Maria Merkulova's Blog

This week we saw several articles demonstrating serious concern about inevitable cuts in fundings of Central Asian studies in U.S. Let us try to consider it as a positive thing. How this cuts could affect scientists and, what is most important, Central…

If you decide to take metro train in Washington, DC, you’re most likely to hear a pleasant woman’s voice - “Safety is everyone’s concern” - referring to possibly dangerous lost bags. Although it sounds a little utopian, this…

Out of five Central Asian countries two still have the same leaders for more than 20 years, one faced its president’s death and transition from one “cult of personality” to another. As remaining eternal leaders age, more and more…

  There are three legislative mechanisms of water resources regulation in Central Asia. First, there is an international law - documents made by Interstate Commission for Water Coordination of Central Asia[1], declarations made by all Central…

  “Before we can unite, and to unite, we must first firmly and definitely delimitate” The concept of “border” was never perceived in CA as it is nowadays, for many centuries borders in that region were only…

This week Bishkek is up to changing it’s mayor, last week there were gossips about preparing a new revolution; protestants in Jalalabad are erecting tents on the central square of the city. What are the key reasons of Kyrgyzstan’s stable…

In previous article we pointed out that players of a “New Great Game” are usually divided into two groups - US, UK and NATO, and Russia, China and SCO. As we described principles that form US strategy, it’s necessary to do the same…

The concept of Central Asia being a geographical pivot of history was first introduced to public in 1904 by sir Halford John Mackinder. Nowadays geopolitical schemes are still based on the “geographical” part of that idea.   We can…