Kyrgyzstan Archives

Najy Benhassine, World Bank Division Director for Central Asia, at a regional meeting with representatives of Central Asian countries. Courtesy of the World Bank.

World Bank’s Najy Benhassine on Economic Growth and Transformation in Central Asia

Central Asia is attracting growing international investment, but strong economic growth has yet to deliver deeper structural transformation. World Bank director Najy Benhassine explains what needs to change. [...]

Visitors gather at Karakol Bus Station for Kyrgyzstan Beyond the Postcard, an exhibition showcasing everyday life through the eyes of amateur photographers. Courtesy of Peshcom / Street Gudit.

Beyond the postcard: An exhibition in Kyrgyzstan puts everyday life in the frame

An unusual photography exhibition at Karakol Bus Station challenges conventional images of Kyrgyzstan. Featuring works by more than 50 amateur photographers, Kyrgyzstan Beyond the Postcard explores everyday urban life and… [...]

A scene from Mergen, a Kyrgyz psychological thriller directed by Chingiz Narynov. Courtesy of Citylab Films.

“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… [...]

Participants in the Ala-Archa expedition in front of the glacier. Photo by Aidan Turumbekova.

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… [...]

Janina Arsenjeva. Photo: Courtesy of Janina Arsenjeva.

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… [...]

Trucks parked at a motorway rest area in Europe. Long-distance drivers often spend extended periods living and sleeping in their vehicles between assignments. Photo courtesy of Alex.

Far from home, behind the wheel: A Kyrgyz truck driver on Europe’s roads

A truck driver from Kyrgyzstan describes life on Europe’s roads, from recruitment costs and salary deductions to sleeping in his cab, supporting his family and saving for a future back… [...]

The first Korea-Central Asia Summit brought together South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and the leaders of the five Central Asian states in Seoul on 16 September 2026. Photo: Office of the President of the Republic of Korea.

South Korea’s Central Asia strategy is regional in form, bilateral in practice

South Korea has elevated ties with Central Asia to summit level. But experts tell Novastan that the real test lies in investment, local value creation and cross-border cooperation - not… [...]

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung with the five Central Asian presidents at the first Korea-Central Asia Summit in Seoul, 16 September 2026. Photo: Office of the President of the Republic of Korea.

From Development Partner to Strategic Supplier: What Seoul’s First Central Asia Summit Really Signals?

Support Novastan, the European Central Asia magazine By supporting Novastan, you are supporting the only English, French and German-language media specialising in Central Asia. We’re independent and we need your… [...]

Interviewing Abdullah Abdullah at RFE/RL in spring 2001. Photo: Courtesy of Bruce Pannier.

Bruce Pannier: “Central Asians never viewed their region as Russia’s backyard”

From photocopied Central Asian newspapers in the 1990s to YouTube investigations and exile media today, Bruce Pannier traces how journalism in the region has changed - and why independent voices… [...]

Sadyr Japarov, presient of Kyrgyzstan. Credits : UzDaily.uz

“A Fourth Political Reset?”: An Interview with Kyrgyz Political Scientist Emil Dzhuraev

An assessment of President Sadyr Japarov’s tenure, the political realignment following the dismissal of the head of the security services, and growing economic dependence on China… For Novastan, prominent… [...]

Traditional crafts displayed beneath the tiled arches of a historic madrasa in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Credits: Mathieu Lemoine.

The Silk Road Paradigm and the Dilemma of In-Between

Support Novastan, the European Central Asia magazine By supporting Novastan, you are supporting the only English, French and German-language media specialising in Central Asia. We’re independent and we need your… [...]

Administrative map of Central Asia following the national-territorial delimitation of 1924. The Soviet reorganisation created new republican frameworks, but the borders and political identities of modern Central Asia emerged through a longer and more complex process. Public domain / Wikimedia Commons.

Who Made the Nations of Central Asia?

Support Novastan, the European Central Asia magazine By supporting Novastan, you are supporting the only English, French and German-language media specialising in Central Asia. We’re independent and we need your… [...]