Turan Tales

11/06/2026

This week, we discuss the craft of akyns - improvisational poets and storytellers, 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 Ötkülbek 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.

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

https://turantales.substack.com/p/episode-42-why-central-asia-still

04/06/2026

This week, we look at the 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.

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

https://open.substack.com/pub/turantales/p/episode-41-hashish-and-survival-in?r=1e3d1&utm_medium=ios

28/05/2026

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.

Listen on Substack or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://open.substack.com/pub/turantales/p/episode-40-abdulla-qodiriys-bygone?utm_source=app-post-stats-page&r=1e3d1&utm_medium=ios

21/05/2026

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.

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

https://open.substack.com/pub/turantales/p/episode-39-what-cinema-can-tell-us?r=1e3d1&utm_medium=ios

13/05/2026

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.

Listen to (or read) our new story about Iya Rudzitska, a girl who survived the Holocaust in Uzbekistan.

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.

01/05/2026

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.

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

TURAN TALK with Ruben Nikoghosyan, a lecturer in Middle, Classical, and Modern Persian language and literature

28/04/2026

Hi all! We’re looking for 8-10 people to participate in individual in-depth interviews about their consumption of Turan Tales’ content, listening patterns and media preferences.

The results will help us shape Turan Tales in a way that better reflects your needs and preferences so your help is crucial.

If you are a regular listener and care about our future - we want to hear from you.

Please DM us to arrange for a short (max. 30 minutes) interview.

Thank you!

24/04/2026

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.

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

TURAN TALK with Yan Matusevich, a journalist and PhD candidate in cultural anthropology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York

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