In Majluu-Suu, the historic factory that symbolised the electrification of the Soviet Union promoted by Vladimir Ilič is on the verge of closing down for good. Incandescent light bulbs, once exported abroad, have now been replaced by LED bulbs produced in China. The Kyrgyz authorities are seeking to convert the factories, but almost 60% of the city's inhabitants have now emigrated in search of work.
According to Dugin and Soloviev, the former Soviet republics ‘have no right to independence’ and must reunite with Russia to avoid becoming slaves to China, America or Europe. Local governments have issued only feeble protests, invoking the ‘spirit of strategic partnership’. The suspicion that the two propagandists are saying ‘what the Russian leadership does not want to express openly, but which in reality corresponds to its plans’
Japan is looking to the region with projects worth billion over five years. The Land of the Rising Sun's soft power policy in the area is strengthening. For Central Asians, the Japanese are ‘very reliable partners focused on practical results’. Key elements include human capital development, training and administrative programmes, technological standards and high-quality projects.
Among the millions of workers abroad in precarious conditions, hundreds die every year. Returning their bodies home is a complex procedure, and local authorities do not always cover the costs. The story of 30-year-old Tajik Džamila, killed in Russia by her employer, went viral, prompting an online fundraiser.
The early vote called for by Žaparov to implement the new electoral system promoted the presence of women through gender quotas and introduced remote voting. But the division into districts, the reduction in the number of MPs and the limitation of parliamentary powers have in fact favoured the candidates most loyal to the president.
A survey by the Currentime website has outlined the problem in the former Soviet countries. In none of the five Central Asian countries is the concept of ‘femicide’ included in the Penal Code, despite the prevalence of domestic violence. The war between Russia and Ukraine has also led to a significant increase in crimes against women in both countries.
