Culture & Society
Mesmerising
Designed by Canadian architect Farouck Noormohamed, the Ismaili Centre in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) draws its inspiration from the traditional architecture of the region, in particular the… [...]
Kazakh hospitality
A warm comforting dish is offered to the visitor. The culinary culture may have evolved, but Kazakh hospitality remains, and the table is still laid in abundance to honour the… [...]
Kazakhstan: commemorating Victory Day without military parade
Similar to last year, May 9 in Kazakhstan is overshadowed by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Military parades have been cancelled, once again. Instead, this year’s Victory Day will mainly be… [...]
“Ayban Ferma”: translating George Orwell into Kyrgyz
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” is one of the most famous mottos in world literature. The novel it comes from, George Orwell’s Animal… [...]
A hundred years of Kyrgyz football
The Kyrgyz Football Federation celebrated 100 years on 21 March 2021, but it’s as active as ever. Novastan looks back at the game’s history in the Central Asian nation. This… [...]
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 help to stay that way!“I want our theatre to be the new face of Tajik theatre”: Khurshed Mustafoev on the future of Dushanbe’s Russian theatre
In early 2021, Khurshed Mustafoev became artistic director of the Mayakovsky Theatre in Dushanbe. The actor, director and set designer has been working with the theatre company – the only… [...]
Who is Manizha, the Tajik-born singer representing Russia at the Eurovision?
Russian television viewers have chosen Manizha, a Russian singer born in Tajikistan, to represent Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest. A version of this article was originally published on Novastan’s… [...]
Spotify expands to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan
Spotify is coming to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Local music distributors see the arrival of the Swedish streaming service not as a game changer but rather as another sign of the… [...]