Stories about Russian
In Kazakhstan, ‘Bloody January’ is still a taboo topic
"The authorities do not need to dwell on this topic, because why would they? They killed people, tortured them — why [would they revisit this]?"
The descendants of Buryat migrants in Mongolia have no feelings towards Russia
The Buryats left the Soviet Union for Mongolia in three waves in the beginning of the 20th century.
What did Central Asian presidents talk about in their New Year's addresses?
These New Year's addresses provided a glimpse into Central Asian governments' perspectives on their countries' achievements and challenges.
Meet Central Asia’s giant and wildly expensive Arashan sheep
Arashan sheep’s low number, impressive size, and the fast speed at which they grow has made them one of the most sought after commodities on the Central Asian animal market.
In Central Asia, the concerts of pro-war Russian celebrities are canceled in solidarity with Ukraine
In contrast to the governments in Central Asia, which maintain an ambiguous position, ordinary people in the region have expressed their political stance more clearly by expressing solidarity with Ukraine.
Central Asian people's path to the American dream is full of dangers
Among the dangers of traveling this route are being robbed or taken hostage by cartels in transit countries, being attacked by wild animals, and drowning in the Caribbean Sea.
Without the ability to renew their passports abroad, Belarusians in exile are left in limbo
Belarusian leader Lukashenka signed a decree saying Belarusians living abroad will not be able to renew their passports at consulates abroad.
A podcast in Kazakhstan is under controversy for inviting a friend of the Boston Marathon bomber
Critics viewed the episode as an attempt to whitewash a criminal by providing him with a platform and not asking tough questions.
Uzbekistan's list of foreign policy challenges grows larger
Undoubtedly, the war in Ukraine is the most serious foreign policy challenge. In the event of a Russian victory, Uzbekistan would face unprecedented pressure to participate in Putin's geopolitical initiatives.
Interview with Ukraine's most translated author, Russophone novelist Andrei Kurkov
Global Voices interviewed Andrei Kurkov, one of Ukraine's most prolific and translated authors, who writes his novels in Russian and his non-fiction in Ukrainian.
Russian diplomats react to a new law on language in Kyrgyzstan, bringing back colonial past
The Kyrgyz language is an integral part of national identity. It is vital for the survival of Kyrgyz people as a separate ethnic group and Kyrgyzstan as a nation.
‘Pozor i styd': Russian has two words for shame
Russian often has two words where French has only one. One serves to describe the outer thing, while the other describes the inner thing.
‘Are you rejoicing at the prospect of a decrepit and impotent maniac being swept away by a pack of brutal bloody cannibals?’ Twitter users are divided about the armed coup in Russia
Mercenary troops have reportedly seized control of military infrastructure in both Rostov-on-Don and Voronezh, the two largest cities in the south of Russia.
Kazakhstan is still haunted by Soviet-era political repression and famine
Kazakhstan is still grappling with the past tragedies and processing its national trauma.
‘Central Asian literature exists regionally only in Russian': Interview with Russophone Uyghur writer Ramil Niyazov-Adyldzhyan
While the majority of Uyghur people live in China, a large Uyghur diaspora lives in Central Asia, including in Kazakhstan, where they are freer to express themselves.
The stories of Koreans in Kyrgyzstan who converted to Islam
Their conversion is partly the result of the re-Islamization of Kyrgyzstan, which started in 1991, after Kyrgyzstan gained independence.
Russia arrests anti-war poet, claims terrorism charges for a theatre play
This is the first case of detention for a play in today's Russia. Prison sentences on charges for "publicly justifying terrorism" involve five to seven years in prison.
‘Until Russia's colonial mindset changes, it will pose a threat': Interview with Buryat activist
Despite claims by the Kremlin that it is fighting colonialism, any attempt to point the finger at long-lasting Russian and Soviet imperialism is severely crushed in Putin's Russia.
Police in Kyrgyzstan pressures exiled anti-war Russians to keep quiet
The war in Ukraine presented Bishkek a challenging task of navigating Russia’s demands for explicit support of its invasion and the risks of falling under Western sanctions.
Transgender girl from Russia commits suicide in a refugee camp
This terrible case exposes the problem of access to psychological and medical care in refugee camps. Representatives of the LGBTQ+ community are at high risk when it comes to suicide.
How the war in Ukraine twisted my tongue
After Russia invaded for a second time on February 24, 2022, I found myself wondering what to do with the part of my brain that still speaks Russian every day.