Russia has detained four suspected shooters in the Crocus City Hall mass shooting. The suspects are all from Tajikistan. Now, there are reports in cities across Russia that people from Central Asia are experiencing a rise in harassment, mistreatment and xenophobic behavior.
An estimated 40,000 Jews fled fighting in the western part of the Soviet Union during World War II and sought refuge in Central Asia. Today, only about 1,500 Jews still live in Kyrgyzstan, but the small community continues to thrive.
Until recently, residents of Central Asian cities didn’t have a good way to check the air quality before stepping outside in the winter, when pollution especially stagnates in the air. Pavel Plotitsyn took matters into his own hands, building low-cost air sensors and a website to help gauge air quality on any given day.
On a recent morning, students at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA), in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, gathered for the school’s annual Afghan culture day. Dressed in traditional clothing representing ethnicities from all over Afghanistan, students performed Afghan dances and recited poetry on a small stage decorated in black, red and green balloons — the colors […]