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Art and Culture

Bridging Continents: Launching the VIMA Art Fair in Cyprus

In the art world, fairs often have a meteoric rise and fall in an oversaturated market of competing events. But every so often, one lands with a quiet, deliberate weight, embedding itself in the soil of its context and revitalizing it. VIMA Art Fair in Limassol, Cyprus, is one such project. Unfolding in a transformed wine warehouse near the sea, VIMA resisted the sterile polish of typical fair venues. Here, the Mediterranean wind mingled with the hum of languages, from Russian to Arabic, Greek, and Turkish, to English. The fair was founded by three Russians who have established themselves in Cyprus - Edgar Gadzhiev, Lara Kotreleva, and Nadezhda Zinovskaya - all of whom have brought a deep well of curatorial and institutional experience from Central Asia, Eurasia, and beyond. The trio have diverse backgrounds: Zinovskaya used to manage Ayarkut, an international art foundation operating across Kazakhstan and Mexico, together with Gadzhiev, who specialized in marketing in the cultural sector. Lara Kotreleva, meanwhile, has a museological background in Moscow and founded Sphere Space, an ongoing research initiative dedicated to architectural heritage in Limassol. To set up the fair, they teamed up with an expert committee comprising the Cypriots Alexandros Diogenous and Tasos Stylianou, co-founders of Limassol Art Walks, and Andre Zivanari, director of the Point Center for Contemporary Art in the capital, Nicosia. Of the 27 participants at the fair, there was an emphasis on the ten Cypriot galleries, commercial, not-for-profit, and artist-run spaces, part of Cyprus’s flourishing contemporary art scene, as well as on a number of Middle Eastern and Greek galleries. The Caucasus also made an appearance, with Georgia’s Window Project (Tbilisi) presenting a thoughtful mix of Georgian and international artists. Their mission centers on bridging generational narratives, with a particular emphasis on promoting emerging Georgian talents alongside an often-overlooked older generation of artists. At VIMA, the gallery highlighted the work of female artists, including Tamar Giorgadze, Sigrid Gloerfelt, Natela Grigalashvili, Tamara K.E., and Anie Toidze. Representing Azerbaijan, pop/off/art (Baku) featured a dynamic selection of artists primarily from the post-Soviet sphere as well as Eastern and Central Europe, showcasing works by Despina Flessa, Andrey Krasulin, and Shamil Shaaev. The mood was easygoing and fresh, but did not shy away from important socio-political themes that are unavoidable on the island, from the Greek-Turkish divide, to the arrival of a number of expats fleeing wars. Through a program of talks and a collateral exhibition, the fair leaned into this complexity and spelled out the necessity of communities coexisting, as well as articulating the desire to create new cultural infrastructure through public and private collaboration. The Times of Central Asia spoke with Edgar Gadzhiev, Lara Kotreleva, and Nadezhda Zinovskaya. [caption id="attachment_32435" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Portrait of the co-founders of the VIMA Art Fair, Edgar Gadzhiev, Nadezhda Zinovskaya, and Lara Kotrelevaimage; image courtesy of the VIMA Art Fair[/caption] TCA: Why did you choose Cyprus as the location to launch this project? Gadzhiev: It wasn’t a random decision. We conducted long-term research, and it became...

Healthcare

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Strengthen Cooperation on Cancer Treatment and Child Health

At the high-level conference, “Dialogue for Children: Central Asia and UNICEF,” held recently in Tashkent, the health ministers of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan met to expand bilateral cooperation in healthcare. Kazakhstan’s Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova and her Uzbek counterpart Asilbek Khudayarov discussed a range of initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality of medical services in both countries. According to the Uzbek Health Ministry, the discussions focused on joint research projects, the exchange of medical expertise, and collaboration within the coalition of countries supporting primary healthcare. The two sides also considered conducting environmental studies in the Aral Sea region to assess the health impacts of local ecological conditions. Focus on Pediatric Health and Cancer Treatment Children’s health emerged as a central theme in the talks. Kazakhstan proposed establishing an international academic hub for childhood cancer and offered to take the lead on the initiative. Minister Alnazarova outlined Kazakhstan’s use of advanced diagnostic and treatment methods for pediatric cancer, including immunohistochemistry, immunophenotyping, tumor marker detection, high-dose chemotherapy for bone and soft tissue sarcomas, and organ-preserving surgeries. She also announced that a new Proton Therapy Center will open in Astana this October. The center is expected to treat over 800 patients annually and will offer radioiodine therapy for children from across Central Asia. Kazakhstan also proposed creating two additional international hubs: one for adult oncology and oncohematology, and another for pediatric heart surgery at the UMC Heart Center. The heart surgery hub would be open to patients from Uzbekistan, including children from Karakalpakstan. Alnazarova noted that several areas of Kazakhstan’s healthcare system now meet international standards, with hospitals adopting globally recognized technologies and practices. Expanding Bilateral Healthcare Ties To deepen bilateral engagement, the two ministers agreed to hold “Kazakhstan Medicine Days” in Uzbekistan in 2025, followed by “Uzbekistan Medicine Days” in Kazakhstan in 2026. They also endorsed the creation of an international healthcare hub to promote cross-border collaboration. In a related development, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Science and Higher Education, Sayasat Nurbek, announced in March that the country is developing a new anti-cancer drug. Phase II clinical trials, completed last year, showed promising results, including an average tumor size reduction of 30%. The drug is expected to be registered and released to the market by the end of 2024.

Tourism

First Tourist Train Links China’s Xi’an and Kazakhstan’s Almaty

On May 29, the inaugural tourist train connecting Xi’an, the capital of China’s Shaanxi province, with Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, departed, marking a new chapter in cross-border tourism and cultural exchange. According to the national railway operator, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), the departure ceremony was held in Xi’an and attended by a Kazakh delegation led by KTZ Deputy Chairman Anuar Akhmetzhanov, along with representatives from Chinese authorities, tourism agencies, and transport organizations. Akhmetzhanov emphasized that the project aims to deepen cultural ties and boost bilateral tourism. “We are confident that this journey will leave a lasting impression on our guests from China and lay the groundwork for new joint initiatives,” he said. The train will travel through Urumqi in Xinjiang, cross the Kazakh-Chinese border at Khorgos, and proceed via Altynkol station to Almaty. The train comprises nine carriages and is carrying 246 passengers, including Chinese businesspeople, academics, entertainers, and athletes. During their five-day visit, passengers will explore the historical and cultural landmarks of Kazakhstan’s southern capital, participate in organized tours, and attend cultural and business events. Xi’an also holds strategic importance for Kazakhstan as the site of a Kazakh-operated logistics terminal. This facility has significantly boosted rail container traffic along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), a key corridor linking China and Europe via Kazakhstan.

Work-Life Balance

From Overtime to Downtime: Tracking Work and Leisure in Kazakhstan

Analysts at Finprom.kz have examined average working hours across different employment sectors in Kazakhstan, along with how people typically spend their leisure time. Standard Hours and Overtime As of the first quarter of 2025, Kazakhstan had 9.3 million registered employed citizens, a 1.3% increase compared to the same period last year. The majority, approximately 7.7 million people, work standard hours ranging from 36 to 40 per week, representing a 7.5% year-on-year increase. Conversely, the number of people working overtime declined to 1.2 million, a 4.9% decrease. On average, Kazakhstanis now work 39 hours per week, an increase of one hour from last year. Men work slightly more, averaging 40 hours weekly, while women work around 38. Employees are more likely to work overtime, logging an average of 41 hours per week, compared to 36 hours for the self-employed. Most and Least Time-Intensive Sectors Mining remains the sector with the longest working week, averaging 43 hours. Those in wholesale and retail trade, transport, logistics, and administrative services average 42 hours. Employees in manufacturing, water supply and waste management, construction, and hospitality work about 41 hours weekly. At the other end of the spectrum, workers in agriculture, forestry, and fishing average 33 hours per week. Those in finance, insurance, and education work around 39 hours. Professions with the Heaviest Workload Among occupational groups, industrial, construction, and transport workers, as well as operators and drivers, top the list with an average of 42 hours per week. Trade and service sector employees follow closely at 41 hours. Farmers, fishermen, and unskilled laborers average 36 hours, while managers, civil servants, and technical staff work around 40 hours. Specialists average 39 hours weekly. Approximately 332,800 Kazakhstanis work less than a standard week, half the number from the previous year. The most common reasons include lack of work (122,800 people), reduced hours (56,700), sufficient income (34,200), employer decisions (31,500), and flexible schedules (18,300). How Kazakhstanis Spend Their Day According to official 2024 statistics, the average Kazakhstani spends most of their weekday attending to personal needs such as sleep, hygiene, and meals, totaling 12 hours and 6 minutes on workdays and 13 hours and 57 minutes on weekends. Sleep takes up the largest share: 8 hours and 48 minutes on weekdays and more than 10 hours on weekends. Meals and drinks occupy around 1 hour and 49 minutes during the week and 2 hours and 5 minutes on days off. Hygiene and self-care account for approximately 1 hour and 21 minutes on weekdays and 1 hour and 33 minutes on weekends. Work ranks second in terms of daily time use, averaging 5 hours and 16 minutes on weekdays and just 36 minutes on weekends. Leisure activities—including cultural events, sports, reading, and media consumption—rank third, taking up 2 hours and 40 minutes on weekdays and nearly 4 hours on weekends. Kazakhstanis also devote considerable time to household responsibilities, especially on weekends, spending about 3 hours and 32 minutes on unpaid domestic work and family care.

Chess Championship

Two More Grandmasters for Kazakhstan, an Emerging Chess Power

A 14-year-old boy from Kazakhstan is awaiting confirmation that he is the country’s youngest chess grandmaster after he improved his rating at a tournament in the United Arab Emirates this month. Also, a 21-year-old woman is poised to become Kazakhstan’s second female grandmaster after the same contest. The international results come as Kazakhstan pushes to develop homegrown chess talent and impart intellectual skills to young people, introducing chess into the curricula of hundreds of schools, training chess teachers and even supporting chess federations in some Asian countries, including Oman, Nepal, Cambodia, Jordan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. “Trainers, methods, equipment for chess classes - all this has become an export product of Kazakhstan,” the Kazakhstan Chess Federation said Wednesday as its congress of 50 delegates met in Astana to review 2024 accomplishments and plan for the future. Kazakhstani player Edgar Mamedov, who turns 15 on June 18, achieved a rating of more than 2500 because of his results at the Sharjah Masters International Chess Championship, according to the federation. The 2500 rating is one of the requirements to secure the grandmaster title. “All that remains is to wait for the official confirmation of the title,” it said. Confirmation would come at the next meeting of the presidential council of FIDE, the Switzerland-based governing body of chess. The last meeting was held in April. A 16-year-old player from Kazakhstan, Aldiyar Ansat, was close to grandmaster status at the start of the year and was touted as the frontrunner to become the Central Asian nation’s youngest GM. But Mamedov got there first. The tournament in Sharjah also featured a woman from Kazakhstan who secured the grandmaster rating after a strong performance. Like Mamedov, Bibisara Asaubayeva is awaiting official confirmation that she has the title. She will be Kazakhstan’s second female grandmaster after Zhansaya Abdumalik. Asaubayeva had the best result among women in Sharjah, beating Chinese player Zhu Jiner, the winner of the Women's Grand Prix of the 2024–25 season, by one point, and Divya Deshmukh, the winner of the 2024 Chess Olympiad as part of the Indian team, by one and a half points, according to Kazakh chess officials. “Finally, GM,” Asaubayeva wrote on Instagram after she got the grandmaster rating. She added a smiling emoji with sunglasses. Kazakhstan currently has nine confirmed and active grandmasters, according to FIDE. One of them, Rinat Dzhumabayev, also participated in the May 17-25 contest in Sharjah. A total of 64 grandmasters and 17 international masters competed. Player Nurassyl Primbetov, born in Kazakhstan in 2013, played the match of his life at a tournament in Astana last year. The young boy lost to former child prodigy and world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen. Reflecting on his country’s chess accomplishments, Timur Turlov, president of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, said the federation organized 92 tournaments in 2024, a threefold increase compared to the previous year. Chess players from Kazakhstan won 160 medals, including 55 gold, in 2024, Turlov said in a January post on the Medium platform. “Chess plays...

Entertainment

Jennifer Lopez to Perform in Tashkent for the First Time

Global pop icon Jennifer Lopez will perform in Tashkent on August 7, as part of her Up All Night - Live in 2025 world tour, according to Uzbekistan’s Art and Culture Development Foundation. The concert, set to take place at Milliy Stadium, will mark Lopez’s debut performance in Uzbekistan. The event is part of a broader initiative by the Foundation to promote international cultural exchange and boost the country's tourism sector. Earlier, The Times of Central Asia reported that Lopez is also scheduled to perform in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana later this summer. Local organizers there estimate her concert could generate over $12 million in economic activity and yield nearly $800,000 in tax revenue. Jennifer Lopez, known as J. Lo, is one of the most prominent entertainers of her generation. A singer, actress, and dancer with a career spanning more than 30 years, she has received numerous accolades, including the Billboard Icon Award and the MTV Video Vanguard Award. To date, she has sold over 80 million records worldwide.