Uzbekistan Life & Culture - The Times Of Central Asia

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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, 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 covers the latest Eurasian Economic Union talks, a new defence deal between Moscow and a very unlikely ally, Kazakhstan putting itself forward to play a major role in the Iran nuclear talks, Turkmenistan once again conscripting public servants into forced labour, new developments in the Tashiev trial, and a major crackdown on madrasas and religious institutions in southern Kyrgyzstan. Before then turning to our main story this week, where Kyrgyzstan has just won itself a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, a major diplomatic breakthrough for the country, and a massive development for Central Asia more broadly. Special guest: Kadyr Toktogul (Fmr. Kyrgyz Ambassador to the United States and Canada)

Cultural Heritage

Samarkand’s Sher-Dor Madrasah Restoration Reaches First Milestone With U.S. Support

A major international effort to preserve one of Central Asia’s most iconic architectural monuments has reached a new milestone, with officials in Samarkand marking the completion of the first phase of restoration work on the façade of the Sher-Dor Madrasah, part of the historic Registan Square complex. According to a June 3 report from the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF), the ceremony was attended by Sarah Rogers, the United States under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, ACDF Chairperson Gayane Umerova, and U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick. The restoration project focuses on the conservation of the Sher-Dor Madrasah’s historic façade, including its mosaics, majolica decorations, ornamental elements, and Kufic inscriptions. The work forms part of a three-phase program supported by the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP). During the event, ACDF and the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan also signed a five-year roadmap for cooperation aimed at expanding joint initiatives in cultural heritage preservation and cultural exchange. The project is one of the largest cultural heritage grants awarded to Uzbekistan by the U.S. government. According to the U.S. Embassy, the Cultural Heritage Agency of Uzbekistan secured a $500,000 AFCP grant after its proposal was selected through a global competition. The award was both the largest in that year’s competition and the largest AFCP grant ever received by Uzbekistan. The initiative is being implemented by the Cultural Heritage Agency with technical support from the International Institute for Central Asian Studies. Local craftsmen and restoration specialists are carrying out the work, while international experts are providing consultation and access to scientific documentation and conservation resources. During the ceremony in Samarkand, Henick and Umerova exchanged a letter of intent reaffirming their commitment to advancing the action plan and expanding bilateral cooperation in the field. Umerova, who is also head of the Department of Creative Economy and Tourism of the Administration of the President of Uzbekistan, said the project is about more than preserving a historic building. “We are grateful to the United States Embassy and the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation for their partnership and shared commitment to safeguarding cultural heritage. Together, we are preserving not only one of the world’s most remarkable architectural ensembles, but also the traditions and craftsmanship that give it meaning,” Umerova said. She noted that the Registan has served as a symbol of learning and cultural exchange for centuries and described the restoration project as an example of international cooperation built on mutual respect and a shared responsibility to protect cultural heritage. “We are thrilled to be part of the restoration efforts of the beautiful and iconic Sher-Dor Madrasah in the historic Registan Square,” Henick said. “These efforts will help preserve this important monument for many generations to come and for all humanity.” The Sher-Dor restoration forms part of a 2023 cultural property agreement between Uzbekistan and the U.S. The agreement created a framework for cooperation on protecting cultural heritage, including measures to combat the illicit trade in archaeological and ethnological material...

Venice Biennale

The Aural Sea: Uzbekistan’s Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale

No other edition of the Venice Biennale has seen Central Asia so well represented. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan all have their own national pavilions, and there are also two exhibitions featuring Central Asian artists at the Palazzo Franchetti – “Instruments of the Mind” by the Uzbek conceptual artist Vyacheslav Akhunov, and the show “TURANDOT: To the Daughters of the East”. All three national pavilions have nailed the theme for the 61st Biennale: “In Minor Keys”. Conceived by the late curator Koyo Kouoh, this edition of the Biennale aims to showcase subjects that might not be the major issues of our times. Each pavilion has done so by connecting specific problems concerning the region to wider cultural or ecological concerns. You can read the Times of Central Asia's coverage of the Kazakh pavilion here. The Uzbekistan Pavilion, housed in the Quarta Tesa of the Arsenale, tackles ecological crisis in a way that is deeply personal to the country, but can speak to everyone. The pavilion conveys beauty and hope while not shying away from destruction. The Aural Sea It’s all there the pavilion’s title. "The Aural Sea" is a play on the Aral Sea, one of the great ecological tragedies of our times. You are being asked, before you even enter, to prepare for an alchemy of sorts. The Aral Sea – or rather, the place where the Aral Sea used to be – sits predominantly in the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan, in Uzbekistan’s northwest. In the 1960s, Soviet irrigation projects redirected the rivers that fed it, and over the following decades, the world's fourth largest inland lake shrank to a fraction of its former size, leaving behind a salt desert scattered with the rusting hulls of fishing boats. [caption id="attachment_32633" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Stranded boats on the former shoreline of the Aral Sea; image: TCA, Joe Luc Barnes[/caption] It is one of the most complete environmental catastrophes of the twentieth century, but the Uzbekistan Pavilion decides to speak about the crisis in an imaginative and almost abstract language. Bringing together perspectives from Central Asia – as well as from even further east – the curators position myths and fiction as alternative systems of knowledge, capable of carrying emotional and ecological memory. The curatorial framework was developed by the inaugural cohort of the Bukhara Biennial Curatorial School, constituted by Kamila Mukhitdinova, Sophie Mayuko Arni, Nico Sun, Thái Hà and Aziza Izamova. The collective was assembled through Uzbekistan’s Art and Cultural Development Foundation, convened by curator Diana Campbell (who already curated the much-acclaimed Bukhara Biennale) in partnership with the Delfina Foundation. The exhibition takes its cue from Allayar Darmenov, a young Karakalpak author who began writing about the Aral Sea in 2015, and has created new mythologies around it for contemporary times. [caption id="attachment_50040" align="aligncenter" width="2500"] Installation view, The Aural Sea, Uzbekistan National Pavilion, 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, 2026. Photo by Gerda Studio. Courtesy of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation. [/caption] The Artworks Coming into the...

Archaeology

Bronze Age Trepanation in Uzbekistan May Be Central Asia’s Oldest Evidence of Surgery

Archaeologists working in southern Uzbekistan have uncovered what may be the earliest known evidence of surgery in Central Asia. The discovery involves the remains of a Bronze Age child whose skull bears signs of trepanation, a procedure involving the deliberate opening of the skull. The discovery was reported by the Turkish archaeology magazine Arkeofili, citing research conducted by a joint Italian-Uzbek archaeological team in the historic region of Northern Bactria, near the present-day border with Afghanistan. Researchers found the skeleton of a child who died at about age five in a shared grave with another child believed to have been about three years old. The burial dates to the late third millennium BCE, approximately 4,000 years ago. According to the researchers, the older child’s skull shows clear traces of cranial trepanation, likely performed using stone or bone tools. The marks indicate that the skull was intentionally opened, making it one of the oldest known examples of surgical intervention in Asia and potentially the earliest documented evidence of surgery in Central Asia. Trepanation was practiced in various ancient societies around the world. Scholars believe it may have been used to treat conditions such as head injuries, epilepsy, severe headaches, or behavioral disorders. However, researchers note that in prehistoric societies, the boundary between medicine and ritual practice was often unclear. The remains were discovered during excavations at Djarkutan, one of the major urban centers of the Oxus Civilization, also known as the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex. The civilization flourished across parts of modern-day Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan between roughly 2500 BCE and 1500 BCE. It was known for its advanced agricultural systems, urban settlements, and rich material culture. The discovery adds to growing evidence that ancient Central Asia played a significant role in the development of early human societies. Last year, an international team of archaeologists reported finding evidence that hunter-gatherer communities in Uzbekistan’s Surkhandarya Valley harvested wild barley about 9,200 years ago. Researchers said the finding challenged the long-held view that the origins of agriculture were limited primarily to the Fertile Crescent.

Film Festival

Eurasian Film Festival in London Showcases Cinema from Central Asia and Beyond

The ninth edition of the ECG Eurasian Film Festival has concluded in London, bringing together films from Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the wider post-Soviet space. The festival, held in partnership with the Romford Film Festival, was created to promote Eurasian cinema in the English-speaking world and connect filmmakers from the region with international audiences and industry professionals. It is also listed by FestivalFinder, the European Festivals Association’s platform for film festivals. The festival still gives filmmakers from smaller Eurasian film industries access to London audiences and industry professionals. Too often, movies from across Eurasia are framed through a narrow lens as “regional,” “political,” or useful mainly for their cultural differences. The London program suggests something broader. Its strongest entries were not simply statements about places, but stories about youth, memory, technology, art, identity, and imagination. This year, the top prize went to K-Poper by Iranian director Ebrahim Amini. The film follows a teenage girl who becomes fascinated by a Korean pop star and dreams of traveling to Seoul, despite her mother’s opposition. It is a story rooted in Iran, but its subject is immediately recognizable: pop culture, generational tension, and the private worlds young people build for themselves. Other winners showcased the range of the program. The animation prize went to Swiss photographer Bellopropello for a film about the way smartphones are reshaping human behavior. Best Documentary was awarded to Russian director Vladimir Sumashedov for a film about an artist who tries to confront the violence of World War II through art. The Best Book Trailer award went to Armenian writer Elena Aslanyan’s The Gold of the Aryans. Central Asian works also formed a key part of the selection. The Uzbek film Batyr Zakirov & Frank Sinatra: The Meeting That Could Have Happened... won the Audience Choice Award, imagining a cultural encounter between the Soviet East and American popular music. Kazakhstan was represented by Saule Rysbaeva’s Children, the Seeds of the Future, while Uzbekistan’s Legends of the Great Silk Road revisited the region’s cultural inheritance through animation. The value of festivals like ECG is not only in the awards. It is in giving audiences a chance to see Eurasian cinema as cinema first: varied, ambitious, and fully part of the global film conversation.

TCA Interviews

Uzbekistan’s New Visual Language: How OZBE Reimagines Culture Through Streetwear

Uzbekistani fashion is increasingly moving beyond traditional interpretations of national motifs. A new generation of local brands is engaging with cultural heritage through streetwear, using the visual language of youth culture and contemporary identity to resonate in Uzbekistan and internationally. The Times of Central Asia spoke with Raupjon Eshtemirov, a representative of the Uzbekistani streetwear brand OZBE, about how Uzbek ornaments, symbols, and cultural references are being transformed into modern fashion, why young people are rediscovering their cultural roots, and whether Uzbekistan’s fashion scene can gain greater international visibility. TCA: Please tell us a little about the OZBE brand. How did it begin, and what idea did it grow from? Raupjon: OZBE emerged as a local streetwear brand based on the idea of expressing the modern perspective of a new generation through clothing. We started with small drops, and gradually a community formed around the brand. TCA: How would you describe the philosophy of OZBE? Is it more about fashion, culture, self-expression, or a new interpretation of Uzbek identity? Raupjon: For us, OZBE is a combination of all these things. We use fashion as a tool for self-expression and for a contemporary reinterpretation of local culture and identity. TCA: OZBE is often seen as a brand that speaks to young people in a modern visual language. How do you see your audience? Raupjon: Our audience consists mainly of teenagers and young people for whom self-expression through style, visual culture, and clothing is important. At the same time, our audience also includes tourists and people who want to represent modern Uzbekistan through a local brand and its aesthetic. [caption id="attachment_49659" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] @OZBE[/caption] TCA: Why did you choose streetwear as the main form for working with culture and local identity? Raupjon: Streetwear is a modern form of fashion that remains timeless and extremely popular among young people and tourists. It is one of the easiest ways to combine style, culture, and a contemporary view of Uzbekistan. TCA: Uzbekistan has a strong visual tradition, including ornaments, architecture, crafts, and patterns. How do you work with this heritage in your collections? Raupjon: We draw inspiration from local aesthetics, but we try to adapt them to a modern visual context through forms, graphics, details, and presentation. TCA: For you, it is important not simply to use national motifs, but to reinterpret them. What does that process involve? Raupjon: Traditional patterns, ornaments, and cultural elements always remain recognizable and popular. For us, it is important not just to copy them, but to adapt them to modern styles and make them relevant for a new generation and for global streetwear culture. TCA: How can Uzbek patterns, symbols, and cultural references be made to look modern and organic for younger audiences? Raupjon: Through reworked design, modern presentation, and the use of bright, memorable phrases that attract the attention of young people and bring cultural elements closer to contemporary streetwear aesthetics. TCA: Which aspects of Uzbek culture inspire you most: ornaments, language, urban life, music, history, or everyday...