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Turan Tales

Agnieszka Pikulicka

Turan Tales is a weekly podcast covering underreported stories of people, politics and social change in Central Asia by journalist and author Agnieszka Pikulicka

turantales.substack.com

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23 episodes
weekly
Avg 40 min
English

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Thursday · 45 min
Episode 47: Does Central Asia need left-wing politics?
Hi all, I’ve been working as a journalist for over a decade and before that I was an NGO worker, and a student in several different countries. In all of them, left-wing movements, activists, including Marxist groups, were presents in different shapes and forms. I met them regularly during protests, conferences and they were part of my social circles. This is not the case in Central Asia. When I moved to Tashkent in 2018, I wondered where the radical youth is today and why they are not visible. Not as registered groups of course, because we all know how strictly controlled politics in places like Uzbekistan is, but as informal, semi-underground gatherings. I wondered, does Central Asia not need left-wing politics? To talk about Marxism and the left in Central Asia, I am joined by Georgy Mamedov, an independent curator, writer, and activist originally from Dushanbe. His work focuses on critical reinterpretation of Soviet socialism in Central Asia and the broader post-Soviet space. Georgy co-authored and co-edited several books, including A Book on Happiness for Young (and not so) LGBT (and not only) People (Bishkek, 2020), Queer Communism is Ethics (Moscow, 2016), Concepts of the Soviet in Central Asia (Bishkek, 2016), and Bishkek Utopian (Bishkek, 2015). Until recently, Georgy served as an assistant professor of film and media arts at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek. In 2025, he joined the University of Melbourne’s Research Initiative on Post-Soviet Space (RIPSS) as a graduate scholar. In this role, he is working on the research project “Towards a Communist Ideal: Marxism and Marxists under Soviet Socialism.” I hope you will enjoy this one as much as I did. Have a lovely end of the week, — Agnieszka Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
#46
August 20 · 42 min
Episode 46: Where is development taking Central Asia?
Central Asia is undergoing rapid social and economic transformation. Digitalisation and internet access are expanding, while new infrastructure and development investments are growing across the region. But despite this progress, many areas remain overlooked by local governments and international institutions supporting development programmes. And the rapid pace of change itself brings new challenges and raises important questions about who benefits from development – and who might be left behind. To talk about development in Central Asia, we’re joined by Akmaral Sman, a Kazakhstani gender and development specialist. Over the past decade, she has worked with NGOs, international financial institutions, and UN agencies, providing technical support on gender mainstreaming in energy, climate change, and natural resource management policies. She was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list and was a receipient of the prestigeous Chevening scholarship. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
August 13 · 39 min
Episode 45: Is “post-Soviet” still relevant?
This week, we’re talking about the much-maligned but also much-overused concept of the “post-Soviet”. To unpack this term, we are joined by Erica Marat, a Washington DC-based academic, originally from Kyrgyzstan. Her research focuses on organised crime, violence, mobilisation, and security institutions in Central Asia, North Asia, and Europe. She is the author of several books, most recently Decolonial Disruptions in Central Asia: Discussion, Practices, and Networks (Cambridge University Press, 2026), co-authored with Aizada Arystanbek. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
#44
August 6 · 39 min
Episode 44: Why does China have an image problem in Central Asia?
China’s presence is increasingly visible across Central Asia. Chinese-made electric vehicles are becoming more common on the roads, Chinese companies are investing in the local markets, and more young people are choosing to study in China. Yet research by Edward Lemon and Bradley Jardine found that China is viewed less favourably than any other major power in Central Asia. Why is that? How has Beijing responded to the challenge? And how important is Central Asia to China’s Belt and Road Initiative? To answer these questions, we're joined by Ed Lemon, co-author of Backlash: China’s Struggle for Influence in Central Asia, Research Assistant Professor at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University and President of the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
June 25 · 32 min
Can Tajikistan fix Central Asia’s water crisis?
Tajikistan has emerged as a leading advocate for global water cooperation. Yet as the water crisis worsens across Central Asia and beyond, finding solutions has become increasingly urgent. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
#43
June 18 · 44 min
Episode 43: Has Islam ever posed a threat to the Uzbek state?
In the last interview before the summer break, we speak with Bagila Bukharbaeva, the author of The Vanishing Generation: Faith and Uprising in Modern Uzbekistan. We discuss Uzbekistan’s turn toward religion, unpack the events that led to the Andijan massacre, and examine whether religion has ever posed a genuine threat in the country. We also talk about Bagila’s own experience covering her community, which ultimately led to a years-long ban on her entering Uzbekistan. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
#42
June 11 · 37 min
Episode 42: Why Central Asia still needs akyns - the poets who speak truth to power
This week, we discuss the craft of akyns and aitysh, their poetic duels. We look into the history of this art form, its historical functions, and how these have changed during the Soviet era and since the collapse of the USSR. We also examine the social significance of aitysh and the differences between traditional akyns and those who have turned to journalism. Joining us is Akylai Otkulbek kyzy, a Kyrgyz researcher who focuses on aitysh as a living civic and epistemological practice. She holds a MA degree in International Public Policy from the University of Tsukuba, Japan, and an MA from the OSCE Academy in Bishkek. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
#41
June 4 · 32 min
Episode 41: Hashish and survival in rural Kyrgyzstan
This week, we look at cannabis economy in Kyrgyzstan: how the harvesting began, who benefits from it, and how local authorities respond to the phenomenon. Is there any incentive in Kyrgyzstan to legalise the crop? Joining us is Gulzat Botoeva, Associate Professor of Criminology at Swansea University and an expert on illegal economies in Eurasia, including cannabis production in Kyrgyzstan. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
#40
May 28 · 46 min
Episode 40: Abdulla Qodiriy's "Bygone Days" and the fight for intellectual property rights
This week, we're joined by Mark Reese - translator of Abdulla Qodiriy's Bygone Days from Uzbek to English, academic and entrepreneur. We talk about the cultural and social significance of Bygone Days, the message it conveyed about the past, present, and future of the region, and the lessons we can draw from it today. We also discuss his early days as a Peace Corps volunteer in Uzbekistan, his love for Uzbek language and literature, what he thinks about Mirziyoyev’s reforms, and why he decided to fight for the rights to his translation in court. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
#39
May 21 · 45 min
Episode 39: What cinema can tell us about Central Asia
This week, we’re diving into the fascinating history of Central Asian cinema and the ways Central Asia and Central Asians have been portrayed in foreign films. We’ll explore colonial tropes in portrayals of the region during Soviet times, how these representations influenced Central Asians’ self-image, and how they changed after the fall of the Soviet Union. We’ll also talk about different waves in Central Asian cinema throughout the 20th century and into the present day. Joining us is the best possible person to discuss these issues: Assiya Issemberdiyeva. She is a Kazakh film critic and researcher currently completing her PhD at Queen Mary University of London, where her thesis examines representations of Central Asia in Soviet wartime cinema. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
May 13 · 38 min
Iya’s lifelines: A Jewish journey to survival in Central Asia
In the 1940s, Tashkent became an unlikely centre of Yiddish culture as Eastern European Jews were evacuated to Soviet Central Asia during World War II. Yet the story has remained largely forgotten. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
#38
May 1 · 44 min
Episode 38: Inside Turan. The Persian legacy in Central Asia
The word Turan, which appears in the title of this podcast, has Persian linguistic and literary origins -- something we’ll be talking about today. We’ll look at Persian influences in Central Asia, how the language spread across such faraway lands, why Persian culture became so fashionable, and how this influence eventually faded. Joining us is Ruben Nikoghosyan, a lecturer in Middle, Classical, and Modern Persian language and literature at the Ferdowsi School of Persian Literature, which he founded. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
#37
April 24 · 44 min
Episode 37: What has become of Russia's Wartime exiles in Central Asia?
This week, we look at Russian wartime migration into Central Asia: how it unfolded, what motivated Russians to choose the region as their destination, how they rebuilt their lives there, and how this movement has reshaped Central Asia. Joining us is Yan Matusevich, a journalist and Ph.D. candidate in cultural anthropology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. His doctoral research focuses on the experiences of Russian exiles who have relocated to Central Asia since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
#36
April 16 · 38 min
Episode 36: Why is crypto growing in Central Asia - and who benefits?
This week, I would like to ask you a very big favour: please fill in a listeners’ survey about Turan Tales to help us improve. For those of you with a Substack account, here is a Substack survey: https://turantales.substack.com/publish/stats/surveys/6783588 For those who don’t have one, there's a Google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15cvn9Y3HIAbuDdvmyvnFWrNcgcrDNSYVhnn7aUg-zyE/edit As for this week’s episode, we focus on a fascinating story of cryptocurrencies in Central Asia. Which countries--and why--have opened up to cryptocurrencies? Why is Kyrgyzstan building its own cryptocurrency? And can the crypto market help develop green energy? Joining us is Hugo Estecahandy, a researcher with the Geopolitics of the Datasphere project and coordinator of the “Digital Materialities” working group at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
April 9 · 43 min
Episode 35: Who is crying for Tashiev? The end of Kyrgyzstan's ruling duo
In this episode, we look at the fall of Kyrgyzstan’s ruling duo: President Sadyr Japarov and security chief Kamchybek Tashiev. We discuss how they came to power, why their alliance may be breaking down, and what this tells us about power, patronage, and regional divides in Kyrgyzstan. We also ask who is mourning Tashiev’s fall. Joining us is Aksana Ismailbekova, a Kyrgyz anthropologist and research fellow at the Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO), and the author of Blood Ties and the Native Son and Migration and Welfare Austerity (2017). Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
April 3 · 34 min
Rainbow Almaty: The end of a queer dream
As Russia’s anti-LGBTQ propaganda law spreads across the region, queer spaces in Kazakhstan’s second-largest city are disappearing – and with them, the city’s creative pulse. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
#34
March 26 · 43 min
Episode 34: Tengrism in Central Asia. From ancient belief to cultural phenomenon
This week, we focus on Tengrism, the ancient belief system of the Eurasian steppe that has faced centuries of change, from the rise of Islam to Soviet suppression. While its rituals remain part of Central Asian culture and are seeing renewed interest, it is still widely misunderstood. What exactly is Tengrism? And why did Kazakhstan refuse to register it as an official religion? Joining us is Abigail Scripka, a doctoral candidate at the Leibniz Centre for Contemporary History in Potsdam, Germany, who studies Tengrism in Kazakhstan with a particular focus on the period of perestroika. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
#33
March 19 · 41 min
Episode 33: Lessons on independence from the former Soviet republics
My guest today was born in 1991, the same year the Soviet Union collapsed. A few years ago, he set out to explore what’s happened to the countries it left behind, and whether life beyond Russia’s shadow has brought the freedom and prosperity many hoped for. His name is Joe Luc Barnes, and you might recognise his voice from our audio documentaries. His new book, Farewell to Russia: A Journey Through the Former USSR, is out now in the UK and the US. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
March 12 · 39 min
Episode 32: Kazakh women across centuries. From the yurt to digital resistance
Last Sunday, March 8th, Turan Tales celebrated turning one with its first live podcast and a community gathering in Almaty. We sat down with Kazakh podcaster and feminist Aisulu Toyshibek to talk about women’s rights in Kazakhstan and how the situation has changed over the centuries and in the last few decades. Here is our talk. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe
#31
March 5 · 40 min
Episode 31: Why is Kazakhstan rewriting its Constitution?
This week we look at Kazakhstan’s new draft constitution and what it could mean for the country’s future. Our guest is Dmitriy Mazorenko, journalist and co-founder of the Superstructure research centre. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe

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