TCA Interviews - The Times Of Central Asia

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TCA Interviews

Suleimenov Says Stronger Policy Framework Supported Kazakhstan’s S&P Upgrade

A stronger monetary-policy framework, a resilient banking sector, and closer coordination with the government were among the strengths recognized in S&P Global Ratings’ upgrade of Kazakhstan, National Bank Governor Timur Suleimenov told The Times of Central Asia. “S&P’s upgrade of Kazakhstan’s sovereign credit rating from ‘BBB-’ to ‘BBB’ is an important external assessment of the resilience of our economy amid continued global uncertainty and commodity market volatility,” Suleimenov said. On August 21, S&P raised Kazakhstan’s long- and short-term sovereign credit ratings to BBB/A-2 from BBB-/A-3. The stable outlook reflects S&P’s view that Kazakhstan’s ample fiscal and external buffers should help it absorb external shocks, while the non-oil budget deficit is expected to narrow further. Kazakhstan last held the BBB rating before S&P downgraded it in February 2016. Kazakhstan now carries the same BBB long-term sovereign rating as India, Indonesia and Greece. It stands one notch above Hungary, Oman and Serbia at BBB-, and one below Bulgaria and Italy at BBB+. The comparison concerns credit risk rather than economic size or development. Why S&P Moved Now S&P expects Kazakhstan’s economy to grow by 5.1% in 2026 and by around 4% to 4.5% annually in 2027–2029, a pace it says exceeds that of peer countries. It also expects a broader tax base, tighter expenditure controls and reduced quasi-fiscal activity by major state-owned enterprises to improve the country’s fiscal position. Stricter rules governing National Fund withdrawals are intended to preserve the assets available to absorb commodity-price falls and other external shocks. According to the National Bank’s account of the decision, S&P also highlighted Kazakhstan’s substantial foreign-currency reserves and strong external position. A Stronger Monetary Framework “We particularly welcome the agency’s recognition of the strengthening of Kazakhstan’s monetary policy framework and the resilience of the banking sector to macroeconomic shocks,” Suleimenov said. Suleimenov had outlined that policy course in earlier interviews with TCA. In April, he described tighter monetary conditions alongside government fiscal consolidation, while in June, after the Bank cut its base rate from 18% to 17%, he cautioned that inflation had not been defeated and said further moves would depend on incoming data. Annual inflation declined from 11% in March to 10.2% in July. S&P cited a stronger monetary-policy framework, closer government-National Bank coordination, fiscal consolidation, reduced quasi-fiscal activity and tighter macroprudential regulation. It also described the banking sector as resilient, with adequate capital and liquidity buffers. The National Bank’s response went beyond the base rate. It increased minimum reserve requirements, used operations linked to gold purchases to absorb excess liquidity and supported measures to slow unsecured consumer lending. The Bank lowered the rate again to 16.75% in July as inflation eased. Even so, inflation remains more than double the National Bank’s medium-term target of 5%. S&P’s assessment recognizes the strengthening of the monetary-policy framework, not the end of Kazakhstan’s inflation problem. “Enhanced coordination between the Government and the National Bank, together with the continued improvement of regulation and supervision, is contributing to stronger macroeconomic and financial stability,” Suleimenov said. Fiscal Reform...

AI Content Creation

Kazakhstani AI Creator Alissa Kamorskaya on the Rise of AI Animation

Kazakhstani model and AI content creator Alissa Kamorskaya runs Chudno, a school and agency specializing in AI-generated content. Kamorskaya began publishing AI cartoons in February 2026, and one of her videos has since received more than 30 million views on Instagram. The Times of Central Asia spoke with her about the rise of AI animation and the role of social media algorithms in driving views. TCA: You began creating AI cartoons before the format became widespread in Kazakhstan. Why do you think your most-viewed video attracted such a large audience? Alissa: I think several factors played a role. One was that when I made my most-viewed cartoons, almost no one in the post-Soviet space was using this format. I posted my first one on February 3 this year. I wanted to tell my followers how I met my husband, but I simply didn’t have any video footage to illustrate it, so I decided to turn it into a cartoon. The views quickly took off, my social media audience started growing, and I realized it was a very promising niche. AI cartoons have now become hugely popular. You can see animated videos recommended on social media getting as many as 100 million views. They have spread across social media so quickly that it feels as though AI cartoons have been around for a long time. In reality, broadly speaking, they have only been this widespread for about six months. TCA: Why does animation work so well with a mass audience? Alissa: I think it’s because animation is almost universal. Very often it doesn’t need words at all. A cartoon can be understood by someone of any age, from any country, speaking any language. Someone could be sitting somewhere in Cambodia, see the video, and still understand what is happening. So the potential audience for this kind of content is enormous. TCA: Do you see that in the geographic breakdown of your audience? Alissa: I analyzed the statistics for several videos and noticed that a lot of viewers come from Turkey and Iran. I think that is partly connected to how my characters look. They have dark hair and darker skin, so viewers in those countries may find them more familiar-looking. I often see comments in Turkish under the videos, and I can tell that people recognize themselves in these characters. Visual identification is very important here. It works much like it does in movies, or when we were children and picked a favorite character and said, “I’ll be this one.” We want to recognize ourselves in characters and identify with them. TCA: Before AI animation, you ran a conventional blog for about five years. Why did cartoons change things so dramatically? Alissa: I had been blogging for about five years, constantly filming myself, and my audience barely grew. For several years, my follower count stayed at around 3,000. Everything changed only when I switched from making what I personally liked to what interested a much wider range of people. I used...

TCA Interviews

Interview: Ayana Nurdinova on Mugalim, Balkhash and San Sebastián

Kazakh director Ayana Nurdinova will screen her debut feature, Mugalim (The Teacher), in the New Directors section of the San Sebastián International Film Festival, which runs September 18–26. The selection comes almost ten years after Nurdinova graduated from the Zhurgenov Academy of Arts. Shot in Balkhash, the film follows a music teacher who dreams of leaving the small city for somewhere bigger, while questioning what he wants from his work and his life. The Times of Central Asia spoke with Nurdinova about her long road to a first feature, her love of small towns and Japanese cinema, the influence of Takeshi Kitano, and her forthcoming trip to San Sebastián. Times of Central Asia: Ayana, congratulations on being selected for San Sebastián. Getting into a festival like this with a debut feature is a major achievement. What was your reaction? Ayana Nurdinova: When the news came, the film’s producer, Aruzhan Dosymkozha, called me. It was already around midnight and I was asleep, so at first I didn’t really understand what was happening. She was in this kind of joyful shock and told me the wonderful news. To be honest, at first I couldn’t believe it had actually happened. When we submitted the film to festivals, of course I hoped it would be appreciated, but I tried not to expect too much so I wouldn’t be disappointed later. So I really didn’t expect that we would actually be selected. TCA: Did you submit the film to other major festivals as well? Ayana: Yes, we submitted it everywhere, from Cannes and Venice to Karlovy Vary. We sent it to Cannes a month before the festival. We knew it was late, but we decided to try anyway. We didn’t get in, and then three months later the news came from San Sebastián. When I found out we had been selected, I started reading about the festival and the city and looking at photographs. At some point, I even noticed an unexpected visual similarity with our film: the city there also sits on the water, only it is surrounded by the Bay of Biscay, and there is even something similar about the landscape. I thought it was funny that a film shot in Balkhash would make its first trip precisely there. TCA: You graduated from the Zhurgenov Academy as a feature film director almost ten years ago, but after graduating, you spent quite a long time working in other film professions. How did that happen? Ayana: Yes, I graduated from the academy when I was 22, and looking back now, I realize that at the time I had very little life or professional experience. So I decided to immerse myself in the profession. While I was still a student, I got my first job on a major film set, working as a clapper loader [a junior camera role] on The Kazakh Khanate. After graduating, I wanted to gain real practical experience and understand how a film set actually works. For a while, I worked in casting,...

TCA Interviews

Memory Is a Living Matter: An Interview with Artist Gauhar Bisengaliyeva

On July 24, Almaty's Kasteyev Museum of Arts hosted the opening of Gauhar Bisengalieva’s solo exhibition, Matter of Memory. The artist, who works under the name Arukhan, recently returned from Italy, where her solo exhibition, The Spirit of the Steppe, was presented at the historic Palazzo Marchesale, in Italy’s southern Apulia region. Her new project at the Kasteyev Museum continues her exploration of memory. Working with felt, steppe grasses, and other organic materials, Arukhan's work explores the processes of time and the transformation of matter. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, Gauhar Bisengaliyeva discusses her artistic practice and the ideas behind Matter of Memory. TCA: The title of the exhibition is Matter of Memory. What does the idea of memory as matter mean to you? At what point did memory cease to be an abstract concept for you and become an artistic medium? Gauhar Bisengaliyeva: For me, Matter of Memory is a space that I create, a space for reflection. Felt is the foundation of my artistic language. For me, felt is a material that preserves the memory of the steppe. It embodies the energy of the earth, the wisdom of generations, and humanity’s connection to nature. Through it, I feel my roots. For me, the steppe is not an image of the past, but a living force that nourishes me, allows me to grow, and determines the direction of my creativity. That is why my works are neither a return to the past nor an attempt to preserve it. I am interested in memory as a living substance that continues to act in the present and becomes a source of the future. That is why Matter of Memory is not an exhibition about the past. It is a space where memory becomes a living matter, capable of nourishing a person, bringing them back to their roots, and revealing new meanings. [caption id="attachment_53543" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Photo: Theo Frost[/caption] TCA: In your works, you use felt, steppe grasses, and other organic materials. Why have these particular materials become your primary means of expression? Gauhar Bisengaliyeva: I work with natural materials, each of which goes through its own life cycle and therefore possesses its own memory. Felt, steppe grasses, wool, plants – they have already lived their lives, absorbing time, light, wind, and earth. Working with time holds a special place in my practice. Using my own innovative methods of processing wool, I explore how time can manifest itself in the material. For me, time cannot be seen directly, but it can be felt through changes in texture, light, structure, and the very state of the felt. [caption id="attachment_53544" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Photo: Theo Frost[/caption] TCA: You have been collaborating with the State Archive of Film, Photo, and Audio Documents of Kazakhstan for many years. How does working with archives influence your art? Gauhar Bisengaliyeva: It all began with my family archive. Later, this personal story led me to collaborate with the State Archive of Film, Photographic, and Audio Documents...

Russia's War in Ukraine

How the Russia–Ukraine War Is Reshaping Central Asia’s Geopolitical Balance

More than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the conflict continues to alter political and economic relations across the former Soviet space. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, Uzbek political scientist Mukhtor Nazirov examined Moscow’s evolving regional role, Central Asia’s search for wider external partnerships, and the areas in which Russia remains difficult to replace. “The war changed Russia,” Nazirov said. “It became more closed, more militarized, and its political logic increasingly became military. Central Asian countries suddenly found themselves dealing with a Russia that was no longer the same as it had been before the war.” Before 2022, Russia’s relations with Central Asia rested on long-established political, economic, and security ties. Since the invasion, international isolation and wartime pressures have complicated that relationship. “The war consumed everything,” Nazirov explained. “It influenced not only politics and the economy, but also public thinking, the country’s openness, its ideology, and the overall direction of the state. As Russia changed during the war, its dialogue with Central Asian countries became increasingly difficult.” “Central Asian states gained a moral justification to look for other options,” he said. “Russia is no longer the Russia it used to be.” Russia nevertheless remains deeply embedded in the region’s economy. Infrastructure, logistics networks, export routes, and labor migration still bind Central Asian states to the Russian market. Kazakhstan exports most of its oil through Russia’s Novorossiysk port, while trade from Uzbekistan and other countries continues to rely heavily on northern corridors. Millions of Central Asian citizens also work in Russia. “The economic foundation still exists,” Nazirov told TCA. “Much of Central Asia remains part of an economic structure that was formed during the Soviet period. Infrastructure is shared, and many export routes still pass through Russia.” However, the durability of Moscow’s influence is under closer scrutiny as other powers expand their regional presence. “Political closeness alone is not enough,” Nazirov said. “Any partnership eventually comes down to economics. If Russia wants to remain influential, it must have a strong economic foundation. If it cannot provide that, then others will naturally begin filling the gap.” China and the European Union have expanded their economic engagement as sanctions and wartime demands have constrained Russia. Interest has also grown in the Middle Corridor, or Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which offers an alternative to routes through Russia. “The rhetoric surrounding the Middle Corridor became much stronger during the war,” he said. “The project already existed, but the war created momentum.” The EU’s Global Gateway initiative and new connectivity financing have given Central Asian governments additional channels for trade, investment, and transport. “This space is being filled partly by China and partly by the European Union,” he said. “They are proposing alternatives, and naturally Central Asian countries are turning toward those opportunities.” Russia remains the main destination for Central Asian labor migrants, although governments are pursuing employment opportunities in South Korea, Europe, and the Gulf states. “I would not say diversification has already taken place,” Nazirov...

Interfaith Dialogue

Kazakhstan Interfaith Center Chair Gulsana Kozhabay: Astana Congress Must Turn Dialogue into Action

Kazakhstan wants the Astana Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions to take a more active role in conflict prevention and postwar reconciliation, including through permanent expert engagement and a possible Islamic-Jewish roundtable in Israel in 2027. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, Gulsana Kozhabay, chair of the board of the International Center for Interfaith and Interreligious Dialogue, explains how the Congress could expand its work between its triennial gatherings while remaining politically neutral. Speaking in a personal capacity, she discusses the limits of religious diplomacy in the conflict in Gaza. She also addresses Kazakhstan’s ambition to develop its own school in this field and explains why she believes interfaith dialogue must increasingly lead to practical action rather than declarations alone. TCA: What role can Kazakhstan’s humanitarian and spiritual diplomacy play in promoting peace, and how can the International Center contribute? Kozhabay: Let us begin by explaining in simple terms what spiritual diplomacy means. In the context of this interview, we primarily understand it as religious diplomacy. It has several layers. It includes relations between different religions, dialogue within a single religion, engagement among the Abrahamic faiths, and work at local, regional and international levels. Religious leaders and organizations can work with states, international organizations and civil society, or act independently. Many researchers believe that we are living in a post-secular period. Jürgen Habermas is one of the principal theorists associated with this approach. Modernization and technological development have clearly not pushed religion to the margins. Religions continue to play an important role in society, culture, and even politics. In many countries, including the Vatican, states in the Middle East, Egypt, Israel, the United States, and Russia, religious leaders command considerable trust, exercise influence in society, and have direct access to very large audiences. Habermas’s work is widely associated with the concept of a post-secular society and the continuing place of religion in public life. Religious diplomacy cannot, of course, prevent or resolve every conflict and crisis, or replace political negotiations. Its main value lies in preserving channels of communication alongside political dialogue, or when that dialogue becomes difficult. Reducing mistrust, countering hate speech, and explaining to the public the value of peace and human life are important elements of religious diplomacy and are reflected in the Astana Peace Declaration 2025. In his ecological encyclical Laudato si’, Pope Francis wrote that religions should engage in dialogue to protect nature, defend the poor, and build networks of respect and fraternity. Kazakhstan has always supported peaceful dialogue and a constructive international agenda. This is one of our strengths. We do not claim the role of a great power and do not seek to impose our decisions on other countries. Kazakhstan acts as a middle power that can build bridges, bring different parties to the same table, and offer neutral venues for dialogue. This is also part of Kazakhstan’s soft power. Kazakhstan is trusted as a state that consistently supports dialogue at the political level and among cultures,...