Kazakhstan

Central Asia: 20 Years of Independence

 

As the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, the five Central Asian republics suddenly found themselves independent states, facing numerous challenges in creating a sense of nationhood and building separate economic structures. To mark the two decades since the five new states came into being, IWPR is publishing a series of articles highlighting the common challenges facing them, and some of the ways in which their paths have diverged over the years.

Lukpan Ahmedyarov is out of danger after he was shot and stabbed last week. (Photo: Uralskaya Nedelya)
25 Apr 12
Colleague says assault on Lukpan Ahmedyarov meant as strong message to anyone thinking of voicing dissent.
Exiled banker and government critic Mukhtar Ablyazov. (Photo: Serik Kovlanbaev)
11 Apr 12
Allegations seem designed to blame exiled opposition figure Mukhtar Ablyazov for all that is wrong with Kazakstan.
The building of Ozenmunaigaz, the oil company at the centre of the industrial dispute that ended in violence last December. (Photo: Serik Kovlanbaev)
28 Mar 12
Tense mood at start of court case in which demonstrators, not those who fired shots, are on trial.
Andrei Grishin.
Interview
28 Mar 12
Rights activist doubts proceedings will shed much light on what really happened.
Yevgeny Zhovtis. (Photo: Kazakstan Bureau for Human RIghts and Rule of Law)
Interview
19 Mar 12
Recently released human rights activist describes conditions on the inside, and the reasons why the authorities prefer repression to other options.
The wooden Cathedral of the Ascension in Almaty was completed in 1907 and is one of the very few older buildings to have survived earthquakes and urban planning. (Photo: Ken and Nyetta/Flickr)
IWPR Postcard
14 Mar 12
Kazakstan’s former capital has become a magnet for ambitious young Central Asians, attracted not just by opportunities but also by welcoming environment.
Adzhar Kurtov, a Central Asia expert at the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies. (Photo: A. Kurtov)
Policemen attend the funeral of one of the officers killed during a massive security sweep to track down members of an armed group. (Photo: Alima Abdirova)
The building of Ozenmunaigaz, the oil company at the centre of the industrial dispute that ended in violence last December. (Photo: Serik Kovlanbaev) Police in Uralsk detain journalist Sanat Urnaliev (centre) and other demonstrators. (Photo: R. Uporov) The presidents of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakstan, Russia and Turkmenistan (from left to right) meeting in Baku on November 18 to discuss a sea they all share but cannot agree on. (Photo: Arman Teymoor) Media rights Tamara Kaleeva believes the government’s human rights programme does not address key freedom-of-expression concerns. (Photo: Serik Kovlanbaev)
http://kazakhstanvote2011.crowdmap.com/ A women’s prison at Chemolgan in the Almaty region. (Photo: Serik Kovlanbaev)
Election officials say under five per cent of voters did not go for President Nazarbaev. (Photo: Serik Kovlanbaev)
The wooden Cathedral of the Ascension in Almaty was completed in 1907 and is one of the very few older buildings to have survived earthquakes and urban planning. (Photo: Ken and Nyetta/Flickr) Uzbek migrant workers get little support from their government if they run into trouble abroad. (Photo: Andrey Kudryashov/IWPR archive) Vyacheslav Abramov. (Photo: Serikjan Kovlanbaev)