Simurgh Self-Help: Slavs and Tatars’ New Show Rethinks National Symbolism
“It’s interesting that in Western symbolism you never see a delicate female eagle,” notes Payam, one-half of the artist collective Slavs and Tatars, from his studio in Berlin. “But the central-Asian Simurgh is gender-fluid, metaphysical. It doesn’t belong to this world.” The mythological figure of the Simurgh is the focus...
Obituary – Kristopher White: The Gentle Giant Who Inspired a Generation of Central Asian Scholars
Kristopher Dodge White, known to his friends simply as “Kris”, was a distinguished scholar, mentor, and friend, who dedicated two decades of his life to academia in Kazakhstan. Kris was a gentle giant, someone people naturally gravitated toward. Respected and loved by friends, colleagues and students alike, his personality left...
Ukrainian Drone Strike Disrupts Kazakhstan’s Oil Exports
On February 17, Ukrainian drones struck the Kropotkinskaya oil pumping station, a key component of the pipeline of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) in Russia’s Krasnodar region. The CPC, a 1,500-kilometer pipeline, transports crude from Kazakhstan’s Tengiz field to the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, a crucial hub for global...
Central Asian Migrants In Group Being Deported by U.S. to Costa Rica
A group of 200 migrants from Central Asia and India is scheduled to be flown from the United States to Costa Rica this week as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration. Costa Rica’s presidency said in a statement that it was collaborating with the United States on the...
Right Place, Right Time: Central Asia Basks in Russia’s Eastern Energy Pivot
On January 1, with the closure of pipelines through Ukraine, deliveries of Russian gas to Europe came to a virtual standstill. Prices across the continent have ratcheted up in the first six weeks of 2025 and have now hit two-year highs. In Central Asia, the effects of the Russo-European decoupling...
Ukraine’s Drone Strike on Russian Oil Hub Sparks Concerns Over Kazakhstan’s Energy Security
On February 17, seven Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) attacked an oil transportation facility of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), targeting the Kropotkinskaya oil pumping station in Russia. Following the attack, reports emerged that the volume of oil pumped from Kazakhstan through the CPC could decrease by 30% for a...
Kazakhstan to Establish Air Crash Investigation Center
Kazakhstan will establish a specialized center for investigating air incidents by the end of the year, Deputy Transport Minister Talgat Lastayev announced during a government meeting. The decision follows the crash of an Azerbaijani AZAL Airlines aircraft near Aktau in December last year, which prompted an inspection of domestic airlines....
What Awaits Central Asia When the War in Ukraine Ends?
U.S. President Donald Trump seems resolute in his goal to end, or at least freeze, the war in Ukraine. To achieve such an ambitious objective, he is using a strategy of gradually normalizing relations with Russia, with his recent talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin playing an important part. But...
Sunkar Podcast
Repatriating Islamic State Fighters and Families: Balancing Security and Humanity
