Life & Culture - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kennedy’s 1978 Visit

Ted Kennedy’s 1978 Visit to Kazakhstan in Archival Photos

United States Senator Ted Kennedy’s visit to Alma-Ata in 1978 came at a time when foreign tourists were much less common in Central Asia than they are today. Most tourists from Western countries came through Intourist, the Soviet state travel organization that handled foreign visitors. Private enterprise was largely absent from the Soviet economy, although limited forms of individual work were legally permitted. But high-ranking visitors sometimes came to the region as official guests, most often to take part in international events. [caption id="attachment_57860" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Edward Kennedy (second from left) at a World Health Organization congress.[/caption] In September 1978, Kennedy, the brother of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, visited Alma-Ata, then the capital of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (Kazakh SSR). He had first visited the Soviet Union in April 1974 and met with Leonid Brezhnev, general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. During that trip, Kennedy discussed arms control and Soviet emigration policy and advocated a comprehensive nuclear test ban. [caption id="attachment_57864" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Kennedy with surgeon K. Ormantayev at the WHO-UNICEF International Conference on Primary Health Care.[/caption] The senator also took part in the International Conference on Primary Health Care in Alma-Ata, jointly sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund. The conference adopted the Declaration of Alma-Ata, which identified primary health care as the key to achieving "Health for All" and as an integral part of national health systems. More than 3,000 delegates attended; 134 governments and 67 international organizations and agencies were represented. [caption id="attachment_57862" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Kennedy (second from left) with Kazakh SSR Health Minister T. Sharmanov (second from right) and Zh. Kaliev, chairman of Kaz-ODKS (far right), at the airport.[/caption] Amid the Soviet Union’s Cold War with Western countries and its intensifying rivalry with China, the conference had a clear political dimension. David A. Tejada de Rivero, WHO deputy director-general from 1974 to 1985 and twice Peru's minister of health, noted that "the choice of Alma-Ata was due to two fundamental considerations: the dynamism and leadership of Kazakhstan's minister of health (Toregeldy Sharmanov was Minister of Health of the Kazakh SSR), and the ability to prepare the necessary physical infrastructure at very short notice. Alma-Ata, which means 'father of apples,' was in the republic where the Soviet Union had its Cold War space programs. It was also close to China." [caption id="attachment_57863" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Kennedy with A. Akpayev (center) and Zh. Kaliev (right) at the Medeo high-altitude skating rink.[/caption] Of course, people both inside the Soviet Union and abroad showed enormous interest in every detail of the stay of such a high-ranking guest from the U.S., a senator from a distant country across the ocean who bore such a famous name. For example, Dinmukhamed Kunaev, then first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, recalled his meeting with Kennedy in his book O moem vremeni (About My Time): "...He liked the capital of Kazakhstan, and especially the Memorial of Glory...

Public Health

Reports of Suspected Plague in Russia Prompt Central Asian Health Checks

Reports surrounding the death of an employee at an anti-plague research institute in Russia’s Irkutsk region have prompted health authorities across Central Asia to tighten sanitary controls and review preparedness measures. Russian officials have not confirmed that the employee contracted plague or that a laboratory accident occurred. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan have nevertheless announced additional checks or heightened readiness in response. Officials across the region say there is no cause for alarm, but the response reflects the sensitivity that remains around cross-border infectious disease threats after the COVID-19 pandemic. What Is Known Russian authorities have released few details, but reports say an employee at the anti-plague institute in Shelekhov, near Irkutsk, accidentally broke a test tube containing live bacteria. That employee, a female aged 27 or 28, was hospitalized on September 29, but she died on October 2. The hospital where she was treated was reportedly placed under quarantine, and nearly 200 people who might have come into contact with her are under medical observation. There are also reports that four more hospitals are under quarantine, with some 100 people hospitalized as a precaution. Russian officials deny these reports and say health specialists are on the ground in the area investigating and have urged the public to wait for an official assessment of the situation and not spread rumors. The Response in Central Asia Kazakhstan shares a 7,800-kilometer border with Russia; the distance from far northeastern Kazakhstan to Irkutsk is more than 1,500 kilometers. While that is comforting, the distance from Kazakhstan to Wuhan, China, is some 3,600 kilometers, and the coronavirus that originated in Wuhan in 2019 eventually reached Kazakhstan and everywhere else in the world. On October 5, Kazakhstan’s Health Ministry said it was aware of the reports from Irkutsk, was following the situation closely, and had ordered closer checks at border crossings and other entry points. “Sanitary and quarantine controls are being conducted at state border crossing points,” a Health Ministry statement said, “No individuals with elevated temperatures, signs of illness, or suspected highly dangerous infections have been detected across any mode of transport.” The Health Ministry said the chances of plague, or “pneumonia of undetermined etiology” crossing Kazakhstan’s borders were low. Kyrgyzstan’s Health Ministry also said it had ordered close checks of people entering the country in response to reports about the situation in Irkutsk. “Specialists monitor individuals, vehicles, and cargo crossing the border to prevent the importation and spread of infectious diseases, including highly dangerous infections,” the Health Ministry said. The same measures are being implemented in Tajikistan. Said Davlatzoda, the head of the Health Ministry’s Department of Sanitary-Epidemiological Safety, Emergency Situations and Emergency Medical Care, said orders went out that every person crossing into Tajikistan must have their body temperature measured. Workers from the department have been instructed to ask people arriving whether they are experiencing symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, headache, weakness, and muscle and joint pain. Personnel from the Sanitary-Epidemiological Safety Department have also been told to wear disposable hazmat...

Kyrgyz Film

The Filmmakers Behind Kanjar on Action and Cultural Heritage

A stolen dagger drives the action in Kanjar, a Kyrgyz thriller that explores the loss of cultural heritage. Director and screenwriter Adilet Akmatov draws on his experience as a stunt performer and fight choreographer to bring the story to the screen. Co-producer and actor Mohamed Hamad Haymour took a different route into the project. Born in Canada to Lebanese parents, he moved to Kyrgyzstan with his wife intending to open a restaurant. A meeting with Akmatov led him into filmmaking and his first feature-film role, playing a villain. Following a preview screening, Akmatov and Haymour spoke to Shahsanem Murray about the film and their work together. TCA: Adilet, what drew you to make this film? Adilet Akmatov: Now a director and screenwriter, I have hands-on experience as a stunt performer, choreographing fight scenes, operating cameras, and editing. For me, a movie never starts with a genre; it starts with a story and an emotion. I love genre cinema, but a human theme should always remain at the core of the action, adventure, or thriller. This film is exactly that kind of film. It is an action thriller, but it also addresses memory, responsibility, and human choice. TCA: What inspired your screenplay? Adilet Akmatov: First and foremost, I was intrigued by the concept of a historical artifact. More than a mere object, it represents a fragment of a nation’s heritage. At one point in the script, one of my characters says: “This dagger has outlasted dynasties, wars, and migrations, absorbing the memory of several generations.” I was fascinated to see how I could develop a story that would prompt audiences to question the significance of such ancient objects in their understanding of the world and their place in it. In the plot, a dagger is stolen and, against all odds, must be retrieved. But beneath the surface, I wanted to explore what happens to people and, indeed, society at large, when memory is treated as a commodity to be bought and sold. That is the root of the conflict that runs through the film. TCA: How did you approach working with the cast? Adilet Akmatov: On my set, there is no division between stars and lesser-known actors. There is only a shared objective. Trust is paramount, especially in an action movie. Action is not just about thrilling movements; it requires precision, discipline, and a deep understanding of your partner. If one person slips up for even a second, it can directly impact someone else. Therefore, I always try to find common ground with the actors first, to understand their personalities and capabilities, and only then do I choreograph the scene. It is imperative that when an actor executes a staged movement, they truly understand why their character is doing it. Each of the male characters in the film is an individual in his own right. I did not want to create a generic mass of ‘bad guys’. Each has his own perspective on the situation and his own limit of how...

Asian Games

Central Asia Wins 186 Asian Games Medals as Uzbekistan Finishes Fifth

Athletes from Central Asia’s five countries won 186 medals at the Asian Games in Japan, where Uzbekistan finished fifth overall and Kazakhstan claimed the region’s largest medal haul. The 20th Summer Asian Games were held from September 19 to October 4 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. China once again topped the medal table, followed by Japan and South Korea. Uzbekistan won 70 medals, including 21 golds, matching its fifth-place finish at the previous Games in Hangzhou. The result follows a 13th-place finish in the medal table at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kazakhstan won 84 medals, including 12 golds, and finished eighth in the standings, up from 11th at the previous Asian Games. Among Kazakhstan’s champions was road cyclist Alexey Lutsenko, whose two victories took his Asian Games career tally to six golds, making him the country’s most successful athlete in the competition by number of gold medals. Boxers Torekhan Sabyrkhan and Aibek Oralbay also won gold. Kazakhstan’s men’s épée fencing team claimed another title, while Vladislav Yakovlev and Ivan Chernukhin took gold in the men’s pair rowing event. Kazakhstan’s Yasmina Toxanbayeva crossed the line first in the women’s marathon race walk, a 26.2-mile event, but was disqualified because her shoes did not comply with World Athletics requirements. The Kazakhstan Athletics Federation challenged the decision. Tajikistan won 16 medals and finished 22nd, surpassing its previous record of seven medals at a single Asian Games. Before the Japan Games, the country had won 35 medals in total across all previous Summer Asian Games appearances. Kyrgyzstan finished 26th with 14 medals, including one gold and three silvers. The country also won 10 bronzes, and all but one of its medals came in combat sports. Turkmenistan’s two silver medals went to karate athlete Davut Nazmyradov and weightlifter Shahzadbek Matyakubov. Matyakubov finished second in the men’s 110-kilogram category behind Uzbekistan’s Akbar Djuraev. The next Summer Asian Games will be held in Doha in 2030.

Live Music

Shakira Will Bring World Tour to Kyrgyzstan

Last month, it was still unclear whether Shakira would perform in Kyrgyzstan. No longer. Shakira will be at the Bishkek Arena on October 18 as part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran world tour, her official website says. Kanybek Tumanbaev, head of the presidential affairs department, had earlier teased the concert in a social media post that stirred fans and was widely reported by Kyrgyz media. The government-run GovTicket platform is offering ticket prices ranging from $137, or 12,000 Kyrgyz som, for a restricted view in the stands; to $309, or 27,000 som, for the “main standing area behind the fan zones, with a direct stage view” to $2,059, or 180,000 som, for the most exclusive VIP box seats. “It's a stadium show with hits from across her career — Hips Don't Lie, Whenever, Wherever, Waka Waka, She Wolf — plus songs from her latest album,” the ticket website says. More than 13,000 tickets for Shakira’s show were sold on the first day after they went on sale, with purchases made from 22 countries, Kyrgyzstan's Channel 7 reported. Citing the presidential administration, it said most of the foreign buyers were from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. The newly constructed Bishkek Arena has a capacity of 51,000 people. Its design was inspired by the yurt, the traditional tent used by Central Asian nomads, and the stadium hosted the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games in August. Excitement is building in Kyrgyzstan ahead of the concert. Bishkek Petroleum, an oil and gas company, says it is giving away two tickets with an excellent view of the stage. The winner will be “randomly selected” from those who fill up at one of its gas stations and post about it on social media, the company says. Just last month, there were reports in Kyrgyz media that it was unclear whether the concert would happen. Some accounts said it might happen in November. Tumanbaev, the presidential official, hinted at the concert in an Instagram post to his nearly two million followers several weeks ago. “We'd like to see her at the Bishkek Arena!” he said. “Are you waiting for it?”

Antidoping

WADA Executive Committee to Meet in Astana Ahead of 2027 Anti-Doping Code

The Executive Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will meet in Astana on November 23-27, around five weeks before a revised World Anti-Doping Code comes into force on January 1, 2027. WADA is an independent international organization established in 1999 to coordinate and monitor anti-doping rules and policies across global sport. The meeting also comes ahead of a busy year for international sport in Kazakhstan. Six world championships are scheduled to take place in Astana in 2027: junior short track speed skating, boxing, table tennis, judo, taekwondo, and esports. The packed calendar puts added focus on Kazakhstan’s anti-doping preparations, including testing and coordination with the international federations responsible for each competition. Kazakhstan’s ties with WADA have expanded over the past twelve months. In March, Tourism and Sports Minister Yerbol Myrzabossynov and WADA President Witold Bańka signed a memorandum of understanding in Toruń, Poland, covering cooperation in anti-doping education, prevention, and scientific research. At the time, the two sides also discussed the possibility of holding meetings of WADA’s Executive Committee and Foundation Board in Astana in 2027. Kazakhstan has not been immune to recent high-profile doping cases. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, middleweight boxer Zhanibek Alimkhanuly tested positive for the banned substance meldonium in 2025. The WBO imposed a one-year suspension, while the IBF later stripped him of its middleweight title because the suspension prevented him from meeting his mandatory defense obligation.