Life & Culture - The Times Of Central Asia

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Cinema

Kazakh Producer Yulia Kim: “We Are Closing the Gap Between Central Asia and World Cinema”

Central Asia is increasingly being recognized as a bright new spot on the global cinema map. Films by regional directors are now regularly featured in major festival programs, and international curators are paying closer attention to the area’s filmmaking talent. One of the key platforms fostering these connections is the Post Space film camp in Kyrgyzstan, a space where emerging directors present their work directly to global festival decision-makers. The Times of Central Asia spoke with Post Space co-founder and Kazakh producer Yulia Kim about how this format works, why bridging the gap between the region and the global film industry is vital, and how campfire songs can forge creative collaborations. [caption id="attachment_42621" align="aligncenter" width="1060"] @PostSpace[/caption] TCA: Yulia, you’re one of the founders of Post Space, widely considered the most influential film camp in Central Asia. You’ve been organizing it for four years now. Has it yielded results? Yulia: Many. In 2024, the Locarno Film Festival invited two Kazakh directors, including Aruan Anartay, a Post Space participant. Last year, we had another Kazakh participant. The Lisbon Film Festival even curated a program specifically dedicated to Central Asian cinema. Its director, Portuguese producer Paulo Branco, visited Post Space for the first time in 2024 and fell in love with our filmmakers. I believe that for the festival curators we invited, Central Asia has opened up in new ways. They now approach our films with a deeper understanding and, hopefully, greater interest. TCA: Would you say international interest is growing? Yulia: Yes, but Post Space aims for more than just professional development. We also strive to create a friendly, supportive atmosphere. The connections formed here often become lasting collaborations. For instance, we ran a screenwriting lab, and soon several films developed during that project will be released. One participant, Diaz Bertis, refined his script with the help of an international mentor we brought in. These are vital steps for our industry. TCA: Many local initiatives fizzle out quickly. Are you planning for the long term? Yulia: Absolutely. Our project is just gaining momentum. But we’re working with a minimal budget and little external support, which limits what we can do. We'd like to offer more grants and long-term support to the projects emerging from Post Space, but for now, it’s mostly moral support. Still, we’re pushing forward, and young filmmakers are eager to grow with us. We focus on giving a voice to emerging artists who aren’t even recognized at local festivals, let alone international ones. TCA: So Post Space is a launchpad for debut filmmakers? Yulia: For many, yes. There’s so much talent in the region, but a lot of it has no connection to the film industry. We want to be the space where they gain confidence, present their work, and receive feedback. Many participants hadn’t shown their films anywhere before Post Space, often due to fear or inexperience. They were thrilled to screen their work here. TCA: What stood out about Post Space 2025? Yulia: Each year has its...

Children

Between Statistics and Reality: What the UNICEF Report Reveals About Children in Turkmenistan

The State Committee on Statistics of Turkmenistan, in partnership with UNICEF, has released the report “Census 2022 - The Situation of Children in Turkmenistan”. However, as noted by independent outlet turkmen.news, the report is based on official census data that many experts consider unreliable or inflated, potentially skewing the findings. Despite these concerns, the report offers insight into the country’s demographic and social trends. According to the report, Turkmenistan has a notably “young” population: children aged 0-14 make up 30.7% of the total. In total, 2,463,258 individuals under the age of 17 account for more than one-third of the population. However, a decline in the birth rate is evident: there are 1.2 times fewer children in the 0-4 age group compared to those aged 5-9. Household composition data reveals that families with three or more children are the most common, comprising 43% of all households nationally and 48.9% in rural areas. Families with two children account for 31.1%, and those with one child, 25.9%. This distribution correlates with a broader demographic pattern, 57.8% of all children in Turkmenistan live in rural areas. The demographic dependency ratio remains high: there are 755 dependents per 1,000 working-age individuals. Notably, the child dependency rate is 4.3 times higher than that of the elderly, suggesting a sizable future labor force. The urban-rural divide is also apparent here: in rural areas, the child dependency ratio is 698, compared to 525 in urban centers. The report addresses early marriage and childbirth: among 15-17-year-olds, 1,349 boys (0.9%) and 1,770 girls (1.2%) were in either registered or de facto marriages. Within the same age group, 339 girls had already given birth. The highest rate of teenage births was recorded in Akhal region (4.2 per 1,000), while Ashgabat reported the lowest (1.2 per 1,000). Childhood disability statistics show mobility and stair-climbing difficulties are the most prevalent, affecting 3,106 children aged 5-17. Other reported issues include concentration and memory problems (1,989 cases), hearing impairments (1,791), and visual impairments (1,784). In all categories, boys outnumber girls. One of the most striking disparities is in preschool access. Only 23.8% of children in rural areas attend preschool, compared to 64.7% in urban areas, a rural-urban equity index of just 0.37. Given that the majority of children live in rural areas, the gap reflects systemic challenges, including insufficient infrastructure, transportation issues, and household dynamics where caregiving typically falls to women. Enrollment rates improve significantly for older children. Nearly all children aged 6-15 are in school, with only 0.3-0.4% not attending. However, the dropout rate increases in older age groups, with 5.4% of adolescents not enrolled in school or vocational institutions. No significant gender disparities were observed in this regard. Despite the insights the report offers, it is underpinned by 2022 census data that many independent experts argue is inflated. While Turkmenistan's official population stands at around 7 million, alternative estimates range between 2.7 and 5.7 million. Nevertheless, the release of this report marks a step toward a more open dialogue about the country’s social...

FMCG

Uzbekistan Among Countries Affected by Lactalis Infant Formula Recall

French dairy conglomerate Lactalis has announced a voluntary recall of several batches of its Picot infant milk formula, citing concerns over potential contamination with a toxin. The recall affects products distributed in France and more than a dozen other countries, including Uzbekistan, according to Al Jazeera, which cited a company statement. Lactalis reported that six batches of Picot infant formula, sold in pharmacies and major retail chains, are being withdrawn following the detection of cereulide in one ingredient supplied by an external provider. Cereulide is a heat-stable toxin that can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. In its statement, the company acknowledged that the recall may alarm parents of young children but emphasized that the move is a precautionary measure. The recall is voluntary and specific to the contaminated ingredient, not the entire Picot product range. Outside France, the recall impacts consumers in Australia, Chile, China, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Spain, Madagascar, Mexico, Uzbekistan, Peru, Georgia, Greece, Kuwait, the Czech Republic, and Taiwan. A company spokesperson told AFP that only “a few batches” are involved in each country. Lactalis confirmed that no adverse health incidents linked to the affected formula have been reported to French authorities, and no illnesses have been officially attributed to the recalled products to date. This follows a similar recall earlier in the year by Nestlé, which voluntarily withdrew certain baby food products due to concerns over cereulide contamination. That recall, initiated in January, was also described as precautionary. Lactalis stated it is working closely with distributors and public health authorities to ensure the prompt removal of the affected products from shelves and to inform consumers of recall procedures.

Education and Culture

The Battle to Keep Kazakhstan Reading

Mika’s Books and Pencils was a hole-in-the-wall bookstore in Almaty, but in December 2025, it was forced to vacate its former premises in the center of the city. “The rent was simply too high,” the store’s owner, Elmira Kireyeva, told The Times of Central Asia. Mika’s is not Kazakhstan’s only struggling bookseller. Kireyeva describes the situation for bookstores across the country as “extremely difficult,” even for the large chains. Physical bookstores are firstly threatened by the growth of e-commerce. In 2024, Kazakhstanis purchased over 2.3 million books on Wildberries, a Russian site similar to Amazon. This represented a 52% increase from 2023. But the economic situation is also having an effect. “Taxes have increased, including VAT on books. At the same time, people’s incomes are shrinking, so books are becoming a luxury,” Kireyeva said, noting that books are often printed abroad, which has seen them become a victim of the falling purchasing power of the national currency, the tenge. More worryingly for booksellers is that people are reading less than they once did. This is part of a global phenomenon, particularly among the young. A large share of undergraduate students in the United States claim to have never read a book. British historian Sir Niall Ferguson has recently argued that this decline is evident across the West, while the number of Russians who read at least once a week fell from 49% to 28% between 1994 and 2019. Many believe technology is to blame. “In the age of social media, human attention faces unprecedented competition,” Shyngys Muqan, founder of Mazmundama, a Kazakh-language publisher, told TCA. “Platforms built around short-form video are especially effective because they exploit a basic neurological tendency: the pursuit of dopamine with minimal cognitive effort. Compared to reading, scrolling requires little concentration, imagination, or sustained mental work, yet it delivers immediate emotional reward.” Kireyeva agrees that screens have certainly had an effect. “It’s not just phones; it’s also information overload. People can’t read long texts anymore – social media has trained us to read only short fragments,” she said. [caption id="attachment_42613" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] The classic literature section in Meloman, one of Kazakhstan's largest book chains; image: Joe Luc Barnes[/caption] Kazakhstan has been affected worse than most. According to CEOWorld’s Book Reading Index 2024, Kazakhstanis read less than almost every country in the world. Of the 102 countries surveyed, Kazakhstan ranked 95th, with the average Kazakhstani reading just 2.77 books a year. This was behind every other Central Asian country surveyed (Kyrgyzstan – 3.96; Turkmenistan – 3.18; Tajikistan – 4.01), and far behind Russia (11). The results led one local newspaper to quip that, at this rate, it would take the average Kazakhstani 2.5 years to read the entire Harry Potter series. There are various structural factors which make Kazakhstan a particularly barren zone for readers. The first is geography – people in rural areas are very poorly served, and library collections are small. While Almaty residents spend an average of 2,300 tenge ($4.50) per family per quarter...

Podcast

Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode This Sunday with Eduards Stiprais, EU Special Representative for Central Asia

As Managing Editor of The Times of Central Asia, I’m delighted that, in partnership with the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, from October 19, we are the home of the Spotlight on Central Asia podcast. Chaired by seasoned broadcasters Bruce Pannier of RFE/RL’s long-running Majlis podcast and Michael Hillard of The Red Line, each fortnightly instalment will take you on a deep dive into the latest news, developments, security issues, and social trends across an increasingly pivotal region. This week, the team is joined by the EU Special Representative for Central Asia, Eduards Stiprais, to discuss connectivity, critical minerals, and what's unique about the EU's engagement with Central Asia.

Winter Olympic Games

Kazakhstan to Send More Athletes Than Expected to Winter Olympics

At least 36 Kazakh athletes have secured spots at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy this February, exceeding initial expectations. The number could still increase if the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allocates additional quota places. The XXV Winter Olympic Games will take place in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo from February 6 to 22. More than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries will compete for 116 sets of medals across 16 sports. Qualification for all disciplines concluded on January 20. Kazakhstan had originally aimed to secure 35 Olympic licenses for the Games. However, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the final count has reached 36. “The Kazakh national team will include 36 athletes at the Olympics,” the ministry’s press service stated. Half of these licenses are named, meaning they are tied to specific athletes. The remaining half are open slots, with final athlete selection to be determined by the coaching staff of the respective national teams. Kazakh athletes currently hold 18 named licenses across five sports. Named license holders include figure skaters Mikhail Shaydorov and Sofya Samodelkina (men’s and women’s singles), alpine skiers Rostislav Khokhlov and Alexandra Skorokhodova, and short track speed skaters Abzal Azhgaliyev, Denis Nikisha, Olga Tikhonova, and Yana Khan. Freestyle aerialists Dinmukhammed Raimkulov, Sherzod Khashirbaev, Roman Ivanov, Asan Asylkhan, and Ayana Zholdas have also secured confirmed slots. Kazakhstan’s speed skating team has been finalized and will feature Evgeny Koshkin, Kristina Silaeva, Elizaveta Golubeva, Nadezhda Morozova, and Arina Ilyashchenko. As for the remaining, non-named spots, Kazakh athletes will also compete in freestyle moguls (four athletes), biathlon (two men and two women), Nordic combined (one athlete), ski jumping (two athletes), and cross-country skiing (three men and four women). “These figures reflect the results of the licensing stages from the 2025-2026 season. Additional quotas may still be allocated by the IOC. Final information on Olympic licenses will be available at the end of January,” the sports ministry noted. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstani athletes achieved a strong showing at the 2025 Asian Winter Games, placing fourth overall in the medal standings among 34 participating countries.