OCA Magazine #21, 2016

Born and brought up in Hawick, in the Scottish Borders, Baroness Alison Suttie is perhaps not the most likely of fluent Russian speakers you might expect to meet. However, having graduated from Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University in 1990 with a degree in French and Russian she then went on to study at Voronezh University in the Soviet Union in 1988, witnessing the time just prior to the great changes that were about to unfurl as the Central Asian states gained independence one by one.

Baroness Suttie’s career has focused around her love of foreign affairs and European politics. For 10 years she worked as a policy adviser and press secretary in the European Parliament and then as press secretary to the President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox MEP, from 2002 to 2004 during which time she worked extensively in the countries of central and Eastern Europe in the run up to their accession to the EU. In 2006, she returned to the UK to become Head of the Liberal Democrat Party Leader’s office and later as deputy chief of staff to the Deputy Prime Minister for the first 18 months of the Liberal Democrat coalition government with the Conservatives.

Although Baroness Suttie now works as a consultant, running a variety of training courses on effective campaigning and influencing for UK civil servants, NGOs and charities, she also has begun to explore the once hidden countries of Central Asia. Open Central Asia finds out more.

Open Central Asia: You studied Russian as part of your course at university and spent time in Russia. What is it about the Former Soviet Union that appealed to you then? And why does it continue to attract you today?

Baroness Suttie: Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s against the backdrop of the cold war, we were constantly being told that the Soviet Union was the enemy.  From the age of about 15 I became determined to go and see the country for myself and meet the Russian people and to be able to speak to them in their own language.  I was fascinated by the music, literature and art of Russia and the Soviet Union as well as by its frequently tragic and complex history.

In 1988 I went to the Soviet Union for the first time to study for three months at Voronezh University in southern Russia and I met students in my hall of residence from all over the Soviet Union, including from Central Asia.  I was fascinated by the similarities as well as by the differences of culture and was constantly struck by the warmth and spontaneity of the hospitality.

And so after university I went back to Russia to teach English in St Petersburg (Leningrad as it was then) in 1990 and 1991.  It was the dying days of the Soviet Union and life was extremely tough.  I often had to rely on the friendship and generosity of my Russian friends at a time when food was rationed and there was very little in the shops.

The complexities and contradictions of a country that can never quite decide whether it wants to look east or west continue to fascinate me today.

OCA: You visited the Festival of Language in Kazakhstan in 2014, which was your first visit to Central Asia. What were your first impressions of the country and its people?

BS: My visit to Astana in September 2014 was my first time in Central Asia.  I was immediately struck by how modern the Kazakh capital city is with all of its amazing contemporary architecture.  Interest in the arts is clearly a very important part of Central Asian culture as can be seen by the brand new museums as well as by the huge new opera house in Astana.

I visited three different universities while I was in Astana and was extremely impressed by the dynamic, young multi-lingual students that I met.  I also have a powerful memory of our drive out of Astana to visit a former Gulag from the Soviet era, which has now been turned into a museum. I was struck by the sheer scale of the country.  The physical environment of the steppe obviously has a powerful impact on the culture and the people.

OCA: What were the objectives and outcomes of the festival?

BS: The festival aimed to promote cultural understanding and highlight the importance of learning foreign languages through performing the play, “The Transit Passenger” by Dulat Issabekov, in three different languages – Kazakh, Russian and English. Each evening the theatre was full with about 500 people in the audience. It was extremely interesting to see three different interpretations of the play on three consecutive evenings and to feel the impact that language has on the interpretation of a play.

The play is about life, love, loneliness and the fear of growing old, which are themes common to all humans, no matter which culture.  But each of the three performances had a slightly different emphasis, which also illustrated the power of language and culture.

Through visiting three different universities in Astana, the Kazakh students we met were able to practise their English and to have debates about cultural and topical issues.  Many of the students also attended the performances of the play.

OCA: You are also a great supporter of Orzu Arts, the first Central Asian theatre company in the UK. What do you think this theatre group can bring to English audiences?

BS: I met Yuldosh Juraboev, the founder of Orzu Arts, during our visit to Astana.  I have been extremely impressed by his drive and commitment to introducing Central Asian writers, dance and theatre to UK audiences.  I have had the privilege of watching several of the cultural events produced by Orzu Arts in London, as well as being introduced to Central Asian cuisine by Yuldosh! I think that generally speaking, very little is known about Central Asia in the UK and a theatre group like Orzu Arts can help to introduce British people to Central Asia through the performing arts.

OCA: Do you have further plans to visit (and/or work with) Central Asia in the near future? If so, what are they?

BS: I don’t currently have plans to do further work in Central Asia (I am currently doing quite a lot of work in North Africa and the Middle East) but I would really love to go on holiday at some point soon to go and explore the sights and sounds of the Central Asian section of the Silk Route.

OCA: Since the days of the British Empire, the British have played a role in Central Asia. What role do you think the British Government should play in the region today?

BS: Fortunately, the days of the British Empire are far behind us! The British Government, along with our European partners, can play an important role in promoting trade between our countries as well as through promoting educational exchanges between our universities, which I think is vital for the future development of the countries of Central Asia.

I think that cultural exchanges through organisations like the British Council can also play an extremely important role in promoting mutual understanding, as well as through providing English language programmes.

I think through trade, cultural and educational exchanges we can each learn from each other and will be enriched by a greater understanding of one another’s cultures.