Turan Tales

17/09/2026

In late June, my guest today and I travelled to Oziornoye, a Polish village in northern Kazakhstan. It was a special occasion: the 90th anniversary of the deportation of ethnic Poles from the eastern borderlands of the Soviet Union to Kazakhstan.

But what exactly has the experience of Polish deportees in Kazakhstan been like?

Today, we will talk about that with Ivan Sokolovskiy, an expert on the subject and a PhD candidate in Eurasian Studies at the School of Sciences and Humanities at Nazarbayev University.

Listen to the episode on Substack or wherever you get your podcast. Link in bio.

TURAN TALK with Ivan Sokolovskiy, PhD candidate in Eurasian Studies at Nazarbayev University

17/09/2026

In late June, my guest today and I travelled to Oziornoye, a Polish village in northern Kazakhstan. It was a special occasion: the 90th anniversary of the deportation of ethnic Poles from the eastern borderlands of the Soviet Union to Kazakhstan.

But what exactly has the experience of Polish deportees in Kazakhstan been like?

Today, we will talk about that with Ivan Sokolovskiy, an expert on the subject and a PhD candidate in Eurasian Studies at the School of Sciences and Humanities at Nazarbayev University.

Listen to the episode on Substack or wherever you get your podcast. Link in bio.

10/09/2026

Since the 1990s, thousands of ethnic Kazakhs have left Chinese Xinjiang for Kazakhstan to live among their own people and escape Hanification. But crossing the border did not mean escaping China’s reach.

Listen to the our new audio documentary on Substack or wherever you get your podcasts.

Since the 1990s, thousands of ethnic Kazakhs have left Xinjiang for Kazakhstan to live among their own people and escape Hanification. But crossing the border did not mean escaping China’s reach.

27/08/2026

Does Central Asia 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), Q***r 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.”

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

TURAN TALK with Georgy Mamedov, graduate scholar at University of Melbourne’s Research Initiative on Post-Soviet Space

20/08/2026

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.

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

TURAN TALK with Akmaral Sman, a gender and development expert from Kazakhstan.

13/08/2026

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.

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

TURAN TALK with Erica Marat, professor of political science and editor-in-chief of "Central Asian Survey"

06/08/2026

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.

We had some technical difficulties during the recording, but I really hope that you will take the time to listen to the episode - it's definitely worth it.

You can find it on Substack or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://turantales.substack.com/p/why-does-china-have-an-image-problem

25/06/2026

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.

Listen to our new audio feature - the last before the summer break - on Substack or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hope you will miss us! See you again in August

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.

18/06/2026

In the last interview before the summer break, we speak with Bagila Bukharbayeva, 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.

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

TURAN TALK with Bagila Bukharbayeva, journalist and author of "The Vanishing Generation: Faith and Uprising in Modern Uzbekistan"

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