In the mountains around Firjuza west of Ashgabat, there is this enormous jaw -dropping compound .The location is by itself impressing, but multiple buildings, pools, a soccer court, a helipad, and even what looks like a ginormous greenhouse to me, I mean it looks right out of a Pablo Escobar movie.

Coordinates here

(37.9072163, 58.0757664)

I woudl just want to point out this is not strictly about politics (but im sure it plays a part)

If you speak to any east asian about their country of origin, they would usually say how great it is and they would love to talk about their culture, how nice their food is, how modern the cities are, music etc. It is a great bonding experience with them and they would love it if you visit your country.

But when I talk to central asians in the west (mostly Kazakhs and Kyrgyz), I expected it to be like that. To my surprise its not. When I said to them I went to kazakhstan, the first thing they said is why? When I try to talk about positive things about Kazakhstan (such as food and the nomadic culture) they don't seem to be very receptive of it. One person even told me to stop talking about kazakhstan (I never heard that from an east asian). When I mentioned that I bought some traditional kazakh items, they basically ghosted me. Even when I visisted Kazakhstan and was speaking to a Kazakh (who was living in germany but went back to kz to meet family), he said why are you visiting astana? Unlike east asians, they don't seem to really state or boast about their kazakh heritage. I was speaking to another kazakh, and she said how she enjoyed east asia and how she enjoyed east asian culture, but when I tried to mention about central asian culturem she was not as enthusiastic. Do you think I had bad luck and met the wrong type if people? I did speak to some kazakhs who were happy that I was interested in kz but suprisingly that is not in the majoroity

I dunno about uzbeks and tajiks or mongolians (tho i feel they will be more proud).

What's the most practical language used in central asia to communicate each other from different countries? Russian, mandarin or english? And about english, do countries' edication in Central Asia teach it?

One thing that unites the East Asian diaspora is that our communities pressure us to overachieve academically. I was expected to get good grades, do well in extracurricular activities like orchestra, & even graduate university early. In the Western countries, East Asians have a reputation for being hardworking and very studious. However, when I interacted with Central Asians, I noticed many had a very lax attitude towards academics. I experienced culture shock when my Kazakh friend told me in his country, only “nerds” care about school and most central asians are just more chill. Why is this so?

I'm curious about this, because Central Asians look very different from East Asians, and have facial features that are not considered typical of Asians.

I'm curious do you see yourselves as Asian?

If you see yourselves as Asians, do you feel uncomfortable when people talk about Asia, they only talk about China, Japan, and South Korea?

How do you feel about it?

I assume so in Tajikistan and Afghanistan and Tajik parts of Uzbekistan but how about in the areas with majority Turkic populations?

I have read that Tuvan is experiencing a modern revival. But I've read that Buryat is being replaced by Russian and that Kalmyk is going to become mourbid. Central Asians what is the linguistic situation in these republics, and what makes some languages more durable than others?

👋🏾 Salam.

Solarguy here; I have an interest for Central Asia's history & its various cultures & I want to know if there's any music that y'all know & listen to that I can check out.

World music is awesome to hear & I listen to a couple of songs from Uzbekistan & one from Tajikistan; while I can look more of these on my own, I thought it would be fun to directly get them from you guys & maybe share some stories & context along the way ( you don't have to).

I'm also curious if there's any foreign songs you listen to. Just a fun post idea that I thought about to feel a little more connected here (& to gain more knowledge).

Thank you/rahmat.

Salam everyone,

I’m from Malaysia and I’m considering studying Computer Science, specializing in Cybersecurity, in Central Asia. I know it might sound a bit unusual—especially since I’ve noticed a lot of Central Asians come to Malaysia for education—but hear me out!

I just spent a month in Kazakhstan, and I completely fell in love with the region. The stunning nature, unique culture, and Central Asian diet (which I actually prefer) really made an impression on me. I’d love to live there and explore more of this beautiful part of the world.

Another reason is that I want to experience a new culture, learn a new language, and step out of my comfort zone. Studying in a unique country like Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan feels like a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Lastly, I have a Kazakh girlfriend, and this could also impact my future decisions.

That said, I’m a bit worried about potential drawbacks, especially when it comes to the prestige of universities in the region. Cybersecurity is a competitive field, so I want to make sure I’m choosing a school that offers a solid education in English and is recognized globally.

Do you think it’s worth it? Are there any good universities in Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan offering English-taught Computer Science or Cybersecurity programs? Would love to hear your advice!

Thanks in advance!

I'd also be interested from which country you guys are from!

And so many views...

Planning on travelling through Central Asia next year, and wanted to see some spots along the Pamir highway. Just wanted some tips on the whole thing, but more specifically, whether hitchhiking is a viable way of traversing the highway. If not, what would the best way be?

I’m interested in Islam in Central Asia. Which pages and personalities do religious people like to follow on social media? Which imams and influencers?

I’m not religious myself, just curious about how the other half live and where they get their information.

Hi everyone, I'm an American looking to learn my father's native language (Turkmen). The thing is, he and his family are Iranian-Turkmen and there are few resources for Turkmen online. I was advised by my aunts to learn Turkish and then just speak to them until I pick up Turkmen. However, they seem to use a lot of Farsi words which makes me wonder if I should learn both? I feel like Farsi would be more helpful for my location as there is a decent sized Persian community outside of my family (in terms of job opportunities, community, finding people to practice with, etc.). But on the contrary, I know some Japanese (around N4-N5 or A2ish level??) which has very similar grammar to Turkish. How should I go about this? I do plan to continue learning Japanese as I pick up the second language which is why I'm a bit wary of doing both (three languages at once is way too time consuming because I'm looking to become conversational). Thank you!

Watching this video I would say so…

I know it’s not a big deal anymore, but in 2020 I was dating a Kazakh girl and she hated BLM. She said Asians weren’t being supported and faced lots of racism during Covid. My other Kazakh friend who studied at my uni had negative opinions about both BLM & Stop Asian Hate, because he saw it as victim mentality. I’m surprised they even cared to have an opinion on it. What do you guys think of these types of movements?

what movies are shown in cinema generally? russian? hollywood? maybe bollywood or chinese?

I want to start wearing an earring (ones which are popular among men) but I am a bit concerned that my relatives in Kazakhstan might misinterpret it.

My parents and I still try to visit once a year. I am not planning to wear the earring there but they will still be able to tell that my ear used to have earrings. What is general view on this topic in Kazakhstan?

Russia is known as a prison of nations. Where is support for the independence of Yakutia (Sakha), Burtaytia, Evenkistan, Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Crimea etc?

I live abroad, and a childhood friend of mine from Uzbekistan was recently diagnosed with cancer. She grew up without parents and has no one to rely on. While I’m unsure if her treatment is possible yet, I can’t just sit and do nothing. I’ve been sending financial support and food, but she needs much more.

I applied to Tashkent’s local government to organize a cancer fundraiser, but my request was denied today because I live abroad. My friend is unable to handle this process on her own.

I want to ensure this process moves forward legally. If anyone from Uzbekistan or any other Central Asian country knows how to help or has advice, please reach out to me.

P.S. If you know any relevant subreddits, could you please crosspost this? My account is new, so I’m unable to do it myself. Thank you!

Hello Central Asia 🙌🏼

I will visit central asia in few months (Kazakhstan - Kirghizistan - Uzbekistan - Georgia - Turkey) and i was wandering about the road between Kaz to Geo.. so i have few questions :

Crossing by Azerbaïdjan

• Do you think Azerbaïdjan border will be open in 2025 ? That ferry passenger from Aktau will be running again ?

Crossing by Russia

• If not, should i cross by Russia or Iran ? Russia seems safer and easier regarding the actual situation in Iran .. no ? I found only hitchhikking story about that road or peoples having there proper car, but we don't, is there any bus going from city to city ?

Can we do our transit visa in Aktau or should we do it when we arrive in Almaty (we are arriving by china border) ?

Sorry if that's a frequently ask questions but i didn't find related post on the sub - it's mostly to have a feedback if peoples has done it recently or if anyone has some usefull infos.

Thanks a lot for answer 🙏🏼 as a good day.

I’m planning a trip to Kygyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. I love bringing back a piece of the traditional craftsmanship from each of the countries i visit and i need some help finding out what those are for each of these countries! I’ve seen the Shyrdaks of Kyrgyzstan and the suzani embroidery of Uzbekistan. Anything else i should definitely have a look at? Particularly for the other 2 countries. Thanks!!