Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from August, 2013
Turkmenistan's National Cycling Day: Traditionalists, Penny-Pinchers and President-Pleasers
If you are a citizen of Turkmenistan, you had better be ready to don the Lycra and mount a bicycle: September 1 has been slated as National Cycling Day.
Conference on Water Ends with ‘Empty Statements’ in Tajikistan
Tajikistan recently hosted an international conference on water. The event has failed to impress the country's social media users who believe that large summits are less effective than tangible efforts to resolve water-related problems.
Kyrgyzstan to Become a ‘Beam of Light’ in the ‘Dark’ Region?
Blogger Bektour Iskender suggests [ru] that “free” Kyrgyzstan should allow citizens of the less free nations in Central Asia, particularly Turkmenistan, to stay in the country visa-free: OK, we have [visa-free regime] for citizens of 44 developed nations. This is great. However, I believe that Kyrgyzstan as the most free country...
Kazakhstan: Script Reform Is ‘Hardly Possible at All’
As Kazakhstan prepares for a highly controversial shift from Cyrillic script to Latin alphabet, its netizens are keen to note that a similar reform implemented years ago by Uzbekistan has not been very successful. Reflecting on her recent trip to Uzbekistan, Margarita Bocharova writes [ru]: It was also very interesting...
Kazakhstan Eyes 2022 Winter Olympics
Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city and the former capital, will be bidding for the 2022 Winter Olympics. However, blogger Politolog warns [ru] that the event might prove too costly for the oil-rich nation. Another blogger, Ylya, weighs [ru] the country's chances to win the bid to host the Games in nine years.
Young Kyrgyz and Tajiks Learn to Blog
More than 20 young activists from the Central Asian nations of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are learning the basics of blogging at a summer school in northern Tajikistan. Rustam Gulov reports [ru] on Blogiston.tj that participants at the summer school learn to use social media to contribute to public debates on...
Kyrgyz Press: Shocking Titles, Latest Tattle
Kyrgyz newspapers are hotbeds of hearsay. Thanks to Gezitter.org, a blog translating their pages into Russian, non-Kyrgyz readers can also enjoy - or endure - the barrage of gossip.
Uzbek Authorities Seek to Control Bloggers
The authorities in Uzbekistan are seeking to impose strict controls on the country's bloggers. Alisher Abdugofurov on Registan.net shares his opinion about why this is happening in a society where there are not many bloggers to start with.
Tempers Flare at Kyrgyzstan's Favorite Lake
Conflicts on the shores of Kyrgyzstan's flagship holiday destination, Lake Issyk-Kul, are eating away at one of the republic's chief sources of income - tourism.
Turkmenistan's “Book of the Soul” Facing Difficult Times
Turkmenistan's first president once suggested reading his "Book of the Soul" three times could guarantee a person's place in heaven. Now the book's place in public life is under siege.