Life & Culture - The Times Of Central Asia

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Culture

Japanese Musician Yutaka Kikuchi Captivated by the Turkmen Dutar

Japanese musician and shamisen performer Yutaka Kikuchi visited Ashgabat recently as part of a cultural exchange program, and shared his admiration for Turkmen musical traditions. According to Kikuchi, the richness and diversity of Turkmenistan’s musical instruments left a strong impression on him. “I consider it my duty to emphasize that during the master classes, I gained invaluable knowledge about Turkmenistan’s unique culture and feel deeply grateful for this experience,” he said. Kikuchi noted striking similarities between Turkmen and Japanese musical instruments, particularly in their design and construction. He observed parallels between Turkmen instruments and the Japanese Koto and Biwa. However, what astonished him the most was the Dutar, which he compared to the shamisen, an instrument he has mastered. With two decades of experience teaching music, Kikuchi was especially pleased to engage with students and faculty at the Turkmen National Conservatory. He praised the enthusiasm and dedication of Turkmen students. “It is a great honor for me to hold a master class for talented Turkmen youth and introduce them to the traditions of Japanese culture,” he said. Alongside Japanese folk dance master Ueda Chiho, Kikuchi conducted a series of master classes at specialized secondary and higher educational institutions in Ashgabat. The visit concluded with a performance at a reception celebrating the birthday of Emperor Naruhito of Japan, a vibrant display of the strengthening cultural ties between the two nations.

Air Pollution

Magnus Carlsen Criticizes Almaty’s Air Quality After Chess Championship

Former world chess champion Magnus Carlsen has spoken about the challenges he faced while competing in the World Rapid Chess Championship in Kazakhstan. Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the Norwegian grandmaster revealed that Almaty’s poor air quality forced him to seek refuge in the mountains to recover and breathe fresh air. Carlsen described the tournament venue as a “strange place,” noting that Almaty suffers from severe air pollution in winter, creating an uncomfortable environment. To cope, he traveled to a mountainous area about an hour from the city, where he said the landscape resembled the Swiss Alps, with peaks reaching 3,500 meters. This trip caused Carlsen to be late for his match against Belarusian grandmaster Vladislav Kovalev. He started the game 2.5 minutes behind schedule, a significant disadvantage in a format where players have just three minutes for the entire game, plus two seconds per move. Despite the setback, Carlsen won both the match and the championship. “I was so miserable in the city that I realized if I wanted to keep playing, I needed to get out and get some fresh air. I decided to take the risk, and it worked,” he said in an interview. The tournament began on December 25, 2022, in Almaty, with a total prize fund of $1 million, fully sponsored by general partner Freedom Broker. Carlsen, widely regarded as one of the greatest chess players in history, held the world championship title from 2013 to 2023. He has won the World Rapid Chess Championship five times, claimed eight Blitz Chess titles, and secured victory in the 2023 FIDE World Cup.

Business

A Taste of Kazakhstan: Interview with Almaty’s Apple City Cider

Englishman Alexander Thomas is the passionate founder of Apple City Cider, an Almaty-based craft cidery dedicated to producing high-quality, locally sourced ciders that celebrate tradition with a modern twist. With a deep-rooted love for orchards and fermentation, Thomas blends innovation with time-honored techniques to create crisp, flavorful ciders. TCA: What first brought you to Almaty, and what kept you here? AT: I used to work for the world’s largest publishing group, where I reported on different market sectors. When I covered aviation, I used to fly around the world to speak to different airline CEOs to discuss their route strategies and fleets. I first came to Kazakhstan to interview Air Astana’s CEO, Peter Foster. I was supposed to fly to Paris to speak with KLM and Air France, but that meeting was canceled, so I flew back to London. Sitting next to me, little did I know, was my future wife. In the same company, I very much enjoyed the coverage of the drinks industry. I had originally wanted to make wine in the south of France, but after marrying a Kazakh girl, we decided to start our business in Kazakhstan. Instead of pressing grapes in the South of France, we began pressing apples in Almaty. TCA: Can you tell us the inspiration for Apple City Cider? AT: We started the business because no one was making cider in the birthplace of the apple, around that time, cider was not even available to purchase in Kazakhstan. Around the same time we went on sale, another alcohol manufacturer began to produce cider as well, but we are the only cider specialists; the main business of the others is spirits and other alcoholic drinks. [caption id="attachment_28689" align="aligncenter" width="1706"] Image: TCA, Henry Kuvin[/caption] TCA: How did Almaty respond to your business idea, and what were the main challenges when establishing your company? AT: Consumers are very happy with the product and happy that we started our business here. Like other local companies, Almaty Cider has received a lot of positive support from the city; they love how it’s called “Almaty Cider.” The concept of eating locally and supporting local businesses is a global phenomenon, and Almaty is no exception. The fact that Almaty is the birthplace of the apple, proven by science, made it the ideal location to start such a business. The Malus Sieversii apple, native to the Almaty region, is perfect for cider. The levels of tannins, fruit sugar, and acidity, while not ideal for eating, make a great-tasting cider. TCA: Almaty, the place of abundant apples, does not have a huge cider culture – how has this changed since you established the business, and where do you see it going? AT: Cider was not available even as an imported product until about three to four years ago. Since then, we have seen imported brands come to the market, and people have developed a taste for it. In Russia, for example, there are now over 100 independent cideries. The first person...

Abortion

Abortion in Kazakhstan: Legal but Still Taboo

Abortion is legal in Kazakhstan, but social stigma makes the decision difficult for many women. They often face pressure from doctors, a lack of understanding from their families, and feelings of guilt reinforced by societal attitudes. What is the reality of reproductive rights in the country, and why does the topic remain so sensitive? Conversations at the Doctor’s Office Under Kazakhstani law, women have the right to terminate a pregnancy at their discretion until the twelfth week. After that, abortion is only allowed on medical or social grounds. In practice, however, women frequently encounter judgment - even from medical professionals. A group of women who shared their experiences with The Times of Central Asia. To protect their identities, the names of interviewees have been changed. "When I went to a public clinic for an abortion, the doctor asked: ‘Does your husband know? Do your parents know? Are you sure? You’ll never be able to give birth again!’" Aigul, 26, told TCA. "I felt like I was committing a crime. Instead of simply doing their job, the nurses were discussing my choices. It was unsettling. At a time like that, doctors should be more careful with their words." Such attitudes persist even in private clinics, where patients pay for the procedure. "The doctor asked me, ‘What if your mother hadn’t given birth to you?’ I felt so uncomfortable. I cried after the procedure - not because of the pain, but because of the shame they made me feel," said 25-year-old Asel. Shame and Family Pressure Abortion remains a taboo subject in many Kazakhstani families. Young women facing an unplanned pregnancy often fear telling their relatives, expecting judgment and pressure. "I knew that if my mother found out, she would scream and accuse me of sin. So, I secretly took the money and went to a private clinic. I wasn’t scared of the procedure itself - I was scared that if I got caught, they would force me to give birth," said 29-year-old Aidana. The stigma is particularly strong in traditional families, where abortion is considered unacceptable. Some women find themselves with no say in the decision. "A friend of mine got pregnant at a young age. Her parents were strictly against abortion — they said it was shameful. I don’t even know what happened to her because they moved away immediately to avoid gossip," said 24-year-old Dilara. Even those who have never had an abortion feel ashamed. Many girls grow up being told that abortion is not just a medical procedure, but a disgrace. "All my life, I heard that abortion was something horrible, and my friends said the same. We thought it was a crime, but years later, I finally realized that it’s a choice," 21-year-old Kamila shared with TCA. Alternatives and Contraception: How Accessible Are They? A major factor contributing to the demand for abortion is the limited access to contraception and the lack of sex education. Schools in Kazakhstan do not offer mandatory sex education, leading to widespread...

Cultural Heritage

Simurgh Self-Help: Slavs and Tatars’ New Show Rethinks National Symbolism

“It’s interesting that in Western symbolism you never see a delicate female eagle,” notes Payam, one-half of the artist collective Slavs and Tatars, from his studio in Berlin. “But the central-Asian Simurgh is gender-fluid, metaphysical. It doesn’t belong to this world.” The mythological figure of the Simurgh is the focus of Slavs and Tatars’ latest show at the gallery The Third Line in Dubai called “Simurgh Self-Help”. The show speaks of the importance of reclaiming and reframing cultural memories in a fractured world, and an invitation to think beyond the artificial, top-down confines of nationalism, to find cultural unity. [caption id="attachment_28951" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Slavs and Tatars Samovar Vacuum-formed plastic, acrylic paint; Image: Courtesy of the artist and The Third Line, Dubai[/caption] The exhibition extends a lineage of conceptual inquiry, drawing upon the mystical bird Simurgh, ever-present in Persian and Central Asia mythologies, as a counterpoint to the ubiquitous, secularized eagle of Western heraldry. A constant companion of Zeus in Greek mythology, the eagle is a recurring symbol in the Western world: “Everywhere you look in the West, you find eagles,” notes Payam. “It’s on the German flag, on American football teams, on the Albanian flag. It’s a tired, secularized symbol, heavy with the weight of imperial history.” In contrast, the Simurgh exists on a different plane, one that rejects hierarchies in favor of collective transformation. [caption id="attachment_28952" align="aligncenter" width="1874"] Slavs and Tatars Samovar Vacuum-formed plastic, acrylic paint; Image: Courtesy of the artist and The Third Line, Dubai[/caption] Today the Simurgh is going through a similar secularization to the Western eagle, with Turkish SIM cards and Azerbaijani soccer teams called Simurgh. "It's easy, in some sense, for as an artist to take something which is very high and important, let's say spiritual or religious, and make it make fun of it, bring it down in a caricatural way,” says Payam. “What's very hard as an artist is to take something which has been debased and make it high again." In the show, we see works that go in either direction, presenting an alternative mythology, one that shows that cultures are fluid and interconnected. “Simurgh Self-Help,” which had previous iterations in Warsaw, Athens, and Baden-Baden, was originally started two years ago as a conceptual echo of Marcel Broodthaers’ Musée d'Art Moderne: Département des Aigles. This was a conceptual museum/artistic project created by the Belgian artist in 1968, full of artworks referenced by Slavs and Tatars in their show. [caption id="attachment_28953" align="aligncenter" width="2500"] Slavs and Tatars, Soft Power_2023, Woolen Yarn; Image: Courtesy of the artist and The Third Line, Dubai[/caption] The Simurgh, Payam explains, traverses territories from Kazakhstan to Ukraine, yet remains absent in Poland. “It’s a question of defining a region not through imposed political structures but through the myths that bubble from the ground up,” remarks Payam. The Simurgh becomes a cipher for alternative cartographies, a challenge to the top-down imposition of nationhood. If the eagle stands for conquest and dominance, the Simurgh stands for the dissolution of categories and unity...

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...