Svetlana Yudina: “Everything begins with itself”

Today, expensive accessories made of precious metals and stones are replaced by accessories made from natural materials in ethnic style. The new trend opened new names for the world – young and talented masters. Handicraftsman from Central Asia, whose culture and history serve them as an inexhaustible source of inspiration, have succeeded in creating unusual […]

Great Britain-Belarus: 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations

2017 is a very important year for Belarus and Great Britain, as this year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Great Britain became the first European country to have diplomatic relations with Belarus. This is certainly an important part of the history of friendship between the two states. In an interview […]

The Shadow of History – The Last Emir of Bukhara

In the orange early morning light, women holding parasols walked their children to school down gravel alleyways filled with the ever present hum of air-con units. Broom-wielding figures in high-viz orange jackets cast bulbous shadows as they swept the dust from side to side. As the sun arced towards its zenith a haze developed, the […]

World politics Along the Silk Route: A Quarter Century of Foul Play

This year, it is a quarter century ago that the former Soviet republics along the ancient Silk Route got their independence – unasked for by most, following the implosion of the USSR. It has degraded them to post-colonial economies, in sharp contrast to what western propagandists “promised” populations after their “liberation”. A book, written in […]

Belt and Road Initiative: Theory and Practice

Nowadays the Belt and Road Initiative (B&R Initiative) is a large-scale initiative which forms a new paradigm of economic and geostrategic development. More than 60 countries with a general population of 4.4 billion intend to participate in the implementation of this strategy. It constantly attracts new followers. Over $ 1 billion US dollars has been […]

In the Memory of Kazat Akmatov 1941–2015

Born in 1941 in the Kyrgyz Republic under the Soviet Union, Akmatov has first-hand experience of extreme political reactions to his work which deemed anti-Russian and anti-communist, resulted in censorship. Determined to fight for basic human rights in oppressed countries, he was active in the establishment of the Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan and through his […]

KYRGYZSTAN FOCUS: INVESTMENT IN TOURISM

WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM #23 AUTUMN 2016   Imagine an opportunity to turn the clock back and invest in the developing tourism sector in Switzerland 60 years ago. A time when investments were reasonable, and investors were afforded significant returns on investment. Now fast forward to the Kyrgyz Republic. Kyrgyzstan has on numerous occasions been referred to as the […]

THE BIG INTERVIEW: Shamsh Kassim-Lakha

WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM #23 AUTUMN 2016   Shamsh Kassim-Lakha is the Executive Chairman of the Board Executive Committee of the University of Central Asia (UCA), leading the planning and building of UCA’s three campuses in Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan. He has a long association with UCA and developed the concept document for the University with His […]

Building a Nuclear Weapon Free World

WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM #23 AUTUMN 2016   From 29th to 31st August, in Astana (Kazakhstan), the international conference “Building a Nuclear Weapon Free World” was held and dedicated to the closing of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. In one place parliamentarians, representatives of international organizations, civil activists, scholars as well as mayors and media from more than 50 […]

Interview with the Ambassador of Kazakhstan

to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, H.E. Mr. Erzhan Kazykhanov WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM #23 AUTUMN 2016   Formerly Assistant to the President of the Republic of Khazakstan in 2008 and 2012-2014, His Excellency Mr Erzhan Kazykhanov has been privy to many of the recent developments in Kazakhstan’s political and economic arenas. Amongst a number […]

WARWICK BALL

OCA #22 SUMMER 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Despite being far from their motherland, Kazakh students in the UK are among the first to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Thus, the alliance of Kazakhs abroad “KazAlliance” organised an annual spring ball at Warwick University, one of the top universities in the UK. […]

NATURAL WONDERS OF SOUTHERN KAZAKHSTAN SAYRAM-UGUM NATIONAL PARK

OCA #22 SUMMER 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Text by Eugenette Morin It is calm, silent at the end of the Tian Shan mountain range in the Sayram-Ugum State National Park of South Kazakhstan. That won’t last as the sun rises early, snowy peaks glisten and birds break out into song. The view is breathtaking, bathed in the […]

TAJIKISTAN: CASA-1000 PROJECT OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED

OCA #22 SUMMER 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM The launching ceremony of the Central Asia-South Asia transmission line CASA-1000 project was held on May 12th in the city of Tursunzoda in the Republic of Tajikistan with the participation of the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, the Chief […]

UZPROMSTROYBANK: A UNIQUE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

OCA #22 SUMMER 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Over the past few years, the government of Uzbekistan has undertaken comprehensive measures to reduce state presence in the economy in order to attract foreign investors and create favourable conditions for their active participation in corporate governance. The Republic of Uzbekistan is currently of great interest to foreign investors. The […]

KAMAL HASANOV WINNER OF OECABF – 2015’s NEMAT KELIMBETOV AWARD IN VIDEO FILM CATEGORY

OCA #22 SUMMER 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM OCA: Kamal, please briefly tell us about yourself and your film making. Kamal Hasanov: I was born and raised in Azerbaijan, in Baku but I received my higher education in America. After returning, I began to work at the Central Bank of Azerbaijan and after four years working as a […]

DOWNWARD IS HEAVENWARD

OCA #22 SUMMER 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM It was a strangely cool July night just beneath the mountains around Karakol, and my insides were grinding with food poisoning. My skin seeped with hot sweat while my arms and legs shivered as though I had been bathed in freezing snow, and my skull thundered. My Kyrgyz compatriots first […]

A MUSLIM IS NOT A TERRORIST A TERRORIST IS NOT A MUSLIM

OCA #22 SUMMER 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM DRAWING PARALLELS BETWEEN JIHAD AND TERRORISM The role of a human’s life is central in the purest religion of Islam. God created male and female in the finest manner whether to their physical, moral or spiritual qualities (At-Tin 95 / 4-5). Human as the most wonderful creation of the Almighty […]

THE ARCTIC ZONE OF SILK ROAD

OCA #22 SUMMER 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM In the modern world one of largest scale initiatives is abruptly changing the face of the world, forming a new paradigm of economic and geo-strategic development and is revitalizing a zone of the Silk Road by land and sea. The project has been named “One Belt One Way.” The intention […]

BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO KYRGYZSTAN

OCA #22 SUMMER 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM INTERVIEW: ROBIN ORD-SMITH From the age of just 14, Robin Ord-Smith has known that he wanted to be a diplomat, representing British interests abroad. His love of languages, culture, history and politics combined to serve him well in his ambitions and he joined the Foreign Office in 1989 after studying […]

THE BIG INTERVIEW: MINTIMER SHAYMIEV FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN

OCA #22 SUMMER 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Born in 1937, Mintimer Shaymiev was the first person to hold the title of President of Tatarstan, an autonomous republic within Russia, when he was elected in 1991. An ethnic Tatar, he was relected three times serving until 2010. His background is nothing extraordinary, hailing from the village of Anyakovo, […]

MAKING IT TO THE TOP

OCA #21  SPRING 2016  WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR RASHID SHADAT Uzbek actor, Rashid Shadat talks to OCA’s Aleksandra Vlsasova about his life as an international actor. 2015 saw him involved in many well known films and television programs, including 24 (TV series), Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Now You See […]

THE GUARDIANS OF TIME: CAUCASIAN TOWERS

OCA #21  SPRING 2016  WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM The beauty of Caucasus is charming. Many historical, cultural and natural attractions there attract people from all over the world. For me the Caucasus has always been associated with towers. They are an integral part of the highland scenery. This is the world of towers. Their simplicity of form, rigorous […]

THE LEGACY OF THE SILK ROAD CELEBRATIONS, HERITAGE, AND TRADE

OCA #21  SPRING 2016  WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM The Silk Road was a “highway”, which ancient China used to reach other realms in order to trade. Nomad and Mongol hordes rode and reached Europe. Central Asian Emperors developed a military and intellectual nest from where science, mathematics, philosophy and medicine “travelled” and enlightened the medieval world. Tribal warlords […]

IV OPEN EURASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA BOOK FORUM & LITERATURE FESTIVAL – 2015

OCA #21  SPRING 2016  WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM For the fourth year running, the international literary festival and forum “Open Eurasia and Central Asia Book Forum & Literature Festival – 2015”, organised by the publishing house “Hertfordshire Press” together with the Yunus Emre Institute London Turkish Cultural Centre and “ORZU Arts” theatre was held from 6th to 9th […]

WORDS, TENGRISM, AND WITTGENSTEIN

OCA #21  SPRING 2016  WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM A personal reflection by David Parry Words are not as they seem. They neither yield to linguistic analysis, nor allow an uninitiated mind to unravel their secrets. A staggering fact haunting Tamburlaine the Great (died 1405), ultimately frustrating Abai (1845-1904), although stimulating my colleague Sultan Raev (born 1958) in his […]

ARMENIAN HOLOCAUST: HOW A CRIME THE WORLD FORGOT CREATED BITTER ISOLATIONISM

OCA #21  SPRING 2016  WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Text by Dario Colón What has estranged the Armenian nation from virtually all other nations in the world when it comes to the build-up and maintenance of a national identity? The answer could be: a profound collective conviction of “It’s them or us”. Armenians tend to believe that in the […]

THE EEU: TOWARDS A WORLD OF TEAM PLAYERS – ECONOMY MATTERS

OCA #21  SPRING 2016  WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM He who drives along the motorway from Russia into Belarus or vice versa will see no control posts either for cargo, vehicles or persons at the border. Further southeast, control posts between Russia and Kazakhstan are at an advanced stage of being dismantled. Together with Kyrgyzstan and Armenia, they make […]

UIGHURS: BETWEEN CHINA AND CENTRAL ASIA

OCA #21  SPRING 2016  WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Text by Rustam Qobil,journalist, BBC Central Asian service It was March, and a whole neighbourhood on the outskirts of Almaty, Kazakhstan’s biggest city and former capital, was once again preparing for the spring festival of New Year. Men were handling outdoor tasks while women were chopping carrots for pilaf, the […]

ONE DOES NOT TRAVEL TO TULA WITH ONE’S OWN SAMOVAR

OCA #21  SPRING 2015  WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Text by Christopher Schwartz Photo: Umida Ahmedova It is no secret that at present there is growing discomfort with Western influence throughout Central Asia. One can encounter it from elite and everyman alike. From a Western perspective, it is easy and tempting to attribute the emerging difficulties to various cynical […]

AZERBAIJAN – ARMENIA DISPUTE: A FUTURE TOURISM DESTINATION?

OCA #21  SPRING 2015  WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Text: by Dr Shahid Qureshi For Azerbaijan, after the occupation of its sovereign areas, Armenia has proven to be something of a neighbour from hell, causing harm to the millions of people in the occupied territories and those who are displaced as a result. Armenians are backed by their former […]

MOSCOW SILK ROAD FORUM PROGRESSES CROSS-CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

OCA #21  SPRING 2015  WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Text by Kristina Glazunova Over the last few years attitudes to culture, the understanding of its importance and role in modern society, the recognition of culture as one of the most important resources for social and economic development have radically changed. As a result, the implementation of a program of […]

Astana Hosts 2015 Charity Marathon

On 13th September 2015, the British Kazakh Society organised a charity marathon in Astana. The event was held with the support of the Rotary club of Astana. “BKS Air Astana Marathon 2015” was attended by over 500 athletes, more than 100 of which were foreign athletes from 18 countries. Participating in the event were both […]

Astronauts Return as Heroes from Orbital Watch

On 12th September 2015, the “Soyuz TMA-16M” capsule landed back in Kazakhstan. There were 3 astronauts on board: a new space record-holder Gennady Padalka (Roscosmos), the first astronaut of independent Kazakhstan Aydin Aimbetova and the first Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen. The crew of “Soyuz TMA – 16M” were taken to the Astana International Airport by […]

Bukhara deer of Khangul

Large, dense forests, called galleries, riparian forests, extend along the banks of the big and small rivers in the Central Asia. These woods provide shelter and food for many animals, the largest among them being the Bukhara deer of Khangul. This Tugai deer is endemic to the region, is a subspecies of the red deer […]

Afghan Cultural Festival Invades London

On a crisp, sunny Sunday morning in the middle of a pleasant British summer, Afghan Association Paiwand opened the gates of its first ever independently-run Afghan Cultural Festival to scores of queuing families, anxious to get into Allianz Park before midday to witness the official opening of the Festival. Eight hours of musical performances, family […]

Astana Hosts the Fifth Summit of the Turkic Council

On 11th September 2015 Astana hosted the Fifth Summit of the Turkic Council. This was the second summit held in Kazakhstan and the fifth anniversary of the Summit. The Summit of the Turkic Council is a unique event that brings together countries with a long history, which have common Turkic roots. The main purpose of […]

ADOPTING THE KAZAKH WAY OF LIFE

OCA #21  SPRING 2015  WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Different people are drawn to Central Asia for different reasons. Indeed many come by accident, knowing little of what awaits them or how life changing it could be. Once such person is Gareth Stamp who came to Kazakhstan five years ago for what he describes as his ‘daily adventure’. ‘I […]