Turan Tales

16/04/2026

In this week’s episode, we focus on a fascinating story about 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, 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).

Listen to the episode on Substack or wherever you get your podcasts.

TURAN TALK with Hugo Estecahandy, PhD, focusing on the geopolitics of cryptocurrencies

09/04/2026

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).

Listen to the episode on Substack or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://turantales.substack.com/p/who-is-crying-for-tashiev-the-end

03/04/2026

As Russia’s anti-LGBTQ propaganda law spreads across the region, q***r spaces in Kazakhstan’s second-largest city are disappearing – and with them, the city’s creative pulse.

Photos by Danil Usmanov
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This story is part of our series of audio features - also available as long reads - made possible by the International Press Institute.

You can listen to the episode on Substack or wherever you get your podcasts. Link in bio.

If you haven’t done so yet, please support Turan Tales with a paid subscription at:

turantales.substack.com/subscribe

https://turantales.substack.com/p/rainbow-almaty-the-end-of-a-q***r

As Russia’s anti-LGBTQ propaganda law spreads across the region, q***r spaces in Kazakhstan’s second-largest city are disappearing – and with them, the city’s creative pulse.

28/03/2026

"Tengrism in Central Asia. From ancient belief to cultural phenomenon"

Listen to the full episode with Abigail Scripka on Substack or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://turantales.substack.com/p/episode-34-tengrism-in-central-asia

26/03/2026

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.

Listen to the episode on Substack or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://open.substack.com/pub/turantales/p/episode-34-tengrism-in-central-asia

19/03/2026

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.

Listen to the episode on Substack or your favourite podcast platform.

https://open.substack.com/pub/turantales/p/episode-33-farewell-to-russia-lessons

If you love Turan Tales, support us with a paid subscription on

turantales.substack.com/subscribe

or

buymeacoffee.com/turantales

12/03/2026

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 Aysulu Toyshibek to talk about women’s rights in Kazakhstan and how the situation has changed over the centuries and in the last few decades.

We then had cake and drinks and spent the rest of the evening getting to know each other and celebrating. Thank you to all of you who made it, and to all my listeners who showed me that a podcast about Central Asia - with stories that most mainstream media ignore - has the potential to survive. This week, you can listen to the talk we recorded during the event.

Photos by Danil Usmanov.

Listen to the episode on Substack or your favourite podcast platform.

https://turantales.substack.com/p/episode-32-kazakh-women-across-centuries

If you love Turan Tales, support us with a paid subscription on

turantales.substack.com/subscribe

or

buymeacoffee.com/turantales

05/03/2026

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.

Listen to the episode on Substack or your favourite podcast platform.

https://turantales.substack.com/p/episode-31-why-is-kazakhstan-rewriting

If you love Turan Tales, support us with a paid subscription on

turantales.substack.com/subscribe

or

buymeacoffee.com/turantales

03/03/2026

Dushanbe has been on a path toward modernisation. New buildings, many of them Chinese-funded, have dotted the city’s landscape, dramatically transforming its traditional architecture.

What has driven this wave of redevelopment? Will it help Tajikistan become the next AI hub in the region, as the authorities hope? And what does it all have to do with environmental degradation, which has made Tajikistan one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change in the world?

To answer these and other questions, we are joined by Sher Khashimov, a freelance journalist originally from Dushanbe and the author of numerous articles examining redevelopment and environmental degradation in Tajikistan.

Listen to the episode on Substack or your favourite podcast platform. Link in bio.

If you love Turan Tales, support us with a paid subscription on

turantales.substack.com/subscribe

or

buymeacoffee.com/turantales

02/03/2026

TURAN TALES TURNS ONE! 🎉

📌 Join us on March 8 at 6:00 PM
at .bolsyn 
Valikhanov Street 47, Almaty

🎙 Live podcast talk and community gathering

Our birthday falls on the International Women’s Day. To celebrate, our host Agnieszka sits down with Aisulu Toyshibek - a Kazakh podcaster and feminist, for a talk:

“Kazakh women across centuries: from the yurt to digital resistance”

Followed by drinks 🍸 and cake 🎂

Bring your friends and celebrate with us. Let’s make it a night to remember! ✨

26/02/2026

Over the past several years, Dushanbe has been on a path toward modernisation. New buildings, many of them Chinese-funded, have dotted the city’s landscape, dramatically transforming its traditional architecture.

What has driven this wave of redevelopment? Will it help Tajikistan become the next AI hub in the region, as the authorities hope? And what does it all have to do with environmental degradation, which has made Tajikistan one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change in the world?

To answer these and other questions, we are joined by Sher Khashimov, a freelance journalist originally from Dushanbe and the author of numerous articles examining redevelopment and environmental degradation in Tajikistan.

Listen to the episode on Substack or your favourite podcast platform.

https://open.substack.com/pub/turantales/p/episode-30-goodbye-old-dushanbe-hello?r=1e3d1&utm_medium=ios

If you love Turan Tales, support us with a paid subscription on

turantales.substack.com/subscribe

or

buymeacoffee.com/turantales