Tag: Kazakhstan
Morning mists
Morning mist – but not just that – hangs over Almaty. In barely a quarter of a century, urban sprawl, coupled with the loss of the city’s green… [...]
The Vocabulary of Reform: Why Central Asia Is Reimagining Its Political Traditions
From Kazakhstan’s Kurultai to Uzbekistan’s Mahalla, governments across Central Asia are increasingly framing political reform through institutions rooted in local history rather than imported political models. For much… [...]
Kazakhstan’s Next Elections: Between Reform and Managed Competition
Kazakhstan’s next parliamentary elections are unlikely to determine who governs the country. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s political dominance is not seriously in question. Yet the vote matters because it will… [...]
Heroines of the Second World War
In Almaty, Kazakhstan, stands this monument dedicated to two heroines of the Soviet Union, Aliya Moldagulova and Manchouk Mametova. These two female fighters distinguished themselves through… [...]
Almira Saifullina: “The steppe is an archive of violence, memory and silence”
Documentary filmmaker and visual anthropologist Almira Saifullina explores how landscapes preserve traces of Soviet violence, forced displacement and family memory. In this interview with Novastan, she discusses her new… [...]
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“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… [...]
Mukhtar Auezov
The imposing statue of the famous writer Mukhtar Auezov (1897–1961) stands in front of the theatre named after him in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Erected in 1980, this bronze… [...]
Final resting place
At the foot of the barchan dune, this goitered gazelle breathed its last. Barely fifty years ago, this species was on the brink of extinction. Today, around… [...]
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… [...]
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… [...]