Kyrgyzstan
“If You’re Scared, You do it Scared”: How Bishkek’s Techno Scene Survives State Repression
Last April, Kyrgyzstan’s special forces carried out heavy-handed raids on two of Bishkek’s most popular electronic-music bars. Expecting a hotspot of drugs and illicit activity, officers found instead a young,… [...]
Carrier horse
A break for horses by the Yellow Lake, Saryköl, in the Naryn Region, Kyrgyzstan. The Kyrgyz people rely heavily on horses in their daily lives: they ferment mare’s milk to… [...]
Trade in Sheep
In winter, the sheep traded on the market are protected from the cold temperatures of Karakol thanks to their wool. Credit: Davide Pilloni (@flip_khan, Italy) Find… [...]
Flaming flag
The Kyrgyz flag flaps in the wind against a stormy sky above the Tash Rabat camp. Slightly frayed, it features the old version of the national flag with wavy… [...]
Kyrgyzstan’s march to smother the free press
Kyrgyzstan is sliding down to full blown autocracy. The country has traditionally stood out for offering greater protections for free speech, political parties, and NGOs than any other Central Asian… [...]
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One of the few komuz makers, Yrys Ava, welcomes visitors to a timeless workshop where magnificent instruments are on display. All have been handmade using traditional techniques. Credits :… [...]
Old quarter
View of the mahallah, or neighbourhood, north of Osh from Sulaiman-Too, the city’s sacred mountain, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Credits: Simone Bergonzi (Italy,… [...]
Sayakbay Karalayev at the Lake
View of a fresco depicting the figure of Manaschi Sayakbay Karalayev (1894-1971). The wall and the surrounding ruins and buildings belong to the complex Aalam-Ordo, literally… [...]
Luncheon on the grass
Pasta, mutton and potato stew, eaten straight from the communal dish, tea and bread broken for the lunch break after picking apples and peaches from the family orchard. Kok-Talaa,… [...]
Sunrise by the lake
Sunrise at Son-Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan. In summer, inhabited by nomads who build yurts to accommodate tourists but especially to tend the summer pastures there. Horses are used… [...]
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