Vladimir Rozanskij

New temperature records have been set in many cities across Central Asia, in some cases exceeding 50 degrees. In this region, which is particularly vulnerable to climate change, roads have warped, power cuts linked to high consumption have occurred, and measures have been put in place to protect those working outdoors.

Patriarch Kirill travelled to the capital of Tatarstan for the feast day of the famous Marian icon and celebrated the anniversary of the historic church. Built to commemorate the visit of Peter the Great, it was converted into a planetarium during the Soviet era. “Here one realises just how much greater God’s power is than that of man.”

Progress has been made in large companies, where investments over three years have reduced energy intensity by 32 per cent. However, much remains to be done to improve the situation in public offices and private homes, which alone still account for 47.7 per cent of the country’s energy consumptionThe two sides of energy saving in Kazakhstan Progress has been made in large companies, where investments over three years have reduced energy intensity by 32 per cent. However, much remains to be done to improve the situation in public offices and private homes, which alone still account for 47.7 per cent of the country’s energy consumption

In response to a message of congratulations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, the White House expressed its hope for “significant progress” in relations with Tbilisi. But after negotiations on EU accession were put on hold, Prime Minister Kobakhidze is now also looking towards Xi Jinping’s China.

The region’s population is gradually ageing: in Kazakhstan, the number of elderly people has risen by around half a million in recent years. But the incidence of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and senile dementia is also on the rise, and families are often left to cope with them on their own.

A cryptocurrency magnate and financial beneficiary of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Sentenced in Moldova to 15 years’ imprisonment for a fraud worth one billion dollars, he was also considered a criminal in Russia. Until 2023, when he put his ‘talent’ at Moscow’s disposal to circumvent sanctions and bolster pro-Russian movements.

The campaign for the parliamentary elections to the Kurultaj – the parliament provided for in the Constitution introduced by Tokaev – scheduled for 23 August, is getting underway. To mark the occasion, the formation of the new Adilet party has been announced; it has effectively absorbed the current ruling party, Amanat.

In Tajikistan, over 50,000 people are to be resettled to make way for the construction of Central Asia’s largest reservoir. It is due to come into operation in a year’s time, but the inhabitants of the villages that will be submerged still do not know either the amount of compensation or the date of payment.

Lawmakers in Tashkent have approved a bill replacing the current letters o', g', ch and sh to standardise the spelling of Uzbek words in international digital systems, thereby preventing problems with electronic payment systems, machine translation and online dictionaries.

The mother of two Chechen dissidents who fled abroad was abducted in 2022 by the security forces whilst at her home in central Russia and taken to Grozny, where she remains in prison. Now her daughter Aliya has appealed to Ajšat Kadyrova, former Minister of Culture and Social Affairs, in a last-ditch effort to secure her release.

From Tajikistan to Kazakhstan, thousands of young people are currently studying at colleges and universities opened in recent years by Moscow, where teaching is conducted in Russian. The aim is to make a long-term investment in the new generation, who have no memory of the Soviet era and are increasingly exposed to Western and Chinese influences.

Serebrennikov and Bogomolov were the most acclaimed figures in Russian theatre, celebrated far beyond the country’s borders. But since the start of the war, the former has left Russia and is now working in Europe, whilst the latter has remained in Moscow, urging the intelligentsia to “set aside their contempt for their own people” and to “work, live and believe”.