Hi all,
If I had to pick one book about Uzbekistan that I would recommend to everyone, it would be The Vanishing Generation: Faith and Uprising in Modern Uzbekistan by Bagila Bukharbaeva, an Uzbek journalist and former Associated Press correspondent.
Published in 2019, the book takes us back to Uzbekistan in the 1990s and early 2000s, when the newly independent nation was searching for its identity. Islam became an important part of that search. Dozens of local religious groups emerged under the leadership of new religious figures, some of whom developed their own interpretations of the faith.
Over time, President Islam Karimov came to see growing religiosity as a threat to both the secular state and his rule. The oppression of pious Muslims followed, eventually culminating in what became known as the Andijan massacre—the violent suppression of protests in the Ferghana Valley on May 13, 2005.
This week, we revisit those events with Bagila Bukharbaeva, author of The Vanishing Generation. We discuss Uzbekistan’s turn toward religion, unpack the events that led to the Andijan massacre, and examine whether religion has ever posed a genuine threat in the country. We also talk about Bagila’s own experience covering her community, which ultimately led to a years-long ban on her entering Uzbekistan.
I have a small announcement: Turan Talks will be taking a summer break throughout July, which means there will be no new episodes during that time. We’ll be back in August with more great interviews, stories, and perhaps a few surprises.
And one more thing: keep your fingers crossed for us on July 8. We’ll be in London for the Publishers Podcast Awards ceremony.
I hope you will enjoy this episode.
Have a great summer!
— Agnieszka
