Kyrgyzstan Life & Culture - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 13 - 18 of 309

Tourism Development

Kyrgyzstan Looks to Turn Former Uranium Mining Town Into Tourist Destination

The Kyrgyz authorities and international partners are seeking to help transform the village of Min-Kush, one of the country’s former uranium mining centers, into a new tourist destination as part of broader efforts to promote sustainable economic development in remote mountain communities. The issue was the focus of the forum “Development of Min-Kush Village Through Sustainable Tourism: Revival of Forgotten Cities,” held in Min-Kush, in the Jumgal district of the Naryn Region, from May 21 to 23. The forum brought together government officials, international organizations, tourism professionals, civil society groups, and local residents to discuss the tourism, environmental, historical, cultural, and gastronomic potential of Min-Kush and the wider Jumgal district. Founded in 1947 as a uranium mining settlement, Min-Kush became one of the Soviet Union’s major uranium production centers. After the collapse of the USSR and the closure of the mines, the village experienced decades of economic decline. Today, Min-Kush is undergoing environmental rehabilitation efforts supported by the Kyrgyz government and international partners aimed at addressing the legacy of uranium mining. Speaking at the forum, Dinara Kemelova, the Kyrgyz president’s special representative for the mountain agenda, said Min-Kush is now safe for both residents and visitors and has significant potential for the development of a green economy, agriculture, and tourism. An important part of the event was a roundtable discussion devoted to strengthening cooperation among communities located near former uranium legacy sites. Participants emphasized the importance of coordinating the efforts of government institutions, international organizations, businesses, and local communities to transform uranium legacy areas into new centers of green economic growth and sustainable tourism in Kyrgyzstan. The forum was organized by the Kyrgyz government together with the NGO Destination Min-Kush, in cooperation with the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek and the United Nations Development Programme in Kyrgyzstan, with financial support from the European Union. During the event, UNDP highlighted its grant support mechanism for local initiatives in communities located near uranium legacy sites. Through small grant programs, local civil society organizations, women’s groups, youth initiatives, artisans, and entrepreneurs receive support for practical, community-driven projects aimed at improving livelihoods, increasing environmental awareness, preserving local heritage, and encouraging economic activity. Rémi Duflot, ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Kyrgyzstan, said the forum provided Min-Kush with an opportunity to demonstrate its tourism potential while building on both its natural assets and its unique history as a former uranium mining site. “The EU will continue supporting the efforts undertaken by national and local authorities, in partnership with the EBRD, OSCE, and UNDP, to provide better opportunities for populations living near uranium legacy sites in Kyrgyzstan,” Duflot said.

TCA Interviews

From a Student Initiative to a Youth Movement: How Volunteering Is Developing in Kyrgyzstan

In 2023, Kyrgyzstan adopted a law establishing the legal basis for volunteer activity, while the Ministry of Culture, Information and Youth Policy has been named Kyrgyzstan’s focal point for the International Year of Volunteers 2026. UN Volunteers has also reported that nearly 100 youth and volunteer organizations are active across the country, with major public events expected to rely heavily on trained volunteers. The Times of Central Asia spoke with Aruuke Karmyshakova, executive director of Active Volunteers, about why more young people in Kyrgyzstan are entering volunteer work, how the organization cooperates with state bodies, international partners, and educational institutions, and why sustainable funding remains a central challenge for the sector. TCA: What gap did Active Volunteers set out to fill when it was founded, and how did the organization develop from there? Aruuke: Active Volunteers was founded in 2017 through the initiative of Bekbolot Stalbekov. Bekbolot wanted to create a platform where students could develop not only academically, but also beyond the classroom, to try themselves in real projects, gain practical experience, and show initiative. At first, it was a small student group of like-minded people. But it very quickly became clear that there were many active and versatile young people like this. With each new project, the number of participants grew, the team expanded, and the initiatives became increasingly large-scale. That is how, from a small student idea, we gradually grew into a full-fledged youth foundation with many different areas of work. TCA: How has the organization’s mission evolved as its work has expanded into different areas? Aruuke: Today, we define our mission as the comprehensive, multi-sphere development of young people and society as a whole. It is not one single direction, but a complex approach: we are involved in charitable assistance, educational projects, cultural initiatives, and support for civic activity. We help young people develop in science, art, media, leadership, ecology, and many other fields. The main idea is that every participant should be able to unlock their potential while also bringing real benefit to the country. Members of our team, Malika Baibolotova, Nurzhigit Kazygulov, Sofya Khurshudova, and Elaman Zhusupov, are already participating in international projects such as the “Strong Youth - Strong Country” program from the Civic Participation Foundation, funded by the European Union and UNICEF. They are undergoing regular training, which will continue until 2027-2028, and they will then be ready to establish and implement their own initiatives and projects. TCA: Has the profile of volunteers in Kyrgyzstan changed in recent years? Aruuke: Previously, most volunteers were university and college students, but since 2023 the picture has changed noticeably. Today, the age range has become much wider: school students starting from the age of 13-14, university students, young specialists, and also middle-aged people come to us. Everyone finds their own niche, some help in education, some in cultural events, and others in social projects. But what unites everyone is one thing: a sincere desire to contribute to the development of Kyrgyzstan. [caption id="attachment_49262" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] @Active...

Art and Culture

Central Asia Steps Out of the Post-Soviet Shadow

Central Asia is rarely presented on its own terms. It is more often viewed through exterior lenses like Russian imperial memory, Chinese reach, Silk Road romance, or great-power rivalry. The result is a region made to look secondary to the forces around it, even as its five countries carry deep histories, distinct languages, and identities that cannot be reduced to a backdrop. That old frame is starting to crack. Central Asia is finding new ways to tell its own story. The shift goes beyond tourism or national branding. It is about who gets to define the region, which is still too often seen through the things done to it or extracted from it. Culture depicts the other side of that narrative, a place that has shaped history, not merely endured it, with traditions and ideas that have long carried influence far beyond its borders. [caption id="attachment_49147" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] Sky above Almaty: Qandy Qantar; image courtesy of Saule Suleimenova[/caption] Kazakhstan offers one visible example. The Almaty Museum of Arts opened on September 12, 2025, adding a major institution for modern and contemporary art. Its arrival builds on a broader shift in which private galleries, international platforms, and artists such as Aigerim Karibayeva and Saule Suleimenova are moving Kazakh art beyond folkloric shorthand toward identity, postcolonial memory, and urban life. The reopening of the Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture, in a former Soviet-era cinema, adds a sharper symbolic layer. A building once tied to Soviet public culture has become a platform for modern Central Asian voices, reflecting a scene increasingly rethinking nomadism rather than simply reproducing it. [caption id="attachment_49148" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Image: The Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture[/caption] Uzbekistan has made culture central to its international reemergence. The inaugural Bukhara Biennial brought contemporary art into a city more often seen through its monuments, turning madrasas and caravanserais into exhibition spaces for Uzbek and world artists. The same push is visible in the Tashkent Centre for Contemporary Art, Uzbekistan’s presence at the Venice Architecture Biennale, and design projects such as When Apricots Blossom, which link heritage, craft, and the environmental disaster of the Aral Sea. Artists such as Oyjon Khayrullaeva show a younger generation reworking Islamic ornament, textiles, and public space into new visual languages. At the same time, the State Museum of Karakalpakstan in Nukus, with its Soviet-era censored works, gives the country’s art history deeper heft. In Tashkent, the Islamic Civilization Center is working on a different scale. Recognized by Guinness World Records in 2026 as the largest museum of Islamic civilization, it gives Uzbekistan a stronger role in shaping how that legacy is understood today. [caption id="attachment_49146" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] Image courtesy of Oyjon Khayrullaeva[/caption] Kyrgyzstan’s confidence rests on different ground. The sixth World Nomad Games are scheduled for August 31 to September 6, 2026, with events in Bishkek and around Issyk-Kul. That gives Kyrgyzstan a stage for living nomadic traditions, not a static museum display of them. Its contemporary art scene adds a more intimate layer, with artists such as...

Archaeology

Remains of Buddhist Temple Unearthed in Ancient Silk Road City in Kyrgyzstan

The remains of what is believed to be a Buddhist temple dating to the 7th and 8th centuries have been discovered at the medieval Ak-Beshim archaeological site, the ruins of the ancient Silk Road city of Suyab in northern Kyrgyzstan, according to the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic. Located seven kilometers southwest of Tokmok, Suyab was a major Silk Road city between the 5th and 8th centuries. It was the capital of the Western Turkic Khaganate and an important center for Sogdian merchants on the Chang’an-Tian Shan route, now part of a UNESCO World Heritage corridor. Chinese historical sources suggest that the celebrated poet Li Bai, born in 701 and believed to have died in 762 or 763, may have been born in Suyab. Suyab declined in the 11th century with the rise of Balasagun, another historic city in the Chui Valley located near the famed Burana Tower. The discovery was made by a Kyrgyz-Japanese archaeological expedition during excavations conducted since early May. Researchers uncovered a platform, ramp, and staircase constructed of baked brick. Experts believe these architectural elements are characteristic of temple architecture from China’s Tang Dynasty. The discovery also supports a hypothesis put forward by renowned Soviet archaeologist Alexander Bernshtam, who in the late 1940s suggested the existence of a Buddhist religious structure in the area. Archaeological work carried out in 2025-2026 has opened new chapters in the history of Buddhism in Suyab. Joint Kyrgyz-Japanese research at the site has been underway since 2012. Efforts are currently underway to reclassify the land where excavations are taking place as protected historical and cultural territory. If approved, authorities plan to establish an open-air museum at the site. It was previously reported that archaeologists had also uncovered what is believed to be the oldest Christian structure found in Kyrgyzstan, a Nestorian church dating to the 7th or 8th century. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that the Ministry of Culture, Information and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan and the Dunhuang Research Academy established a joint laboratory for cultural heritage preservation that will oversee conservation work at the Ak-Beshim archaeological site.

Universities

Russia to Build University Campus in Bishkek

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan has approved the reclassification of land in southern Bishkek for the construction of a new campus for the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, the government said. The decree, signed on April 24 by Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev, transfers the land from agricultural use to settlement status. The project is being implemented under an intergovernmental agreement between Kyrgyzstan and Russia following the state visit of Vladimir Putin to Bishkek in November 2025. It involves the construction of a university campus spanning approximately 30 hectares. Officials say the campus will form part of a long-term strategy to develop educational infrastructure and deepen humanitarian cooperation between the two countries. The new complex is designed to accommodate up to 15,000 students and will include academic, research, and social facilities in line with international higher education standards. Construction is expected to be completed by 2030, with funding to be provided jointly by both sides. It is part of a wider educational push by Russia to bolster the influence of Russian language in the region. Russian cultural organisation Evrasiya, a non-profit organisation linked to the Kremlin, has invested heavily in Kyrgyzstan since 2024. President Sadyr Japarov has instructed that the campus be equipped with modern facilities, while the Finance Ministry has been tasked with allocating funds for the necessary engineering infrastructure. Once the decree comes into force, local authorities will be required to terminate third-party rights to the land allocated for the project. Most of the site is currently state-owned, though part remains in private hands. Authorities also noted the need to comply with environmental, sanitary, and urban planning standards, including measures to improve seismic resilience – a perennial fear for Central Asian cities. The agreement on the campus construction was previously ratified by the parliaments of both countries, including Russia’s State Duma and the Federation Council.

Victory Day

Victory, Memory, and Moscow: Central Asia’s Changing May Calendar

May is when Central Asia’s past crowds into the public square. Workers, soldiers, veterans, constitutions, unity campaigns, and the legacy of World War II all compete for space on the calendar. The dates are familiar across the region, but their meanings are no longer the same. Kazakhstan marks People’s Unity Day on May 1, Defenders’ Day on May 7, and Victory Day on May 9. Kyrgyzstan has a May calendar built around Labor Day, Constitution Day, and Victory Day. Uzbekistan has recast May 9 as the Day of Remembrance and Honor. Turkmenistan lists May 9 as Victory Day of the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War, but it no longer carries the same public weight as the country’s main state holidays. Those choices show how each state is handling its Soviet past. May 1 can mean labor, unity, or almost nothing. May 9 can mean victory, mourning, family memory, or careful diplomacy. In Central Asia, the politics of memory rarely move through open rejection. It works through renaming, recalibrating, and changing the optics. Russia still treats May 9 as a central ritual of state power. Victory Day marks the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany in what Russia calls the Great Patriotic War. Under Vladimir Putin, it has become a display of military strength, national sacrifice, and confrontation with the West. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, that message has become more direct. This year, the image projected from Moscow will be weaker. Russia is preparing to hold its May 9 parade on Red Square without the usual display of military hardware. Tanks and missile systems, long central to the spectacle, are being kept away. Russia’s Defense Ministry cited the “current operational situation,” while the Kremlin linked the change to Ukrainian attacks. For Central Asian governments, that image will be hard to separate from their own handling of Victory Day. Moscow has long used May 9 to gather friendly leaders and place the post-Soviet region inside a shared wartime story. Attendance in Moscow has become a diplomatic signal. Absence has become one too. In recent years, Victory Day diplomacy has shown how Central Asian governments try to respect wartime memory while avoiding full alignment with Russia’s narrative. This year, at least some Central Asian leaders are again expected in Moscow. Kazakhstan’s Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Kyrgyzstan’s Sadyr Japarov have been reported among those planning to attend, though the Kremlin has not yet published a full list of foreign guests. Central Asian states cannot simply discard May 9. Millions of people from the region served in the Red Army or worked behind the front during World War II; from Kazakhstan alone, around one million people contributed to the war effort, with nearly 271,000 soldiers still listed as missing. Families still carry those memories. Monuments, veterans’ payments, school events, and wreath-laying ceremonies remain important. For many people, Victory Day is personal before it is geopolitical. Yet governments have changed the tone. Kazakhstan still marks Victory Day as a public holiday, but large military parades...