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How Orthodox Christmas Is Celebrated in Central Asia

Orthodox Christmas, observed on January 7, holds a significant place in Central Asia, even in predominantly Muslim countries such as Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. This article explores how the holiday is celebrated in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. Kazakhstan Orthodox Christmas in Kazakhstan is a public holiday, alongside the Muslim celebration of Kurban-Ayt (Eid al-Adha). This recognition stems from the efforts of Kazakhstan's first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who proposed in 2005 during the XI session of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan to declare both holidays as non-working days. Despite opposition from the Constitutional Court, which cited the country's secular constitution, members of the parliamentary faction Asar, led by Nazarbayev's daughter Dariga Nazarbayeva, and the presidential party Otan amended the Labor Code to accommodate these holidays. Since then, Orthodox Christmas and Kurban-Ayt have been official holidays. Celebrations in major cities include festive liturgies. In Almaty, the Ascension Cathedral holds a service beginning at 11pm on January 6, followed by a midnight procession. In Astana, the Assumption Cathedral similarly hosts a midnight service. For those unable to attend, events from the Assumption Cathedral are live-streamed on the YouTube channel “Live Broadcasts of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan.” Uzbekistan Orthodox Christians comprise 4-5% of Uzbekistan’s population of over 37.5 million. Uzbekistan is part of the Tashkent and Uzbekistan Diocese under the Russian Orthodox Church. The Cathedral of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Tashkent is the focal point of Christmas celebrations. Services begin at 11.30pm on January 6 and end at 3.30am. To ensure maximum participation, the cathedral holds five separate liturgies. Metropolitan Vikenty of the Tashkent and Uzbekistan Diocese explains, “Traditionally, the liturgy was held at night because the Nativity of Christ took place at night. But not everyone can attend a night service, so we perform several liturgies.” Kyrgyzstan Approximately 350,000 Orthodox Christians live in Kyrgyzstan, according to Bishop Daniel of Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan. The country is part of the Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. January 7 is a public holiday in Kyrgyzstan, aligning with the extended New Year vacations, which last from January 1 to 7. Festive services are held at the Resurrection Cathedral and the Church of the Holy Prince Vladimir in Bishkek. Tajikistan In Tajikistan, the Orthodox Christian community numbers around 80,000, or 1.2% of the population, though regular church attendance is much smaller. The country is under the jurisdiction of the Dushanbe Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. Christmas services are held at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Dushanbe, beginning at 11pm on January 6 and lasting about three hours. The diocese oversees six churches in Tajikistan, served by five priests. Turkmenistan As of 2019, Turkmenistan’s Orthodox Christian population is about 485,000, or 9% of the total population. All Orthodox parishes are under the Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church, established in 2007. Services on Christmas Eve and January 6 are conducted in all 12 Orthodox churches in Turkmenistan, adhering strictly to church traditions. According to Archpriest John, dean of...

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Central Asia Attracted $24.8 billion in Investments in 2024

Despite global economic challenges, Central Asia has experienced growth in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). According to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), investment in the region increased by 27%, reaching $24.8 billion in 2024. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have become the main centers of attraction for capital, offering investors significant opportunities in the energy sector and green technologies. Uzbekistan attracted $4 billion in foreign investment, reflecting a 49% year-on-year decline. However, the country is actively developing sustainable environmental projects. South Korea’s Western Power plans to build a $152 million biofuel plant in Fergana region. The plant will process cotton stalks to heat greenhouses, which will replace coal and reduce emissions by 120,000 tons of CO2 over 10 years. This project reflects Uzbekistan's policy of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and introducing “green” technologies. Kazakhstan maintained its position as the regional leader in attracting investment, accounting for 63% of Central Asia's total FDI. The country increased its investment inflow by 88%, reaching $15.7 billion. An important role was played by Qatari company UCC Holding, which invested $11 billion in the construction of two gas processing plants, a compressor station, and new main gas pipelines. These projects strengthen Kazakhstan's role as a key energy hub in the region. Kyrgyzstan recorded the highest relative growth in investment, increasing by 310% to $2.1 billion. Turkmenistan and Tajikistan received $339 million and $281 million, respectively. As for outgoing investments, their volume from the region decreased by 58% to $2.3 billion. Russia remains the primary source of outgoing investments, accounting for 90% ($2.1 billion). Georgia invested $105 million, Azerbaijan $76 million, and Kazakhstan $47 million.

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Tajikistan Captures Four Suspected of Konibodom Night Murders

Tajikistan's Prosecutor General's Office has announced that it has detained four men in connection with a series of murders that have terrified the town of Konibodom, in the country's northern Sughd region. The office's statement says that operational and investigative measures led to the arrest of four Tajik citizens. The detainees are: Solehjon Khudojberdiev, born in 1998, a resident of Firuzoba Jamoat, Gulbog village; Akhajon Tukhtaev, born in 1997, also from Firuzoba Jamoat, Gulbog village; Bakhtiyor Ravshanov, born in 1988, a resident of Lohuti Jamoat, Sanchidzor village; Manuchehr Odilov, born in 1996, in M. Abdulloyev street, Khamroboyev Jamoat. All four are residents of Konibodom. The Prosecutor General's Office said that the investigation is being conducted under the direct supervision of the country's top leadership. Earlier this year, The Times of Central Asia reported that Konibodom residents had endured a wave of night murders in the spring. Between late March and late May, 13 people -- ethnic Tajiks, and Kyrgyz from the region near the Kyrgyz border -- were killed. The victims, ranging from children to the elderly, were murdered in different parts of the town. While authorities initially claimed the suspects had been caught and the killings had stopped, violence returned in December. On December 9, six more people were murdered, followed by four more found dead in their homes on December 16.

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Fear Returns to Tajikistan’s Konibodom Area

A series of murders in spring had residents in the area around Tajikistan’s northern city of Konibodom on edge for weeks. Thirteen people were killed between late March and late May, apparently by someone who broke into their homes at night. The victims ages ranged from young children to elderly people; they were ethnic Tajiks and Kyrgyz (Konibodom is located near the border with Kyrgyzstan), and the crimes happened in different areas around the city. The murders stopped, and later the Tajik authorities said they had captured the suspects, but on December 9, the nightmare started again with six people being killed, and on December 16, four more people were found dead in their homes. The Killing Starts Again On December 9, the bodies of six people were found in the Shurkurgon neighborhood of Konibodom. All six were members of the Nematov family. Thirty-seven-year-old Naimjon was found hanged on a tree in the courtyard of the family’s home. His body showed signs of a struggle. His 33-year-old wife and four children, the youngest only two years old, were all strangled inside the family’s home. Local authorities and police have not commented on the killings. On December 16, reports said the bodies of 35-year-old Gaibullo Majidov and his 28-year-old wife Zarnigor were found in their home in Konibodom’s Hisorak neighborhood. Their three children were reportedly unharmed. On the same day in the same neighborhood, the bodies of 70-year-old Oyisha Shokirova and her 44-year-old son Javlon were found. Reports said all appeared to have died violent deaths, but the exact cause was not given. Police have also not commented on these murders. Prior to these latest killings, it appeared the police had caught at least some of the people responsible for a wave of murders in the spring that had local residents talking about “men in black” who prowled the streets in the middle of the night. The Authorities’ Version On July 31, Konibodom Mayor Abdusalom Tukhtasunzoda said a suspect had been caught for the May 28-29 killings of six people in the village of Sanjidzor, on the outskirts of Konibodom. Tukhtasunzoda did not give any details about the suspect or the motive, except to say the person had been detained the week before. The Konibodom mayor said the murders in May were not connected to the earlier killings of five members of the Sharipov family in March, or to Muzaffar Urmonov and his wife Inoyat Urmanova in April. Tukhtasunzoda also dismissed the tales being told of men dressed in black clothing and masks being responsible for any of the murders. “There were no people ‘in black’ in the city of Konibodom,” Tukhtasunzoda said, “The video, which is distributed on social networks, was not filmed in Konibodom. Such footage is being circulated to frighten people.” On August 8, First Deputy Interior Minister Abdurahmon Alamshozoda told a press conference the was “nothing sensational” about the murders in Konibodom the previous spring. Alamshozoda said the incidents in March and April were the...

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Kyrgyz, Tajik Delegations Finalize Border Deal After Long Dispute

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have fully agreed on the demarcation of their border, Kyrgyz officials said Wednesday, in a major step toward ending the conflict between the two Central Asian countries that spilled into violence as recently as 2022. Delegations from the two nations “reached agreements and fully completed the description of the remaining sections of the Kyrgyz-Tajik state border,” Kyrgyzstan’s state-run Kabar news agency reported. It cited the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan. The delegation chiefs of the two sides ordered working groups to finalize documents on the border agreement, Kabar said. It published photos of the meeting in the Kyrgyz town of Batken, including an image of the delegation chiefs in military uniform and shaking hands with each other. The Kyrgyz-Tajik border is nearly 1,000 kilometers long and the agreement followed months of negotiations over various stretches of the mountainous territory. In 2014, the border between the two countries was closed to Kyrgyz and Tajik citizens following clashes over a bypass road in disputed territory; mortars were fired and both armies suffered casualties. Violence broke out again in 2021 and 2022, resulting in more casualties and the evacuation of more than 100,000 civilians.

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Interview: A Profile of Women’s Rights in Central Asia from Equality Now

Equality Now is an international human rights organization that uses the law to protect and promote the rights of all women and girls worldwide. The organization combines grassroots activism with legal advocacy at national, regional, and international levels, and collaborates closely with local partners to ensure governments enact and enforce laws protecting women’s and girls’ rights. The Times of Central Asia spoke with Equality Now's Eurasia consultant Janette Akhilgova about the issues that women and girls in Central Asia face, and how women's rights are being addressed. TCA: Equality Now works in all regions of the world. Which social issues and inequalities are most affecting women and girls in Central Asia at the present time? JA: One of Equality Now’s main focuses in Central Asia is ending sexual violence and improving access to justice for survivors, specifically women and girls. In 2019, we published “Roadblocks to Justice: How the Law is Failing Survivors of Sexual Violence in Eurasia,” examining laws on rape and other forms of sexual violence in 15 former Soviet Union countries. This report formed the basis of our work in Eurasia, helping us identify the major legal gaps in the region. A critical legal gap is the absence of a consent-based definition of rape, which means the law does not recognize a broad range of coercive circumstances where consent cannot be genuine, willing, or voluntary. This omission leaves some forms of sexual violence unpunished, perpetuating a culture of impunity. Inadequate support systems for sexual violence survivors compound the problem, enabling miscarriages of justice and fostering a widespread lack of trust in legal systems. Another obstacle to justice for survivors is the provision for conciliation between parties in rape cases. This practice involves sexual violence survivors being encouraged or pressured to reach an agreement with their assailant outside of the formal criminal justice system. The approach often involves mediating a settlement, whether financial or otherwise, between the survivor and the accused, typically facilitated by families, communities, or even legal authorities. Conciliation is sometimes not voluntary as survivors are often subjected to societal pressure. The social stigma attached to rape, a strong culture of victim blaming, and a lack of awareness about legal procedures are also factors that contribute to sexual violence cases not being reported to authorities and instead being dealt with privately. TCA: Is progress being made to eradicate these issues? Conversely, are there any parts of life where women and girls see their rights eroded? JA: Central Asian countries have made varying progress in advancing women’s rights and welfare. The 2022 Global Gender Gap Report highlighted significant strides by Kazakhstan, such as lifting restrictions on “banned professions” so that women are no longer legally prohibited from doing certain jobs previously deemed "too dangerous" or "unsuitable" for women. The country has also adopted new and comprehensive laws to protect women's and children’s rights. Another progressive legal reform in Kyrgyzstan was the introduction in 2024 of a law on domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence that strengthened access to justice for...