Kazakhstan Life & Culture - The Times Of Central Asia

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Obituary

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 an indelible mark on everyone he met. In terms of professional discipline, Kris was a geographer, having conducted undergraduate studies at Clark University and an MA and a PhD at the University of Connecticut. He established himself as a leading interdisciplinary scholar of Central Asia, advancing our understanding of post-Soviet transitions, environmental crises, and the interplay between human societies and their landscapes. Kris’s life work is a testament to the power of geography as a lens for understanding complex regional challenges. Future scholarship will undoubtedly build upon his illuminating insights into the interdependencies of nature, economy, and identity. [caption id="attachment_28957" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Kristopher White in his office at KIMEP, 2023[/caption] Kris was a prolific writer and researcher, devoting much of his work to the study of the Aral Sea and highlighting the ecological and social challenges of the region. His work excelled in weaving environmental and economic themes with cultural analysis. For example, he explored how the endangered snow leopard has become a symbolic linchpin for Kazakhstan’s national identity, ecotourism marketing, and international conservation agendas. As an educator at KIMEP University since 2004, Kris helped shape a generation of Central Asian scholars through courses like Oil Geopolitics and The Aral Sea Crisis: A Geographical Perspective. His pedagogical approach—rooted in regional case studies —exemplified his commitment to place-based learning. [caption id="attachment_28958" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Back in Almaty[/caption] Beyond his professional work, Kris had an adventurous spirit. His love for travel took him across the globe, capturing the beauty of the world through his keen eye for photography. Whether exploring the vast Kazakh steppe, documenting the remnants of the Aral Sea, or wandering through historic cities, he found joy in sharing stories through his lens. He later developed and taught a course on photojournalism at KIMEP. Kris and I overlapped at KIMEP for four years (2004-08). I always appreciated that irrespective of the challenges of any given day, he was an oasis of calm and fun, liking nothing better than to unwind over a glass of Kazakh beer or Georgian wine. Kris was the epitome of a true friend who would never let you down, someone who always had your back and you had his ear. We made several unforgettable road trips throughout Central Asia, particularly in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. [caption id="attachment_28959" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Kristopher White with Donnacha Ó Beacháin, 2023 [/caption] Kris passed away while visiting his family in Florida. Today, the 21st February, would have been his 56th birthday. He had so many plans for the future, and it’s heartbreaking that he won’t see them come to fruition. Those who knew him will forever remember his kindness and wisdom. His legacy lives on in the minds he inspired, the friendships he nurtured, and the body of...

Society

Central Asia’s Growing Domestic Drug Problem

It’s in the headlines every few days now in Central Asian countries. February 1 – Uzbekistan’s law enforcement agencies report raiding a laboratory producing synthetic drugs, and seizing narcotics worth more than $800,000. February 3 – Uzbek law enforcement announces that their latest counter-narcotics operation has resulted in the seizure of 111 kilograms of illegal drugs. February 10 – police in Kyrgyzstan’s northern Chuy region seize 1.5 kilograms of hashish and 1 kilogram of marijuana. February 11 – Kazakhstan’s Committee for National Security (KNB) announces it had uncovered a laboratory in Almaty region that was producing synthetic drugs. More than 15 kilograms of these synthetic drugs were seized and 200 liters of precursor materials. In the first decade after the five countries of Central Asia became independent in 1991, many of the reports from foreign media were about Central Asia being a major transit route for narcotics coming out of Afghanistan that were for buyers in Russia and Europe. Thirty years later, drugs are still coming into Central Asia from Afghanistan, but it is no longer just opium and heroin. And now it seems a good portion of these illicit narcotics are being consumed in Central Asia. Made in Central Asia Drug-producing laboratories are multiplying, and while there are no precise figures for the number of addicts, it is clear an increasing number of young people in Central Asia are using drugs. Ashita Mittal, the regional representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Central Asia, said in January 2025 that during the “last several years in just Kazakhstan, law enforcement agencies have uncovered and destroyed 87 laboratories producing synthetic drugs, and in Kyrgyzstan about 11-12.” Law enforcement agencies in Kazakhstan said earlier in January that they had destroyed 63 laboratories producing illegal narcotics just in 2024. Tajikistan’s Agency for Narcotics Control said at the end of its Kuknor-2024 counter-narcotics campaign in December 2024 that it had confiscated more than 1 ton of synthetic drugs. The synthetic drugs most often mentioned in these seizures are mephedrone, a type of amphetamine and stimulant that causes euphoria, and a-PvP, another stimulant. However, there are many types of synthetic drugs now available in Central Asia. Batum Estebesova, director of Kyrgyzstan’s Sotsium drug rehabilitation center, said the variety of synthetic drugs is increasing quickly. “We can’t keep up with all the new drugs to add them to the list of prohibited substances,” Estebesova said. UN Office on Drugs and Crime representative Mittal said part of the problem comes from Afghanistan. Mittal noted in 2023, there was a 95 percent reduction in heroin production in Afghanistan, but at the same time there was an “exponential growth” in the production of methamphetamines crossing into the bordering Central Asian countries – Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. In May 2023, Uzbek border guards noticed some strange marking on several boxes of pomegranate juice coming from Afghanistan. Testing showed bottles of juice in those boxes contained methamphetamine. Apparently, the buyers intended to evaporate the liquid and then collect...

Sports

Kazakhstan Shines at 2025 Asian Winter Games with 20 Medals

As the 2025 Asian Winter Games drew to a close, Kazakhstan's athletes finished in a very impressive fourth place out of 34 nations in the medals table. With the competition held in the Chinese city of Harbin, the host nation dominated the events, winning a total of 85 medals, including 32 gold. South Korea followed in second place with 45 medals (16 gold), while Japan finished third with 37 medals, 10 of which were gold. Kazakhstan won 20 medals, including four gold. The team was led by biathletes Vladislav Kireyev and Vadim Kurales, who claimed first and second place, respectively, in the sprint event. Kazakhstan’s skiers and freestylers also contributed to the medal tally. Olzhas Klimin secured bronze in the 10 km freestyle race, while Konstantin Bortsov won silver in the sprint. In freestyle skiing, Roman Ivanov and Sherzod Khashirbayev triumphed in synchronized jumping, while Ardana Makhanova and Ayana Zholdas earned bronze in the women’s competition. Kazakhstan also excelled in team events. The men’s hockey team won gold, while the women’s team took silver. In cross-country skiing, the women’s 4×5 km relay team claimed silver, and the men’s 4×7.5 km relay team secured bronze. In speed skating, Kazakhstan won bronze in the team sprint, with Yevgeny Koshkin taking silver in the 100-meter race. The country’s short track speed skaters added to the medal count with gold in the men’s 5000-meter relay and silver in the women’s 3000-meter relay. Uzbekistan’s only medal came in figure skating, where Ekaterina Gainish and Dmitry Chigirev won gold in the pairs competition. China reaffirmed its dominance in winter sports. In speed skating, Ning Zhongyan, the 2024 world sprint all-around champion, and Han Mei, a two-time world championship medalist, stood out. In short track speed skating, South Korea’s three-time Olympic champion Choi Min-jung and 2019 world champion Park Ji-won delivered impressive performances. Meanwhile, China’s Xu Mengtao, the 2022 Olympic champion, claimed gold in freestyle skiing acrobatics. The next edition of the Asian Winter Games is set to take place in 2029 in Saudi Arabia.

Tourism

Visits of Chinese Tourists to Kazakhstan Surged in 2024

In 2024, 655,000 Chinese tourists visited Kazakhstan, representing a 78% increase compared to the previous year, Nurtas Karipbayev, chairman of the Tourism Industry Committee at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan, announced at a press conference on February 6. The surge in visitors comes as Kazakhstan declared 2024 the "Year of Kazakhstan Tourism in China", an initiative aimed at strengthening cultural and economic ties between the two countries. The program promoted Kazakhstan as a travel destination and facilitated collaborations between tourism industry stakeholders from both nations. As part of the initiative, leading Chinese media and social networks - with a combined audience exceeding 1.3 billion people - broadcast and published content about Kazakhstan, significantly boosting its appeal among Chinese travelers, Karipbayev stated. He noted that Almaty was the most popular destination for Chinese tourists in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan also participated in four major tourism exhibitions in China: ITB China, ITE Hong Kong, COTTM, and the China International Medical Tourism Fair. These events helped establish new partnerships with leading Chinese tour operators. "Throughout the year, various Kazakh cities and regions hosted 10 major presentation tours. These events further heightened interest in Kazakhstan. Participation in tourism exhibitions and the organization of informational tours remain key priorities in our collaboration," Karipbayev said. The increase in tourist flow was further supported by the mutual visa-free travel regime, which took effect in November 2023. Under this arrangement, Kazakh and Chinese citizens can travel visa-free for up to 30 days per visit, with a maximum stay of 90 calendar days within a 180-day period. The agreement covers tourism, medical treatment, business trips, and transit travel. Following the success of 2024, the governments of Kazakhstan and China have designated 2025 as the "Year of China Tourism in Kazakhstan", aiming to further expand travel and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Photography

Grounding the Stars: Andrew McConnell’s Lens on Space and the Steppe

Award-winning photographer and filmmaker Andrew McConnell has dedicated his career to illuminating the world’s overlooked regions and underreported stories. He has a distinctive ability to examine major global issues and events from fresh, often unexpected perspectives. Ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances are the focus of McConnell’s lens. From conflict zones in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the hidden lives of the Sahrawi people in Western Sahara, his work frequently highlights human endurance in challenging environments. His new book, Some Worlds Have Two Suns, takes a different direction. It explores the vast, remote Kazakh Steppe, where the sparse local population coexists with the high-tech world of space travel. The project began in 2014 after he filmed his documentary Gaza. While decompressing at home in Ireland, he watched a BBC documentary about a Soyuz spacecraft landing in the Kazakh Steppe. The stark contrast between destruction and human achievement struck him. “I turned to my parents and said, ‘I’m gonna go and see that.’” That moment sparked an eight-year journey documenting the Russian ground crews recovering astronauts and the communities living beneath these celestial homecomings. TCA: You visited the Kazakh Steppe multiple times to document the Soyuz landings. How many trips did you make and what were the challenges of reaching such a remote location? Andrew: I probably made a dozen. I would join the ground crew in Karaganda, which is not far from Astana, and from there they head out to the Steppe, and depending on whether it's winter or summer they have different vehicles for either one. In summer, the Steppe is fine to drive on, so they have four by fours and we head out and set up camp the day before the Soyuz arrives. They know the exact time the Soyuz will land, right down to the second, and it always goes to the same location, which is a group of tombs. You can see those in the book, the two horsemen beside these tombs. These are old nomadic burial tombs, maybe 300 years old, so that, initially, was very interesting to me… you know, what are these? The Steppe is this unending boundless void of nothingness, just flat grassland. At first, as a photographer, it was quite underwhelming because visually, how do you make that interesting? But here were these tombs in the middle of nowhere and it was instantly fascinating. That was always the base camp. I don’t know if that’s where Rocosmos aimed Soyuz, but that’s where it came into the atmosphere every time I saw it. It would enter the atmosphere above these tombs. The parachute deploys and then it depends on the wind because they can drift for 20 kilometers. A couple of times it was a windless day, and the Soyuz dropped within sight of these tombs. I had a fantasy that it would drop in the middle of it. [caption id="attachment_28250" align="aligncenter" width="2000"] Nomadic burial tombs, Soyuz landing zone, Kazakhstan, 2018; image: Andrew McConnell[/caption] TCA: What shifted your focus from the...

Art and Culture

Kazakh Singer Dimash Kudaibergen Climbs U.S. Charts with “Smoke”

Kazakhstani singer Dimash Kudaibergen has achieved significant success on the U.S. charts with his song Smoke, ranking highly on both Amazon and iTunes. Throughout January 2025, international media outlets, including publications in Argentina, the United Kingdom, and the United States, featured stories on the singer. Reports highlighted his exceptional vocal range, creative independence, and dedication to Kazakh national culture - qualities that have earned him a global fan base. “Dimash Kudaibergen is rapidly becoming one of Asia's best-known artists, captivating audiences worldwide with his unique fusion of neo-classical, pop, Kazakh folk, and contemporary trends. His independence allows him to experiment freely, combining traditional Kazakh motifs with global musical influences. For him, music is not just entertainment but an opportunity to present Kazakhstan's rich culture on the world stage,” Haute Living wrote. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zKBUihALTH0[/embed] Released on April 26, 2024, Smoke is one of Dimash’s latest tracks. The music of the composition was written by the singer, with lyrics by Candice Kelly and Dimash Gordon. The song quickly gained traction, and by January 30, 2025, it had risen in the U.S. charts. It reached No. 32 on the iTunes Top 100, entered the Top 10 of Amazon’s Best Sellers in Songs, and claimed No. 1 in Amazon’s Best Sellers in Pop. This success underscores Dimash Kudaibergen’s growing influence beyond Kazakhstan and rising prominence in the international music industry. Dimash Kudaibergen is a Kazakh singer renowned for his extraordinary six-octave vocal range. He first gained international recognition after winning Slavic Bazaar (2015) and later became a finalist on the Chinese talent show Singer (2017). His musical style blends elements of neoclassical, pop, and traditional Kazakh folk. He has performed on prestigious stages worldwide, including the Kremlin Palace, Barclays Center, and Meridian Hall in Toronto. In 2019, he won the MTV Global Chinese Music Awards, and in 2021, he was named Asian Musician of the Year by the Top Chinese Music Awards. Kudaibergen also took part in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics.