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TCA Interviews

Kazakh Violinist Dinara Bazarbayeva-Sakhaman on Sound, Identity, and the Demands of the Stage

Dinara Bazarbayeva-Sakhaman, a soloist at the Zhambyl Kazakh State Philharmonic, spends much of her time moving between countries and concert halls, performing with international orchestras and collaborating with musicians from different traditions. Behind these appearances lies not only a demanding touring schedule, but also rigorous discipline: long hours of rehearsal, complete dedication on stage, and a constant search for the right sound. Speaking to The Times of Central Asia, she reflects on the Kazakh violin school, the nature of talent, and the enduring pull of her instrument. TCA: Dinara, your career has taken you to many countries. What has that experience been like? Dinara: Not the entire world, of course, but I’ve visited many countries thanks to my profession. The only time I traveled without my violin was when I went to Thailand, and throughout the trip, I felt as if something was missing. It was unusual, waking up on the plane and thinking, “Where is my violin?” TCA: Do you usually travel with an orchestra? Dinara: It varies, but more often I travel alone. There are projects where orchestras are assembled from musicians from different countries. For example, the renowned violinist and now conductor Marat Bisengaliev does this in India. For the Symphony Orchestra of India, he invites musicians from around the world. I have been collaborating with this orchestra for quite some time; it is an excellent ensemble. Working in such groups, sharing cultures, performing for diverse audiences, and collaborating with musicians from different parts of the world is one of the most fascinating aspects of our profession. TCA: Are there any distinctive features of the Indian violin school? Dinara: I performed in Mumbai, where there are several schools. One was founded by Marat Bisengaliev at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, and another by Mehli Mehta. In Bisengaliev’s school, classical violin is taught based on our educational system while incorporating elements of Indian tradition. What surprised me most was the number of self-taught violinists. TCA: And how do they play? Dinara: Surprisingly well. Their path is very different, yet the results are impressive. In our system, if you don’t start learning the violin at the age of five or six, seven at the latest, it is believed that you will not catch up and will likely remain an amateur. However, I know someone who began playing at 33 and now performs in a professional orchestra, knowing first violin parts almost by heart. He has a beautiful tone and excellent intonation. For me, this is a unique case. TCA: At what age did you start playing? Dinara: At five. That means I’ve spent 36 years with the violin and cannot remember life without it. I often joke that it is my lifelong implant—an inseparable part of me, with only its size changing as I grew. TCA: How would you describe the Kazakh violin school? Dinara: The foundation of our school lies in the Russian-Soviet tradition. During World War II, many teachers were evacuated to Kazakhstan and remained...

Prisons

Russia Seeks Transfer of 200 Tajik Women Prisoners After Dushanbe Approval

Russia’s human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova has received a positive response from Emomali Rahmon regarding the possible transfer of around 200 Tajik women currently serving sentences in Russian prisons, according to TASS. Moskalkova said she had written to the Tajik president requesting that the women be allowed to continue serving their sentences in Tajikistan on humanitarian grounds. “In each case, we must carefully weigh issues of justice, mercy, and humanism,” she said in an interview with TASS. She noted that while most cases confirm that crimes were committed, the severity of punishment should not always be maximal. “Sometimes leniency helps a person reform, repent, and change for the better. That is why we try in each case to find arguments that could support leniency, especially for women,” she said. According to Moskalkova, foreign women prisoners face additional challenges, including limited access to family visits and difficulties receiving parcels from relatives. These factors were among the reasons behind her appeal to Tajik authorities. She also pointed to broader policy developments in Russia’s penal system, citing improvements in detention conditions under the country’s penal reform strategy through 2030. Moskalkova highlighted recent legislation limiting pretrial detention for women with young children who have committed non-violent offenses. In addition, she said she has repeatedly asked courts to grant deferrals of sentences for women with children under the age of 14, thanking the judiciary for what she described as “understanding and positive decisions” in such cases. Earlier this month, Moskalkova said Russia was prepared to facilitate the transfer of more than 3,000 Uzbek nationals convicted in Russia to serve their sentences in Uzbekistan. However, she noted that the process remains stalled due to legal constraints, including Uzbekistan’s failure to ratify the 1998 Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.

Economic Growth

Why Strong Economic Growth in Central Asia Masks Underlying Risks

Central Asian countries are significantly outperforming the global average in GDP growth, largely due to differing economic models across the region. However, rapid expansion does not remove deep structural vulnerabilities. As early as March, data showed that the combined economies of Central Asian countries grew by nearly 7% in 2025 compared to the previous year. The World Bank estimates regional growth at 6.2%, while the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) places it at 6.6%. These calculations include Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan; Turkmenistan is excluded due to limited statistical transparency. By comparison, growth rates in advanced economies are much lower. The EDB expects around 1.6% growth in the U.S. and approximately 1.1% in the eurozone in 2026, while China’s economy is projected to expand by about 4.6%. Nevertheless, experts note that the region’s economic outlook remains complicated by high inflation, income inequality, and continued dependence on external factors. Investment activity and domestic demand have been the key drivers of growth, according to the EDB. Kazakhstan recorded its highest growth in 13 years (6.5%), with industry leading the expansion: mining grew by 9.4% and manufacturing by 6.4%. In 2026, the non-resource sector is expected to play a greater role. Kyrgyzstan has led the region in GDP growth for the third consecutive year: GDP grew by 11.1% in 2025 and by 9% in January 2026. In Uzbekistan, GDP increased by 7.7% in 2025 (up from 6.7% a year earlier), supported by investment, trade, services, and construction. Tajikistan’s GDP rose by 8.4% in 2025, matching the previous year’s performance. Growth continues to be driven by expanding industrial production and strong domestic demand. Early 2026 data suggest this momentum is holding. Uzbekistan’s Record In April, the World Bank highlighted Uzbekistan’s resilience to external challenges and strong growth dynamics. According to its updated report, the country’s 2025 GDP growth was revised upward by 1.5 percentage points to 7.7%. The outlook is 6.4% for 2026 and 6.7% for 2027. Key drivers include high global gold prices, investment inflows, expanded lending, and ongoing structural reforms. Rising household incomes have also played an important role, supported by remittances, which increased by 37% last year to reach $18.9 billion. By the end of 2025, Uzbekistan ranked among the fastest-growing economies in developing countries in Europe and Central Asia, alongside Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The region as a whole is experiencing its highest growth rates in 14 years. At the same time, analysts point to persistent structural constraints, including a large public sector and the dominance of state-owned enterprises, which hinder private sector development. External risks, including geopolitical instability and potential disruptions in energy and fertilizer supplies, remain significant. In 2025, Uzbekistan’s GDP exceeded €133 billion, compared to approximately €56 billion nine years earlier. Over the same period, GDP per capita rose from about €1,750 to around €3,220, nearly doubling average income levels. Investment in fixed capital increased by more than 15% year-on-year in 2025, while export value grew by over 33%. Persistently high global gold prices played a major role: export...

China

Beyond the Belt and Road: China’s New Playbook in Central Asia

In the Kyzylorda Region, near the town of Shieli, the silos and conveyor belts of a Chinese-backed plant rise out of the fine brown dust that dominates the landscape. It is the kind of project the Belt and Road was supposed to deliver in Central Asia: heavy industry, fixed capital, and a visible mark on the landscape. But it is also a reminder that China’s role in the region has become narrower, more contested, and less sweeping than the old rhetoric suggested. In photographs, the Gezhouba Cement Plant looks like a self-contained industrial island on the steppe. For nearby villagers, it became something else: a source of jobs and local prestige for some, but also of years of complaints about dust clouds and whether the state was quicker to defend a flagship Chinese-backed project than the people living beside it. Projects like the plant in Shieli also help explain why views of China across Central Asia remain mixed. Beijing is seen as a source of trade, investment, and technology, but that promise is tempered in some places by concerns over transparency, environmental costs, and who really benefits when a project arrives. China has become Central Asia’s dominant trading partner, but investment has not kept pace with the surge in commerce. The gap says a lot about how Beijing now works in the region: with a sharper focus on sectors that matter to its long-term influence. In 2025, trade in goods between China and the five Central Asian states reached $106.3 billion, up 12% year on year. Chinese exports to the region totaled $71.2 billion, while imports from Central Asia reached $35.1 billion. Trade has grown fast enough to reshape the region’s external balance, but long-term investment has been far more selective. Over 2005–2025, the five Central Asian states accounted for about 3% of China’s global overseas investment and construction total. The picture changes once direct investment is separated from trade and construction contracts. China’s FDI stock in the five Central Asian states stood at about $36 billion by mid-2025. Roughly 90% was concentrated in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. The structure of that capital has also changed. Extractive industries still accounted for 46% of the portfolio, but manufacturing and energy together made up more than one third, and greenfield projects rose from 43% to 60%. China has not poured money into Central Asia on the scale once implied by early Belt and Road rhetoric. Instead, it has invested in sectors that strengthen its industrial position. Kazakhstan remains at the center of this relationship. It is China’s biggest commercial partner in Central Asia, and the main destination for Chinese capital in the region. Kazakhstan-China trade reached $43.8 billion in 2024. The country’s portfolio of projects with Chinese participation includes 224 ventures worth about $66.4 billion. Some are still at the planning stage, but the range of projects is telling. Recent developments have included a hydrogen energy technology innovation center in Almaty and a large wind farm with electricity storage. Kazakhstan still sells...

World Nomad Games

Horses, Eagles, and Fire: The Steppe Awakens as the 2026 World Nomad Games Return to Kyrgyzstan

On the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul, where mountains drop sharply into the water, and horses and cars are found in almost equal measure, Kyrgyzstan will host the World Nomad Games 2026 from August 31 to September 6, with The Times of Central Asia reporting from the ground. Since their launch in 2014, the Games have grown well beyond their origins, drawing competitors and audiences from across the world. This year’s emblem, the snow leopard, captures that idea with unusual precision. It has been adopted as the national symbol of Kyrgyzstan in recent years and has long been central to the country’s conservation diplomacy, including its role in establishing October 23 as International Snow Leopard Day. Presented as a representation of strength, clarity, and endurance, it reflects both the terrain and the mindset that fortifies the event. [caption id="attachment_46882" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Image: International Secretariat of the World Nomad Games[/caption] The Games have expanded beyond the region, but are now returning home again. Kyrgyzstan hosted the first three editions before they went to Turkey in 2022 and Kazakhstan in 2024. Their homecoming now carries greater international weight, reinforced by UNESCO’s support, recognizing their role in preserving intangible cultural heritage. This year’s experience is mostly set in the Issyk-Kul region, around three hours from Bishkek, where the mountainous landscape will form the backdrop to the lakeside venues. The opening and closing ceremonies are scheduled to take place in the capital’s Bishkek Arena. In Cholpon Ata, the hippodrome will host horse racing and Kok Boru, while the nearby sports complex stages wrestling competitions. The Rukh Ordo Cultural Center brings together strength events and traditional tournaments alongside parts of the cultural program. In Kyrchyn, the Ethno Village will become the core of the experience, where archery, falconry, crafts, performances, and food sit within a setting that reflects nomadic life. [caption id="attachment_46886" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Kok Boru at the Bishkek Hippodrome, 2014; image: Stephen M. Bland[/caption] Forty-plus sports disciplines will be spread across competitive and demonstrative formats, with more than 100 medals at stake. Kok Boru is fast and unforgiving, played on horseback as riders grapple over what was traditionally a headless goat carcass (now a synthetic dummy or serke), surging and colliding before hurling it into the opponent’s goal. [caption id="attachment_46885" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Image: International Secretariat of the World Nomad Games[/caption] Horseback archery demands precision under movement, with riders standing in the stirrups or twisting at full gallop to fire arrows at distant targets. Eagle hunting illustrates a partnership between human and bird refined over generations, as trained golden eagles launch from the arm to track and strike prey across open ground. [caption id="attachment_46887" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Woman with a bird of prey, World Nomad Games, Astana, 2024; image: Stephen M. Bland[/caption] Wrestling styles such as Alysh and Kurash emphasize balance and control rather than brute force, with fighters gripping belts and using timing, leverage, and footwork to unbalance their opponent. The Times of Central Asia spoke with the International Secretariat of the World Nomad Games to...

Court Cases

Minister Sydykov on the Bakai Bank Verdict and Kyrgyzstan’s Economic Path Forward

On April 13 in Washington, D.C., The Times of Central Asia’s Javier M. Piedra spoke with Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Economy and Commerce, Bakyt Tolomushevich Sydykov, regarding the April 7 verdict in the “Bakai Bank vs. Open Dialogue Foundation” case before the Enterprise Court of Brussels - an important legal win for Kyrgyzstan and its stance in international financial markets. In a verdict with international implications for Kyrgyzstan and the region, the Enterprise Court of Brussels sided with Bakai Bank, a Kyrgyz financial institution, in connection with a high-profile defamation case between Bakai Bank and Open Dialogue Foundation (ODF) – finding that ODF published allegations about the bank’s financial conduct without sufficient evidence. The judgment marks a significant development in a cross-border reputational and financial dispute, setting a visible bar for accountability and offering a more balanced snapshot of Kyrgyz efforts to cultivate transparency and compliance in its banking sector. Kyrgyz government officials responded to the ruling with a practical and positive outlook, acknowledging that the country has prioritized policy, monitoring, and enforcement steps to bolster integrity and trust in its institutions. This ruling is expected to reinforce public confidence and strengthen the long-term resilience of Kyrgyzstan’s governance framework. In Washington D.C. this week, Sydykov told TCA that, “We welcome this decision not just as an affirmation of Bakai Bank, but also for our broader financial system. It helps to convey our message to policymakers, diplomats, investors, and partners that Kyrgyzstan is open for business – and a ready contributor to regional and international trade. Our financial institutions operate in line with international standards, compliance expectations, and responsible governance. We are glad to move forward with strengthening our banking system and growing Kyrgyzstan’s economy for the benefit of its citizens.” Case background The proceedings were brought before the French-speaking Enterprise Court of Brussels (Tribunal de l’entreprise francophone de Bruxelles) after Bakai Bank challenged a series of publications issued by the Open Dialogue Foundation in 2023. The NGO had alleged that Bakai Bank was involved in facilitating financial transactions linked to sanctions circumvention and networks connected to Russian capital flows following the expansion of Western sanctions in early 2022. Bakai Bank rejected these allegations as unsubstantiated and damaging to its international reputation and access to financial markets. It subsequently filed a civil action in Belgium, where the ODF is active and publishes much of its advocacy material. Court proceedings and findings In its judgment, the Brussels court examined whether the Open Dialogue Foundation had sufficient factual grounds to support its published claims. The court found that the NGO’s statements were presented as factually assertive allegations rather than opinion or conjecture, thereby requiring a higher evidentiary threshold. The court concluded that the ODF had failed to provide adequate supporting evidence for its assertions regarding Bakai Bank’s alleged involvement in illicit financial activity. As a result, the court determined that the publications were unlawful in their form and impact, particularly in relation to reputational harm inflicted on the bank. The ruling ordered the ODF...