Breaking News

Baktygul Chynybaeva

Baktygul Chynybaeva is a correspondent in RFE/RL's Central Newsroom based in Prague. She previously worked for RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service in Bishkek, and has reported on health care, climate change, education, gender equality, and energy security issues.

Also by Baktygul Chynybaeva

April 04, 2024
Exclusive: Russian Prisoner Released To Fight In Ukraine Implicated In Murder, Attempted Rape Of Civilians

An investigation by Current Time reveals that a Russian soldier who allegedly murdered two civilians and attempted to rape another in occupied southern Ukraine in 2022 is one of the many thousands of Russian convicts the Kremlin has enlisted to fight in the full-scale invasion.
March 16, 2024
Clearing Kyrgyzstan's Most Dangerous Road

For 40 years, Abdymalik Tolonbaev has cleared heavy snowfall and avalanches to keep a dangerous mountain road open in Kyrgyzstan’s Alaiku district. The remote area is nestled in the high peaks of Kyrgyzstan and the precarious route provides a lifeline to some 20,000 local residents.
March 12, 2024
Another Two Months: A Kyrgyz Court's Decision For 11 Journalists

A Kyrgyz court extended the pretrial detention of 11 journalists who were arrested on January 16 on a charge of "calling for mass riots." Three were moved to house arrest on March 12, while the other eight will remain in detention for another two months.
March 06, 2024
Horses Starve To Death In Kazakhstan Amid Heavy Snowfall

Horse corpses litter the pastures in Kazakhstan, as farmers struggle to feed them due to heavy snow. In the central Ulytau region, locals reported that hundreds of horses had starved to death. The Kazakh government has faced criticism for not taking action to support the farmers.
March 03, 2024
Persian-Style Weddings In Uzbekistan: Throwing Money Into The Air

In the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan, members of the country's ethnic Persian minority organize lavish weddings, spending thousands of dollars on the event. People will spend years in Russia working as migrant laborers to save up for these nuptials before returning to Uzbekistan.
March 01, 2024
Tajik Family Dies Trying To Keep Warm Amid Chronic Power Cuts

A family in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, has died while trying to warm their frigid home with a coal stove, highlighting the dangers posed by chronic power cuts in the Central Asian nation.
February 23, 2024
Kyrgyz Ski Resorts Struggle With Less Snow, Fewer Tourists

The mild winters of the past two years have led to a decline in tourist numbers at Kyrgyzstan's famous Karakol ski resort. Once a popular destination for skiers from Central Asia, Russia, and Europe, resort owners are now grappling with financial challenges.
February 21, 2024
Central Asia Cracks Down On Navalny Memorials

Security services in Central Asia have cracked down on people paying tribute to Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny. Mourners in Kazakhstan have been arrested and fined, while memorials outside Russian embassies in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have been removed.
February 09, 2024
Tajikistan Shortens List Of Jobs Banned For Women

Tajikistan has reduced the number of jobs which it forbids women from doing. The new list still includes 194 professions and types of work that women cannot do, down from the previous 334.
February 07, 2024
Kyrgyzstan Cracks Down Hard On Independent Journalists, Raising Alarm Bells

Kyrgyzstan has never experienced the mass arrests of journalists before. Currently, 11 media members have been detained. The Central Asian country is undergoing a crackdown on civil society and independent media. International human rights organizations view this as an attack on freedom of speech.
February 04, 2024
A Dying Art: Kyrgyzstan's Last Calligrapher

Tulanboi Muidinov, a 71-year-old calligrapher, is the only person in Kyrgyzstan who specializes in ancient Arabic texts. Muidinov wants to pass on his skills to the next generation, but struggles to find followers.
February 03, 2024
'A Passion For Fantasy': Kyrgyzstan's Cosplay Craze

Dressing up in costumes from animations and movies has become a trend among Kyrgyz youth. Colorful costumes inspired by Japanese-style anime festivals are becoming increasingly popular in the conservative Central Asian state. Some illustrations in the story were made using the Discord AI platform.
January 30, 2024
Rush For Measles Vaccines In Kazakhstan Amid Surge In Cases

The Kazakh government has purchased more than 1.5 million measles vaccines amid a surge of cases. The country has the third-highest caseload in the world, behind Yemen and India, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
January 27, 2024
Donkeys Bring Solar Power To Remote Kyrgyz Village

Until recently, the remote Kyrgyz village of Zardaly was completely off the grid. Now, solar power is changing the lives of the local community that has long been isolated deep in the mountainous Ferghana Valley.
January 27, 2024
Breaking Language Barriers, Uzbek Love Songs Conquer Central Asia

Bahrom Azimov writes love songs in Uzbek that are now being translated and enjoyed across Central Asia. Many prominent singers in the region are performing songs composed by this ethnic Uzbek from Kyrgyzstan.
January 24, 2024
Scrambling For Eggs: Russia Asks Kazakhstan To Raise Exports

Russia has been facing a deficit of eggs since last fall and has reached out to Kazakhstan to increase its exports. However, the price of eggs has also risen in the Central Asian country.
January 19, 2024
Migrant Adopts Babies Found In Moscow Trash Container

Mavluda Shakirova, an ethnic Uzbek from Kyrgyzstan, found three abandoned newborn babies in a trash container on the streets of Moscow in 2018. One of them subsequently died but 65-year-old Shakirova officially adopted the two surviving children
January 18, 2024
'I'm Disappointed': Turkmen Activist Halts Criticism Of Repressive Regime After Attacks

An outspoken critic of Turkmenistan's repressive regime has reluctantly ended his activism after facing threats and attacks in Turkey. From Istanbul, Eziz Mammedov would post criticism of the Turkmen government on social media. Despite being abroad, he has been beaten and stabbed.
January 16, 2024
Several Kyrgyz Journalists Detained After Police Search Homes

At least 10 journalists from four independent media organizations in Kyrgyzstan were detained by police after their homes and offices were raided on January 16. They were questioned about alleged involvement in organizing mass unrest.
January 13, 2024
Galloping At The Gender Gap: Kyrgyz Woman Challenges Male-Dominated Sport

A young woman in a Kyrgyz village is breaking stereotypes by playing kok-boru, a Central Asian equestrian sport usually played only by men. Passionate about horses, she dreams of inspiring other young girls.

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