Shows
Turan TalesEpisode 11: Who’s left to defend Central Asian migrants in Russia?According to the Russian Interior Ministry, there are about 10.5 million people from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan working in the country. It has long been clear that they experience derogatory treatment, humiliation, and racism on a daily basis.The situation has further deteriorated since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In September of that year, the Duma – Russia’s lower chamber of parliament – passed a law fast-tracking citizenship in exchange for military service. Around the same time, Moscow’s Mayor Sergey Sobyanin launched an army enlistment campaign aimed at migrants.According to a report by Hochu Z...2025-07-2448 min
Turan Tales“What am I, just cattle you can give away?” A nomadic tradition meets modern realityA boy on the screen, 12-year-old Yersultan, cries in a rare emotional outburst against his father. “What am I, just cattle you can give away?” he asks, tears streaming down his chubby cheeks.His father is confused. Moments earlier, he was furious, angered by his son’s poor school performance and lack of the skills needed to survive the harsh rural life. But Yersultan’s outburst softens his tough posture, and though he reaches out to hug the boy, he meets resistance.Is it too late to apologise and be a family again?The answer never co...2025-07-1816 min
Turan TalesEpisode 10: Powering Central Asia - Is nuclear the best bet?This week, we’re exploring the issue of energy deficiency in the region and how best to address it. Joining us is Anatole Boute, Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. I asked him whether nuclear power is the right path for Central Asia, what needs to be done to improve access to cheap and clean energy, and whether Central Asian states are ready to cooperate in this vital sector. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe2025-06-2647 min
Turan TalesEpisode 9: Is Central Asia’s cotton finally becoming ethical?This week we’re looking at an important regional story: cotton, or “oq oltin”(“white gold”), as Uzbeks call it. From forced labour in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to the shrinking of the Aral Sea, we explore what’s changed, what hasn’t, and whether the region’s cotton is finally becoming ethical.Joining us is Umida Niyazova, head and founder of the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, who has been monitoring labour conditions in Uzbekistan’s cotton fields for many years. I asked her about her personal journey and why she founded her organisation in Germany, what cott...2025-06-1949 min
Turan TalesEpisode 8: Whatever happened to Central Asia's "Island of Democracy"?In this week’s episode, joining us is a person who knows the Kyrgyz system inside out: Rinat Tuhvatshin, the co-founder and current Chief Technology Officer of Kloop -- Kyrgyzstan's leading investigative media outlet. I have asked him about the recent arrests of Kloop’s collaborators, the founding of Kloop and how the situation in Kyrgyzstan has been changing over the years. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe2025-06-1250 min
Turan Tales“Families should be built on love.” The story of a Kyrgyz stolen bride.Meerim still remembers the price her husband paid for luring her to his village. It was 1964 and her freedom was worth 80 roubles – equivalent to a plane ticket from Moscow to Bratsk, a “Sputnik” bicycle, a pair of winter shoes or coat in a Bishkek store, or, with luck, a pair of black-market jeans. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe2025-06-0922 min
Talk Eastern EuropeEpisode 224: Why the Caspian Sea mattersIn this episode Adam and Alexandra catch up on the latest news, with a discussion on the upcoming presidential election in Poland, current developments in Hungary and what is the status of the peace process in Russia’s war against Ukraine.During the deep dive, Adam sits down with journalist Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska to discuss issues in Central Asia in particular the situation surrounding the Caspian Sea. They look at the geopolitical significance of the sea region and the environment situation which is deteriorating as a result of oil extraction. This episode is the third part in our min...2025-05-3050 min
Turan TalesEpisode 7: Why Tajikistan’s opposition turned to the International Criminal Court?This week, we’ll be looking at the recent complaint filed against Tajikistan with the International Criminal Court by several groups, including the Islamic Renaissance Party — Tajikistan’s main opposition group operating in exile.The complainants allege that, over the years, Tajikistan has committed crimes against humanity, including torture, rape, extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and forced exile.Joining us is Steve Swerdlow, a human rights lawyer and professor of practice at the University of California, who has spent years researching Central Asia. I asked him how Tajikistan has changed over time, what the most s...2025-05-151h 00
Turan TalesEpisode 6: What’s behind China’s archaeological digs in Central Asia?This week, we’re exploring the archaeological excavations China has carried out in recent years in Central Asia—particularly in Uzbekistan—and the possible motivations behind these digs.Joining us is a special guest: Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre who specialises in China–Central Asia relations. I spoke with him about how to interpret China’s interest in the region’s ancient and medieval history, what the Belt and Road Initiative (also known as the New Silk Road) really is, and what China’s broader goals are in each Central Asian state. 2025-05-081h 05
Turan TalesFrom the alas to the steppe. How Kazakhstan became the go-to destination for Sakha people fleeing Russia’s warAlexey Vinokurov never wanted to leave his hometown, Yakutsk, the coldest city on earth. Nested in Russia’s Siberia within the Republic of Sakha, it lies over 8,000 kilometres from Moscow and only 450 kilometres from the Arctic Circle. He found everything he needed there: a comfortable job as a graphic designer, a loving family, and lifelong friendships.But when Russia invaded Ukraine, his life unravelled. His Instagram posts condemning the war quickly led to two administrative convictions for discrediting the Russian army. Vinokurov knew that one more outspoken post could mean up to seven years in pr...2025-05-0217 min
Turan TalesThe Jadids - Muslim modernists purged by Stalin, reclaimed by UzbekistanThe Jadids - Muslim modernists purged by Stalin, reclaimed by Uzbekistan. TURAN TALK with Adeeb Khalid, Professor of Asian Studies and History at Carleton College Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe2025-04-2452 min
Turan TalesCentral Asia: BFFs or just friends with benefits?Over the past few weeks, Central Asia has hosted several important events. First, Presidents of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan – Emomali Rahmon and Sadyr Japarov – met in Bishkek to sign a border delimitation deal which ended years of conflict over water resources and land.Then, the two officials – joined by Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev – travelled to Khujand in northern Tajikistan, close to where the borders of the three countries meet, to sign the treaty of Eternal Friendship.Finally, in early April, the first summit between Central Asia and the European Union took place, and ended with Ursula von...2025-04-1757 min
Turan Tales"Then Trump came to power": Under-threat Karakalpak activist denied US resettlementAqylbek Muratbai, 36, has never committed a crime. But in mid-February this year, he left his jail cell in a suburb of Almaty, Kazakhstan’s former capital, after a year in detention. The city had not changed during this year of absence, Muratbai says, though the village where his parents now live has gained internet access.But in a way, the world has undergone a paradigm shift. In late January, three weeks before Muratbai was released from detention, the United States President Donald Trump announced the suspension of the Refugee Admission Programme, a flagship US initiative established in 1980 to...2025-04-1115 min
Turan TalesEpisode 3: Reputation laundering in Central AsiaThis week we are looking at Trump administration's attempt to defund Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Then we are joined by Dilmira Matyakubova to talk about reputation laundering: how authoritarian states manipulate international public opinion and whitewash their crimes with the help of global organisations, academic and media Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe2025-03-2753 min
Turan TalesEpisode 2: Why Uzbekistan's elite infighting turned violent?This week we’re looking at last year’s failed assassination attempt on Komil Allamjanov and together with my guest - Alisher Ilkhamov - we will try to answer the question of why someone wanted him dead -- and who this someone might be.We delve into the Chechen - and Russian - connection of the killing attempt and the possible bigger story behind these links.Finally, we will try to answer a very difficult questions of what may come next for Uzbekistan and its elite power struggles. Get full access to Tura...2025-03-2040 min
Turan TalesAtomic Kazakhstan: The invisible curse[LONG READ] While the Soviet nuclear test site in Kazakhstan has long been closed, the effects of radiation on people's health are felt to this day -- and still wait to be researched. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe2025-03-1322 min
Turan TalesEpisode 1: The quest to normalise Central AsiaHello and welcome to Turan Tales!I’m thrilled to share with you the first episode of my bi-weekly podcast delving into underreported stories of people, politics and social change in Central Asia.In this episode I explain what Turan Tales is, where the idea came from and what I hope to achieve with this newsletter.I am then joined by Peter Leonard, a fellow journalist focusing on Central Asia, to discuss the idiosyncrasies of reporting from the region. We went on a rant (or two) about the condition of mainstream media and ho...2025-03-0654 min
Liberte! TALKSKsiążki z puentą: Nowy Uzbekistan. Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska gościnią Magdy MelnykW najnowszym odcinku „Książek z puentą” zapraszam Was w podróż do dalekiego Uzbekistanu. Naszą przewodniczką będzie Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska, która w latach 2018 - 2021 jako jedyna anglojęzyczna dziennikarka mieszkała na stałe w tym kraju. Wspólnie porozmawiamy o złożonej tożsamości Uzbeków od ponad 30 lat kształtującej się w państwie utrzymywanym w izolacji, gdzie działania obywateli poddawane są silnej kontroli, nie ma wolnej prasy, oficjalnie środowiska LGBT nie istnieją, a homoseksualizm to przestępstwo karane więzieniem. Mimo tych wszystkich problemów miłość naszej rozmówczyni do Uzbekistanu okazuje się być zaraźliwa i koniec k...2023-12-1239 min
Dział ZagranicznyCzy Uzbekistan naprawdę przestał prześladować muzułmanów (Dział Zagraniczny Podcast#199)Do śmierci prezydenta Islama Karimowa w 2016 r., Uzbekistan prześladował religijnych obywateli najsilniej z wszystkich państw Azji Środkowej. Jego następca zmienił kurs i stawia teraz na silną promocję islamu. Na ile jest to jednak tylko fasada dla wciąż opresyjnego systemu? O zmieniających się obliczach uzbeckiej religijności opowiada Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska – reporterka agencji Reutera i autorka książki "Nowy Uzbekistan". 🔊 Odsłuchaj rozmowy na stronie ➞ https://dzialzagraniczny.pl/ Lub w aplikacjach ➞ Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, oraz wszystkich pozostałych. Jeżeli podoba Ci się ten podcast, to możesz mnie też wesprzeć dobrowolną w...2023-09-1440 min
The Writing Coach Podcast with Rebecca L. WeberWCP 206 Archives XXI: Mother tongue with Beatriz Miranda, Agnieszka Pikulicka- Wilczewska, and Yolisa QuntaOne of the participants in this discussion from the archives, Yolisa Qunta, passed away last year. Listening to this episode again reminds me of her heart, insight, and humor. I’m thankful to have had her as a writer friend. In this episode, we discussed the challenges and opportunities for multilingual writers. We speak with freelancers from Brazil, Poland, and South Africa, who have all used their locations and language skills to build relationships with editors overseas. This is a fascinating discussion for everyone interested in developing a better understanding of international coverage. + Centering local sto...2022-11-2252 min
Granicę dalej. KSSM PodcastAzja Centralna, Kaukaz, Bułgaria, Senegal. Prasówka KSSM - 30 marca 2022W prasówce Mateusz Kubasiewicz, mówiąc m.in. o separatyzmie w senegalskim regionie Casamance i powiązaniu bułgarskiej prokuratury ze środowiskiem Bojko Borisowa, nawiązywał do następujących publikacji:Africa Daily o konflikcie Casamance: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0bvl23tRadosveta Vassileva o Bułgarii: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2022/03/21/bulgarias-institutional-wars/Wojciech Jagielski o Azerbejdżanie: https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/wojna-w-ukrainie-azerbejdzan-zakladnikiem-kremla-172428Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska o Azji Cenralnej https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/25/ukraine-war-is-central-asia-loosening-ties-with-russiaWojciech Górecki o Turkmenistanie: https://www.osw.waw.pl/pl/publikacje/analizy/2022...2022-03-3007 min
The Writing Coach Podcast with Rebecca L. WeberWCP Bonus Apply for the Yolisa Qunta Freelance Writer Bootcamp ScholarshipA full scholarship is available for the January session of my small group coaching program, Freelance Writer Bootcamp. The program focuses on helping writers improve their pitch acceptances rate, and to get paid well while covering stories that matter. If you identify as a person of color, are from the so-called Global South, identify as LGBTQI+, and/or identify with multiple groups that have historically been underrepresented in journalism, you are especially encouraged to apply. This scholarship has been renamed in honor of Bootcamper Yolisa Qunta. She was a well-known and respected freelancer an...2021-10-1415 min
The Writing Coach Podcast with Rebecca L. WeberWCP102 Mother tongue with Beatriz Miranda, Agnieszka Pikulicka- Wilczewska, and Yolisa QuntaToday we’re looking at the challenges and opportunities for multilingual writers. We speak with freelancers from Brazil, Poland, and South Africa, who have all used their locations and language skills to build relationships with editors overseas. This is a fascinating discussion for everyone interested in developing a better understanding of international coverage. -Centering local stories for foreign audiences (i.e. not allowing an “othering” or so-called exotic gaze) and making sure that editors understand the cultural significance of story angles -Working as a fixer with a foreign correspondent and networking to find freelance gigs 2020-09-0549 minDział ZagranicznyCzy Uzbekistan skończy z pracą przymusową na polach bawełny (Dział Zagraniczny Podcast#045)Czy Uzbekistan skończy z pracą przymusową na polach bawełny (Dział Zagraniczny Podcast#045) Władze w Taszkiencie ogłosiły, że z powodu koronawirusa 200 tys. tamtejszych obywateli spadło poniżej granicy ubóstwa, dlatego rząd apeluje do społeczności międzynarodowej o zakończenie wieloletniego bojkotu uzbeckiej bawełny. Ten rozpoczął się jednak z powodu zmuszania ludzi do niewolniczej pracy przy zbiorach: w szczytowym momencie przymusowo uczestniczyło w nich 3 mln osób. Czy niedawna zmiana władzy oznacza także odejście od tych praktyk? O uzbeckiej bawełnie oraz reformach opowiada mieszkaj...2020-08-1341 min
Talk Eastern EuropeEpisode 2: 1918. The year of independenceIn this episode, co-hosts Maciek Makulski and Adam Reichardt discuss the newest issue of New Eastern Europe which has the theme of 1918 and memory of the end of the First World War from the Eastern European perspective. The hosts also discuss other threads in the issue including some interesting pieces on social and economic developments in Russia as well as a discussion on Belarus in the eyes of its neighbours. Resources:New Eastern Europe issue 6/2018: http://neweasterneurope.eu/2018/11/05/issue-6-2018-1918-year-independence/“The decline of the West and the joy in the East” - Interview with Andrz...2018-11-1935 min