English Archives - Page 2 of 3

4 Minutes

English

Kyrgyzstan’s president consolidates his power, now it’s time to rule

bluedomes April 13, 2021 1 Comment

A few months after being elected, Sadyr Japarov scored another important victory when the constitutional referendum granting him more powers passed in the ballots. Having achieved his aims since he rose to power, it...

5 Minutes

English

LGBT rights: Uzbekistan’s self-inflicted PR damage

bluedomes March 31, 2021 2 Comments

After years of creating a positive image abroad since the arrival of Shavkat Mirziyoyev to power, Uzbekistan’s ill-treatment of the LGBT community risks bringing down its PR strategy. On March 29, an Uzbek rights...

5 Minutes

English

Turkey prioritises Uzbekistan in recent Central Asian tour

bluedomes March 13, 2021 0 Comment

The Turkish Foreign Minister’s trip to Central Asia brought him to Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, but it was in the latter where he spent most of his time and where the more significant agreements...

5 Minutes

English History

The tragic fate of the last Khan of Khiva

bluedomes February 28, 2021 0 Comment

From puppet khan in his native Khiva to poverty and hunger in Ukraine, the life of Sayid Abdullah, the last ruler of the khanate, is a dramatic story mostly unknown even by those with...

3 Minutes

English

Uzbek Foreign Minister’s regional tour: the new normal

bluedomes February 20, 2021 4 Comments

In a whistle-blow tour, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs visited the neighbouring countries of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan and met with their respective presidents. Years ago, when regional cooperation was hard to come by,...

3 Minutes

English

Another step towards dynastic succession in Turkmenistan

bluedomes February 12, 2021 0 Comment

The appointment of the president’s son to new positions in the government reinforces the message that Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov wants his offspring to succeed him at the head of the Central Asian nation. In mid-February,...

5 Minutes

English

Uzbek president’s praise of the «Barber of Ferghana» raises concerns

bluedomes February 5, 2021 3 Comments

During a trip to Ferghana, the Uzbek president excused the behaviour of the region’s controversial former governor and showed his appreciation for his work. The compliments given by Shavkat Mirziyoyev to his notorious official...

5 Minutes

English

Kazakhstan’s Latin alphabet, fourth time lucky?

bluedomes February 1, 2021 0 Comment

A new Kazakh alphabet using Latin characters will be the fourth attempt at transitioning away from the Cyrillic script. It is a subject in which the authorities have insisted in the last decades but...

2 Minutes

English

Kazakhstan, a safe haven for refugees escaping Xinjiang?

bluedomes January 22, 2021 0 Comment

The attack on two ethnic Kazakh that seek refuge in Kazakhstan following their escape from China raises questions about the Kazakh authorities’ real stance with asylum-seekers from Xinjiang. On January 21, two refugees temporarily...

6 Minutes

English

Homosexuality in Central Asia: A problem of social mentality?

bluedomes January 16, 2021 0 Comment

Members of the LGBTQ community throughout Central Asia suffer unimaginable hardships. Each day they are forced to decide between living openly, which could lead to punishment and death under their oppressive regimes or hiding...

6 Minutes

English History

The Great Seljuks, rulers of the East and West (part II)

bluedomes January 12, 2021 2 Comments

This is a continuation of “The Great Seljuks, rulers of the East and West (part I)” The West: the rule of the amirs The death of Malikshah was followed by the customary war of...

3 Minutes

English

Japarov’s victory in Kyrgyzstan, a real landslide?

bluedomes January 10, 2021 1 Comment

After polls closed on Sunday in Kyrgyzstan, there was one clear winner: Sadyr Japarov. He got a much larger share of the vote than any of his competitors and voters overwhelmingly backed his proposal...

8 Minutes

English History

The Great Seljuks, rulers of the East and West (part I)

bluedomes January 3, 2021 4 Comments

Descending from the steppes, the Seljuks conquered a large empire that stretched from the Mediterranean to the heart of Eastern Turkestan. Despite their nomad origin, they adopted the Perso-Islamic traditions of those they subdued...

5 Minutes

English History

Uzbekistan’s historical heritage still at risk

bluedomes December 11, 2020 0 Comment

News of damage caused to historical structures in Uzbekistan continue to emerge. Despite the central authority’s effort to protect its heritage, destruction and demolition of historical buildings continues to take place in the country....

3 Minutes

English

New names, a withdrawal and a comeback: Kazakhstan’s elections heat up

bluedomes November 28, 2020 0 Comment

In the last weeks, a series of news regarding Kazakhstan’s January parliamentary elections have brought Nur-Sultan back to the centre of Central Asian affairs after weeks dominated by the events unfolding in Kyrgyzstan. The...

3 Minutes

English

Kyrgyzstan’s presidential casting kicks off

bluedomes November 15, 2020 0 Comment

Kyrgyzstan’s electoral show is underway. The first deadline for the presidential elections scheduled for the 10th of January expired on the 14th of November. By that day, the aspiring candidates had to submit their...

8 Minutes

English History

The hidden treasures of Turkmenistan (part I)

bluedomes October 26, 2020 4 Comments

At the crossroads of the Silk Road, Turkmenistan has a rich historical heritage that is greatly unknown to the general public. The country’s isolationist policies and the limited number of tourists it receives contributes...

3 Minutes

English

What is next for ousted Jeenbekov?

bluedomes October 18, 2020 0 Comment

Retiring at 61 years of age might be a prospect that many would enjoy. But in Kyrgyzstan there is one man who was forced to leave his job being barely over 60 that would...

2 Minutes

English

Rahmon’s electoral alibi

bluedomes October 4, 2020 0 Comment

The upcoming presidential elections in Tajikistan will result in a new term for the country’s long-standing president, Emomali Rahmon. However, to be able to brag about the democratic process, the incumbent president needs other...

5 Minutes

English

Turkmenistan’s new book: a second Ruhnama?

bluedomes September 29, 2020 0 Comment

Turkmenistan’s president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, completed his 53rd book on August 5th, and it was subsequently released to the public with a ceremonious exhibition on September 5th. Titled “Türkmeniň döwletlilik ýörelgesi” in Turkmen, it has...

3 Minutes

English

The Barber of Ferghana changes jobs

bluedomes September 25, 2020 2 Comments

The former controversial governor of Fergana will abandon his post in the eastern region for a ministerial office in Tashkent. It is still unclear if his new job as Deputy Prime Minister is a...

7 Minutes

English

Turkmenistan, the land of the rumours

bluedomes September 13, 2020 3 Comments

The lack of reliable and verifiable information is the breeding ground for rumours. This is a phenomenon that is widespread in Turkmenistan due to the opaqueness of the regime. From conspiracy theories involving a...

6 Minutes

English

Reemphasizing everyday traditions in Central Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic

bluedomes August 28, 2020 0 Comment

As most of the world has resigned to staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increased emphasis on rediscovering traditions, customs, and familial connections. The coronavirus has forced humanity to contemplate what...

3 Minutes

English

Protesting in a wasteland: Uzbekistan’s new demonstration bill

bluedomes August 23, 2020 1 Comment

A draft legislation on the regulation of public demonstrations exemplifies the shortcomings of Uzbekistan’s reforms in the last years. While it seems a positive development that such a law might come into effect, it...

5 Minutes

English

Turkmenistan, the Kuwait that never was

bluedomes August 16, 2020 1 Comment

Turkmenistan is best known today for its eccentric dictator and a deep economic crisis that has resulted in shortages of basics foodstuffs, large unemployment and an exodus for those that can leave the country....

5 Minutes

English

China and Tajikistan, an uneven relationship

bluedomes July 31, 2020 0 Comment

Tajikistan has become China’s entry point into Central Asia. Not economically, but politically and militarily. Dushanbe has been doing a series of concessions to China in the past decade and now an article published...

4 Minutes

English

In the fields of wheat: an authoritarian obsession

bluedomes July 5, 2020 1 Comment

The Central Asian republics have been shaped by the personality of their leaders since their independence from the Soviet Union. From Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Nazarbayev to Uzbekistan’s Shavkat Mirziyoyev, they all have developed different leadership...

3 Minutes

English

Samarkand University, the latest victim of Uzbekistan’s Timurid craze

bluedomes June 27, 2020 1 Comment

Samarkand State University in Uzbekistan will soon celebrate its 600th anniversary despite not being even a century old. The higher education institution is the latest example of Uzbekistan’s efforts to identify with Timur (better...

4 Minutes

English

Prime Minister in Kyrgyzstan, a temporary job

bluedomes June 17, 2020 0 Comment

On June 17 the Kyrgyz parliament confirmed Kubatbek Boronov as the country’s new prime minister. As a result, Boronov has become Kyrgyzstan’s 21st prime minister, a surprising high number of heads of government for...

5 Minutes

English

Border disputes: old and new reactions

bluedomes June 2, 2020 1 Comment

As recent border clashes in Central Asia have shown, the old-fashioned blame game is still being used by the parties involved in such events. However, a proactive diplomatic approach spearheaded by Uzbekistan is opening...

4 Minutes

English

What lies behind Dariga Nazarbayeva’s dismissal?

bluedomes May 3, 2020 7 Comments

The removal on May 2 of Dariga Nazarbayeva, daughter of Nursultan Nazarbayev, by president Tokayev from her roles as senator and chair of the Senate came as a surprise. As many things that happen...

2 Minutes

English

Surnames and individual freedoms in Tajikistan

bluedomes April 30, 2020 0 Comment

On April 29, the Tajik lower chamber, the Assembly of Representatives, passed a bill banning bans Russified family names and patronymics for newborns. This can be interpreted as a nationalistic move but what is...

3 Minutes

English

Imposing the state language through fines in Uzbekistan

bluedomes April 28, 2020 0 Comment

A draft bill in Uzbekistan that introduces fines for those civil servants not using Uzbek is the latest development involving language and nationalism in Central Asia, a region that is still coming to terms...

8 Minutes

English

Tajik and Turkmen migrant workers susceptible to ISIS

bluedomes April 27, 2020 1 Comment

Coronavirus has introduced mass instability worldwide and can have especially dangerous political effects in regimes that do not acknowledge the presence or threat of the pandemic. Undoubtedly, coronavirus has had a significant impact on...