Merey Speaks Out: Interview with Popular Kazakh Singer

The Times of Central Asia features an interview with Merey, a young female Kazakh singer, poet and lyricist who plays the dombra and finds inspiration in traditional Kazakh poets Mukaghali Makatayev and Fariza Ongarsynova: Kazakh cultural space is generally sensitive to newness and I love experimenting. My song Carpe Diem, where I touch on female sexuality in the Kazakh language, caused a … Continue reading Merey Speaks Out: Interview with Popular Kazakh Singer →

Astana AI Film Festival 2026

Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, will host the Astana AI Film Festival (AAIFF 2026) this autumn featuring films created using artificial intelligence, reports the Times of Central Asia. The festival will bring together filmmakers, digital creators, representatives of technology companies, industry experts, and investors. See here for related news in Kazakh.

Tengrism in Kazakhstan: Re-emergence under Gorbachev’s Perestroika

I listened recently to a Turan Tales podcast featuring an interview with Abigail Scripka, who did her master’s thesis on “Tengrism as a youth movement” among 18-to-30-year olds in Almaty during the 80s and 90s. Fascinating stuff. This is a wide-ranging interview that touches on a host of topics, including: Subtleties of the co-existence of Tengrism, Shamanism and … Continue reading Tengrism in Kazakhstan: Re-emergence under Gorbachev’s Perestroika →

The Dream of Han Innocence & “Nomad Sedentarization” of Xinjiang’s Kazakhs

Guldana Salimjan, a Kazakh born and raised in China, reviews the popular Chinese TV mini-series “To the Wonder," (我的阿尔泰) literally "My Altai," inspired by Li Juan's writing: Ta-Nehisi Coates [Afro-American author] explains how literary works, public monuments, and eventually movies reinforced the pernicious myth of white supremacy and innocence in the long aftermath of the … Continue reading The Dream of Han Innocence & “Nomad Sedentarization” of Xinjiang’s Kazakhs →

Altaic Storytelling: What We’re Reading Now (2016.4.12)

Just started 冬牧场 (lit, winter pasture) by Li Juan. In 2010, she was commissioned to live with a Kazakh family as they herded their camels, sheep and horses deep into the desert of southern Altay where they traditionally graze during the bitterly cold winter. Her job: To document the little known, semi-nomadic lifestyle of Xinjiang's Kazakh … Continue reading Altaic Storytelling: What We’re Reading Now (2016.4.12) →

Launched: Collection of Contemporary Kazakh Poetry & Fiction in Chinese Translation

Readers can now purchase the 374-page volume featuring 41 pieces of fiction, most translated from the original Kazakh into Chinese (中国当代少数民族文学翻译作品选萃－哈萨克族卷). This is part of the Chinese government’s official translation project (“民译汉”), initiated in 2013, which aims to make writing by ethnic minority writers available to Chinese readers nationwide. This represents a change … Continue reading Launched: Collection of Contemporary Kazakh Poetry & Fiction in Chinese Translation →