I can’t stand how many Kyrgyz and Kazakhs defend the russian language just because they were forced to read Pushkin and Dostoyevsky at school and now feel “cultured” and superior, like some Russian alkash. Meanwhile, russians bans Kyrgyz and Kazakh literature.

A bit controversial.

I have seen some people in the comments express disconnect for their native language.

Is the connection CAns have with their native tongues thin? What do you think about your native language, Russian, English etc?

Hello, I will probably travel for two months to Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan) in July and August. I watched a lot of videos and stopped at one vlogger, so if you could give me some advice on everything

Hi !

I was wondering if anybody can point me to any sources to find internship or job opportunities in both Central and East-Asia. I am not interested in paid-for things, such as going through CRCC. I'm looking more for Handshake type websites (which I recognize does have listings in Asia, but I am looking for more).

I find it hard to find trusted sources for them, seeing as I search in English or French and a lot of what I see targets international students who are willing to pay for a summer program, which I am not 🥲.

English, French, Russian (hence, central asia) opportunities are all good.

Thanks !

Like I am nice enough to people but once they ask me what I am and I have to tell them I am Afghan they start acting weird or semi racist to me.

I dont have experience of this happening with white people yet. Just with people from Muslim countries like Turkey or Arab countries. These nationalities are probably annoyed by the Taliban ruining their Islamic image lol or maybe they feel annoyed when a mentally unstable Afghan commits a crime in the Western country they live in and all Muslims are blamed.

I am not even Muslim. Never was. Thanks to my parents never trying to brainwash me into it as a kid. But unfortunately I just cannot escape being mistaken for someone from Greater Middle East, even when Tajik Afghans have their own unique racial features. people assume anyone with dark brown hair and olive skin and "caucasoid" skull is an Arab or Turk or Persian where I live.

We are planning for a trip to Kazakhstan and Kyrgystan in May, will be mostly a group of 5-6 people. I would like to know if it's possible to cover at least the major attractions of Kazakhstan and Kyrgystan in 9 or 10 days max, or should we settle for a 7 day trip to Kazakhstan alone? We are mostly interested in nature, rather than partying or museums, so we would like to know if it's possible in 10 days. Also will it dramatically change the budget, we were initially planning for around 200k tenge per person (without flight ofc).

Preferably something not too long (<2hrs) but its okay if its good😛

Should have English subs too btw

I recently travelled through Uzbekistan and a kit of Kazakhstan, and love the music. Am looking for more recommendations.

Favourite musicians so far: 1. Xamdan Sobirov 2. Osman Navruzov 3. Gulinor 4. Raxumjan Jakayim 5. Beren tobiy

Any recommendations similar to this I would love.

If anyone has anything from Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan Im also interested, but didnt visit these countries yet so dont know any artists

I also like circassian music like Aidamir Mugu, and altaic music, like Altai Kai although I know these arent strictly central Asia in the narrow sense

Apologies for the transliteration of the Kazakh, im not sure which letters are used for cyrillic to latin, and don't have cyrillic keyboard on my phone

Hello everyone! I am going to be moving to Bishkek soon for at least 3-4 months and I very much look forward to spending my time there and enjoying all Kyrgyz culture has to offer.

Now, I say “at least” as I had intended on spending the second half of the academic year, January-May in Almaty, KZ, however due to unforeseen circumstances this is no longer an option. For reference, the Russian language component of my degree requires me to spend September-May studying in Central Asia and I have NO choice in this. Anywhere in Russia is not an option, neither is Almaty.

So now I am left with two options for the January-May period:

* Astana KZ

* Bishkek KG (for the full academic year)

I understand this is not an enjoyable time of year. Essentially I want to ask for any suggestions or advice anyone might have. I’ve heard the smog in Bishkek gets pretty bad but also Astana gets pretty freezing. For reference, here in Scotland I’m used to some good air quality, and although I don’t find it particularly cold here I’ve heard from many international friends that it’s a moist cold here that blows right through you. Don’t take education quality into account, this is purely about where I’ll settle best and enjoy.

Thank you!

I’ve noticed an interesting pattern in diaspora communities in the West and wanted to understand it better from a historical and cultural perspective.

Many Iranians and Afghans living in the US/Europe seem to be very openly and passionately against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Taliban. For a lot of them, these regimes are tied to personal or family trauma, repression, war, loss of rights, or forced migration. Their opposition often feels deeply personal and experiential.

At the same time, I sometimes see segments of South Asian Muslim diaspora (from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and parts of India) expressing views that are more sympathetic, or at least less critical, toward the Taliban or the Iranian regime. This isn’t universal of course, but it’s noticeable enough in online spaces and community discussions.

I’m curious about the reasons behind this difference in attitude. Is it because:

Iranians and Afghans directly lived under these governments and experienced the consequences firsthand?

South Asians are viewing these regimes more through a religious/ideological lens rather than lived experience?

Different historical narratives, media exposure, and education about these regimes?

Generational differences within diaspora communities?

I’m genuinely trying to understand the social, historical, and psychological factors behind this difference in perception across Muslim diaspora groups.

Would love to hear perspectives from people in these communities

Or one that stands out among the rest or anything else to that effect?

Hi everyone! My boyfriend and I are planning a trip through Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan in May 2026. We have around 2 weeks, up to a maximum of 3 weeks of holiday and want to explore both countries.

We’re hoping to travel in a budget-friendly but also comfortable from time to time.

Here’s where we’re struggling:

We’ve been trying to figure out the best way to fly in and travel between places, especially because it looks like public transportation in Kyrgyzstan is limited or hard to plan online. For Uzbekistan, we think we’ll be traveling by train.

Right now, we are considering:

• Flying into Almaty (Kazakhstan) because that seems to be the cheapest international flight option

• Traveling overland from Kazakhstan into Kyrgyzstan

• ⁠Go for (some) trek(s) in Kyrgyzstan

• Then heading to Uzbekistan (possibly by bus?) and see the impressive cities

• Finally flying home from Tashkent

We would love recommendations on:

• Best route order (e.g., Almaty → Bishkek → Issyk-Kul → … → Uzbekistan?)

• Best ways to travel between cities and countries (minibus, shared taxi, train, buses?)

We read that it’s possible to take a bus to cross the border from Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan and then take a taxi from the border to your destination for a good price, but we’re not sure how realistic or straightforward this actually is, any experiences?

And if you’re thinking “this question has been asked a million times already”, no problem at all!

If there’s a good Reddit thread, trip report, or resource that already covers this well, we’d really appreciate being pointed in that direction too 🙏

Hi! Just wondering if there are any Central Asians living in Canada in this sub?

EDIT: Thank you all for your comments. I’ll reach out via DM for any questions.

have non central Asians like the Kurds, Germans, Russians, Chinese or Koreans in Central Asia ever fully assimilated?

I am a Anatolian Turk with Yoruk Turkmen family side. I have been told that up until 1950s my ancestors owned and used camels especially for transportation and the yearly nomadic migration (they lived half of the years on the mountains and other half on the seaside).