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Central Asia in Transition: Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

Photos and text by Jeremy Bransten

ON THE ROAD IN CENTRAL ASIA

Until 1991, when they became independent states, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan were remote republics of the Soviet Union, often closed to Western eyes. And yet, in an earlier age, the people of these lands considered themselves at the center of the world, straddling the crossroads of East and West on the famous Silk Road.

Much has been made of the return of this legendary trade route as the newly independent states of Central Asia once again open their borders and seek to become a bridge between the Far East and Europe. Yet Kazkahstan's and Kyrgyzstan's endless prairies and towering mountain ranges are still remote and their cities remain unfamiliar to most.

To the armchair traveler, the Silk Road evokes images of carpets, minarets and camel caravans. The reality, after more than 70 years of Soviet domination is often less romantic, but beneath the surface and on the edges, traces of an older way of life remain. Look behind the concrete apartment buildings and Lenin statues and you will still spot some yurts. Take the city bus to the last stop in Bishkek and you will see shepherds grazing their sheep amid the children's playgrounds. Wander into Almaty's central market and sample the spicy delicacies or drive out of town and you will see the camels amid the untouched landscape.

These photos document a journey between the two countries and offer a snapshot of life today in and around both cities.

KAZAKHSTAN CARVES A NEW CAPITAL

Nursultan Nazarbayev, the president of Kazakhstan, has decreed that the country's capital be moved from cosmopolitan Almaty, in Kazakhstan's southeast corner, to the provincial steppe town of Akmola, 900 kilometers to the north. Thousands of construction workers toil day and night to make the president's vision a reality -- at least on the main street. Away from the bustle, however, Akmola remains a sleepy, run-down city where there is no hot water, and at times, no electricity. Some dub Akmola "the new Brasilia," drawing comparisons to Brazil's artificially-created capital, which has become synonymous with central-planning gone wrong.

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special reports 1997

central asia in transition