Uzbekistan Life & Culture - The Times Of Central Asia

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Art and Literature

Memoirs of East Turkestan Republic’s First Leader Published in France

A French edition of Turkiston Qayg‘usi (The Sorrow of Turkestan), written by Alihan Tora Saghuni, an Uzbek religious leader who headed the East Turkestan Republic established in 1944 in what is now China's Xinjiang region, has been published in France under the title Amer Turkestan (Bitter Turkestan). The 448-page volume, published by Bleu Autour on October 23, brings the memoirs of a leading figure in the region's independence movement to French readers. The book examines the political upheavals of the 20th century through Saghuni's experiences of persecution by Soviet and Chinese authorities and his involvement in the East Turkestan independence movement. Combining history and memoir, the work reflects the author's personal experiences and political views. The French edition also includes writings in which Saghuni recounts his leadership of the East Turkestan Republic between 1944 and 1946. The translation was prepared by French historian and Orientalist Stéphane A. Dudoignon, a senior researcher at France's National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). From 2024 to 2026, he worked on the book with Saghuni's son, Qutlughkhan. The edition includes scholarly commentary to help readers understand the historical events and political context of the narrative. Alihan Tora Saghuni was born in 1885 in Tokmok, in present-day Kyrgyzstan, to a family of Uzbek origin. His pen name is associated with the ancient city of Balasagun, one of the centers of the medieval Karakhanid state. After receiving a religious education, he became involved in the social and political life of Turkestan and later moved to China's Xinjiang region. In November 1944, amid an uprising against Chinese authorities, the East Turkestan Republic was proclaimed in the city of Ghulja, also known as Yining. Saghuni became head of its provisional government. The republic existed amid a complex struggle involving local nationalist movements, Chinese authorities, and the Soviet Union, which exercised considerable influence over events in the region. The name East Turkestan remains politically sensitive in China, where authorities associate it with separatist movements seeking independence for Xinjiang. Beijing rejects the term as a designation for the region, which has been under Chinese Communist rule since 1949. In a 2019 government white paper, Beijing declared that "there has never been any state known as 'East Turkistan,'" despite the establishment of short-lived republics of that name in 1933 and 1944. In 1946, Saghuni was forcibly taken to the Soviet Union. He spent the remainder of his life in Tashkent, where he worked on historical and religious writings. He died in 1976. The Sorrow of Turkestan became one of his best-known works on the region's history and fate. Dudoignon presented the book at the Rendez-Vous de l'Histoire festival near Blois, France, on October 9. According to Uzbekistan's UzA news agency, an English translation is planned as the next step. The work has previously appeared in other languages, including Turkish. According to Dudoignon's research institute, the French edition is the first translation of Saghuni's writings into a Western European language.

Film Awards

Uzbek-Tajik Film About Jami and Navoi Wins Prize

A movie about the friendship between two Central Asian literary figures that was made by a team from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan has won a top prize at a national film awards event in Dushanbe. Shining Stars: Jami and Navoi tells the story of the 15th-century friendship and collaboration between the Persian poet Abd al-Rahman Jami, a cultural icon in modern Tajikistan, and Alisher Navoi, a poet and statesman of the Timurid era who is officially revered in Uzbekistan today. As such, both figures are closely associated with the national identities of their respective countries. The joint project, which had the backing of the Tajik and Uzbek governments and sought to highlight cultural connections between the two countries, was awarded the Grand Prix at the third edition of the Toji Somon National Film Awards. It also won awards for best production design and best costume design. The five-day event ended this week in Tajikistan’s capital after featuring dozens of films from several countries, including Iran and Russia. The two men who inspired the making of Shining Stars: Jami and Navoi were discussed at a forum hosted in Tashkent last year by the International Institute for Central Asia, which is affiliated with the Uzbek state. Abdujabbor Aziz Rahmonzoda, then Tajikistan’s ambassador to Uzbekistan, told the audience that Navoi always referred to Jami as his mentor and they maintained close ties through letters, more than 430 of which have been preserved, and poetry. “The Ambassador also noted the unique nature of their literary exchange: Navoi wrote to Jami in Turkic, and Jami replied in Persian, symbolizing the unity and linguistic diversity of the region’s culture,” the institute said in a report on the symposium. Asia-Plus, a Tajik news outlet, reported last year that there were two directors: Tajik Fayzullo Fayzov and Uzbek Dilmurod Masaidov. Some 70% of the planned filming was in Uzbekistan and the rest in Tajikistan, while 60% of the cast were Uzbek and 40% from Tajikistan, it said. The total budget was about $10 million, according to Asia-Plus. Planning for the film was underway by late 2021, according to the state-supported Tajikfilm studio. The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies describes Jami as a noted Sufi and social critic, calling him “a culminating figure in Perso-Islamic culture, whose reputation and influence have remained undiminished throughout the eastern Islamic world – the Ottoman empire and Central Asia, Iran, India, China, and the Malay world.” Navoi is regarded in Uzbekistan as the father of the Uzbek language because of his writing in the Turkic language Chagatai, or classical Uzbek, at a time when Persian was dominant in literary circles.

Podcast

Pannier and Hillard’s Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode Out Now

As Managing Editor of The Times of Central Asia, I’m delighted that, in partnership with the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, 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 looks at Kyrgyzstan unveiling plans that would require religious bloggers to be licensed and subjected to greater state oversight; further changes to the country's regional security leadership; one of the Central Asian states launching its first satellite into space; and a new round of CSTO military exercises in Russia that could have some troubling implications for the region. We'll also be looking at Turkmenistan marking 35 years of independence with a massive military parade showcasing a range of new weapons systems, as well as a week of blackouts hitting one of Central Asia's key cities. From there, we turn to our main story this week, where we'll be joined by two experts from the World Bank to discuss a major new report examining some of the biggest economic bottlenecks facing Central Asia, where those constraints are emerging, and what governments across the region will need to do to overcome them. Special guests: - Muneeza Alam (World Bank) - Luis Blancas (World Bank)

Book Launch

Farewell to Russia: An Interview with Joe Luc Barnes on Central Asia’s Changing Role

In Moscow, before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Joe Luc Barnes met residents who distrusted their government but believed its assurances that war was not coming. The shock that followed opens his book, Farewell to Russia: A Journey Through the Former USSR. Barnes, a journalist, editor and contributor to The Times of Central Asia, has visited all 15 former Soviet republics since February 2022. His book explores how people have built their lives since independence, and how deeply Russia remains woven into them. Speaking to TCA, Barnes recalls meeting rural residents in Central Asia who were more supportive of Russia than their urban, Russian-speaking counterparts. He also reflects on why Russia remains a destination for young people seeking opportunities, despite the discrimination many face there. TCA: At the start of the book, you describe Muscovites’ conviction that Russia would not invade Ukraine. What sustained that certainty, and how did people respond when events shattered it? Joe Luc Barnes: I think it was mainly down to people not wanting to believe it. The amazing thing is that Muscovites (and Russians at large, in my experience) are fully aware that their government is full of crooks whom they wouldn’t trust with anything, but simultaneously most of them are in lockstep with the Kremlin’s foreign policy position. The war started just as Russia was trying to get the country vaccinated against Covid. In the end, the government struggled to persuade even 50% of people to have a single dose of the vaccine, but meanwhile those same people were sure the Kremlin was telling the truth when it said that its soldiers were massing on Ukraine’s borders as part of “routine exercises”. When the war did begin and that illusion collapsed, the main reaction was shock. For the first few days, there was a kind of numbness over the city. Many people had friends or relatives in Ukraine; others were stunned that something they had been denying had actually come to pass. Many in their 20s or 30s were disgusted with their government and began to look for a way out of the country. But people were generally focused on looking after themselves – worrying about things like finances, getting money out of their bank accounts, things like that. I think there was also a belief among many that it would be a short war. When I left Russia in March 2022, I don’t think I, or anyone around me, expected the war to still be raging four and a half years later. [caption id="attachment_58058" align="aligncenter" width="1774"] Lenin still stands in Bishkek, though not on his original plinth. Image: Joe Luc Barnes[/caption] TCA: Your title suggests a departure from Russia. Where in Central Asia did that feel most real, and where did everyday life complicate the idea? Joe Luc Barnes: I think in urban Central Asia, you can often feel like you’re in a Russian city. People speak Russian, you get around using Yandex Taxi, your mobile provider is Beeline, and architecturally you still...

Language Dispute

Uzbekistan’s Centrum Air Apologizes After Uzbek-Language Dispute

Uzbekistan's Centrum Air has apologized to a passenger removed from a flight after a dispute over his request to be addressed in Uzbek. The airline initially accused the man of aggressive behavior but later acknowledged that the flight attendant had been at fault. The incident occurred on October 5 during boarding for flight C6468 from Samara to Tashkent. Daryo reported that a passenger named Komiljon had asked a flight attendant to speak to him in Uzbek after she requested his boarding pass in Russian. According to Komiljon, an argument followed, and the captain refused to allow him to travel. In an October 5 statement, Centrum Air disputed his account, alleging that he had behaved aggressively and insulted the flight attendant. It said he had disrupted boarding and defended the captain's decision on safety grounds. The airline also said it was considering contacting law enforcement. Komiljon denied insulting the employee. Centrum Air said its flight attendants speak Uzbek, Russian, and English and can communicate with passengers in their preferred language. Komiljon traveled from Samara to Moscow before taking another flight to Tashkent, incurring additional expenses. Following a review, senior airline executive Ma'murjon Mamadaliyev acknowledged that the flight attendant had been wrong and had admitted her mistake. He said the airline would cover the passenger's additional travel costs. In a later video, the flight attendant apologized to Komiljon in Uzbek, according to Batafsil.uz. Komiljon accepted the apology and said that he had received compensation. The airline's later statement did not clarify whether it had withdrawn its original allegations about the passenger's behavior.

Tourism Promotion

MrBeast to Meet Fans in Tashkent on First Central Asia Trip

American YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, will visit Tashkent on October 9 on his first trip to Central Asia, Uzbekistan’s Art and Culture Development Foundation announced. The visit is being organized by the foundation in cooperation with the country’s Tourism Committee. Donaldson has a combined audience of more than half a billion subscribers across his YouTube channels. His main channel alone has around 520 million subscribers. He is known for big-budget videos built around elaborate challenges, competitions, and large cash prizes. In Tashkent, 200 fans over the age of 18 will be selected at random to attend a public event with Donaldson. The program will include interactive games and a trivia competition, with prizes for the winners. The foundation has warned fans about fake links and accounts seeking to exploit the visit. It advised them to register only through the official portal, which does not require payment, bank card details, or account passwords. MrBeast’s arrival gives Uzbekistan a rare appearance on the itinerary of one of the world’s biggest digital entertainers. Tashkent has increasingly sought international cultural and entertainment events as part of its push to build the country’s creative economy and attract younger foreign audiences.