “Almaty has an authentic cinematic image that cannot be repeated anywhere else”
From Almaty to Moscow and Paris, filmmaker and editor Rinat Bekchintaev has built a creative identity shaped by movement, memory and displacement. In this interview with Novastan, he discusses… [...]
In Kazakhstan, the futuristic city of “Alatau” reaches a new milestone with special status
Presented as a future major technological and economic hub, the city of Alatau in Kazakhstan is entering a new phase of institutional structuring after obtaining special status, amid persistent… [...]
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Overview of environmental issues in Kazakhstan
Like many countries, Kazakhstan is facing major environmental problems. Kazakh media outlet The Village has listed the environmental issues most frequently discussed in the country. Kazakhstan continues to… [...]
Kazakhstan continues to assert itself as the “key link” in the Middle Corridor
Kazakhstan strengthens its role as a key link in the Middle Corridor… [...]
The story of the Xinjiang Kazakhs: silent suffering along the Belt and Road
Relations between Kazakhstan and China are deepening fast. As a linchpin in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, Astana hopes to pluck the fruits of this global infrastructure development strategy,… [...]
Kazakhstan to become an Unusual Addition to the Abraham Accords: Will this Diplomatic Gesture for Washington Pay Off?
Two years into the war in Gaza – which has killed over 68,000 Palestinians – Kazakhstan has volunteered to join Trump’s Abraham Accords initiative to forge closer ties with… [...]
Dead in the Water: Has the Common Turkic Alphabet Failed to Boost Turkish Influence in Central Asia?
It has been one year since the Organization of Turkic States approved the implementation of a common Turkic alphabet, designed for uniform use in all member states. Under the guise… [...]
Carbon neutral by 2060? Kazakhstan’s green pledge faces a reality check
Kazakhstan’s economy remains heavily tied to fossil fuels, making its ambitious plans to shift toward renewable energy a daunting task. Whether the government can deliver on its pledge of reaching… [...]
The Lexicon of Kazakh Decolonisation
Over thirty years after the Soviet Union’s collapse, colonial influences persist in Kazakhstan. Russian remains widely spoken and serves as the primary language for interethnic communication. As language is… [...]