NilCeutica: A New Skincare Brand by Azerbaijani-American Dr. Nilufar Rahimova
How a Doctor of Pharmacology decided to open her own skincare brand after ten years of creating skincare products for herself, friends, and family.
Caucasus, Stories
Leila Mekhdiyeva is a freelance journalist and writer born and raised in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in a mixed Azerbaijani-Kazakh family. She has been living in the Czech Republic since 2015. After graduating from Prague’s Anglo-American University with a BA in Journalism & Communications, Leila has written for a variety of media outlets including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, BLVD Magazine, Lennon Wall Magazine, and Youth Time Magazine.
How a Doctor of Pharmacology decided to open her own skincare brand after ten years of creating skincare products for herself, friends, and family.
Caucasus, Stories
The animation artist behind a successful short animation film, Hadis, talks about the struggles of Azerbaijani Turks in Iran and the censorship of taboo topics in Azerbaijan.
Caucasus, Iran, Stories
As Russian President Vladimir Putin continues threatening the West with the possibility of nuclear war after revoking Russia’s ratification of the 1996 global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests, Kazakhstanis living close to the former nuclear test site say, “Let our suffering be a lesson to others.”
Central Asia, Stories
In the heart of Kazakhstan, 40 kilometres west of its capital, Astana, stands what was once a Soviet Gulag camp and, today, a memorial museum, ALZHIR. The story of this camp makes it unique in its own tragedy.
Central Asia, Stories
The latest report on cotton harvesting reveals that the authorities in Uzbekistan allegedly forced pickers to fulfill production targets set by the government, putting at risk the return of forced labour in the country.
Central Asia, Stories
What started as a lowkey cooking video channel at the end of 2019 became the most famous channel showcasing the Azerbaijani countryside and introducing national dishes to the worldwide audience.
Caucasus, Culture, Stories
Kazakhstani women refuse to be silenced by the government, standing as a quintessential definition of the International Women’s Day.
Central Asia, Stories
RFE/RL’s lawsuit against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, a potential ban on foreign media, and discrimination against journalists—Kazakhstani media’s troublesome reality.
Central Asia, Opinion
Remembering victims of the Khojaly Massacre, the bloodiest massacre of the First Karabakh War by Armenian armed forces.
Caucasus, Stories
As the government in Kazakhstan is reviewing a new bill with harsher sentences and penalties for domestic violence, Kazakh politicians continue to shock the public with their misogyny.
Central Asia, Opinion
As the first and only LGBTQ-education website for teenagers, SelfTanu.kz, got banned in Kazakhstan, the next day, a group of individuals gathered in Almaty demanding that an anti-LGBTQ law be implemented in Kazakhstan.
Central Asia, Stories
A story of an Azerbaijani-American writer whose debut novel, I Sat Alone by the Gate, is more than just another immigrant tale.
Stories
South Caucasian and Central Asian gender equality in numbers
Caucasus, Central Asia, Politics & Economy
Remembering the bloodiest tragedy of independent Kazakhstan
Central Asia, Stories
The day that reminds Azerbaijanis of the world of the importance of their unity and loyalty to their roots
Caucasus, Stories
The rally against violence organized by the youth movement Zhana Adamdar on 25 November received a lot of backlash from Kazakhstan’s civil society and activists, calling the movement pro-governmental and the rally performative activism.
Central Asia, Opinion
Over 20,000 cases of measles have been recorded in Kazakhstan. The government urges the population to get vaccinated while the hospitals struggle to fit patients. The latest measles epidemic in the country has shed light on poor vaccination policies and the rise of anti-vaxxers in the country.
Central Asia, Politics & Economy
Kazakhstan has been an independent state for almost 32 years. However, never before were its citizens so focused on their own history, traditions, and language. Now, with the rising popularity of the academic term “decolonialism” in the country’s everyday life, Kazakhstan is going through its own metamorphosis.
Central Asia, Opinion
How Iran’s Lake Urmia is causing further divide between the ethnic Azerbaijani community in the country, and why the government needs to listen to them.
Iran, Stories
Chinara Alizade’s life is but a fairytale. Dancing ballet from the age of five, she since gained her title of a prima ballerina, and was awarded the titles of “Honored Artist of Azerbaijan” and “The Best Classical Ballerina in Poland.” In this interview, she opened up on her move from Moscow to Warsaw, her marriage, and what it takes to be a successful ballerina.
Caucasus, Stories
As Uyghurs in China face persecution and those who were able to flee and speak up about their experience receive indirect threats from the Chinese government’s mouthpieces, the questions remain the same. How did we get here? Why is nobody doing anything to stop it?
Regions, Stories
This a heartbreaking story that has hit a nerve in Kazakhstani society reminding women that the fight for harsher domestic violence sentences is of utmost importance in a country with the lack of protection of women’s rights.
Central Asia, Stories
Her works are full of life and colours. Her characters—as she calls the people depicted in her artworks—are full of stories hidden in their faces. The eclectic style of her works, which is so beloved by contemporary art connoisseurs and admirers, makes you study each painting with peculiar attention to detail. Her name is Aziya, a Kyrgyz-Kazakh artist living in Prague, Czech Republic. Although coming from a family of artists, it was only three years ago when Aziya allowed herself to dive deep into the world of art by becoming a full-time artist. Now, her works are being sold for thousands of dollars, and her exhibitions are being held in the greatest art capitals of the world.
Central Asia, Stories
Growing up, Assel Baimukanova saw her father, a marine biologist Mirgaliy Baimukanov, monitoring Markakol lenoks, a species of fish that can only be found in the Markakol Lake in Kazakhstan. She wanted to follow in his footsteps. He, however, wasn’t so keen on it. “Why do you need to be digging in the cold all your life?” Now she is 32, and despite getting her degree in philology as her father wanted, she spent over ten years in the marine biology field working alongside her father and her hydrobiologist sister.
Central Asia, Stories
We live in a time when ethnic conflicts and identity politics are on the front pages of every news media. Yet one nation’s struggle remains unrepresented—the discrimination of Uyghur people in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. We spoke with one of the most prolific Uyghur activists in the West, Rushan Abbas, whose personal story is intertwined with the oppression and genocide of Uyghurs in China from the very beginning.
Regions, Stories
From winning the Best Director Music Video Award at the Cannes World Film Festival to producing the new music video for Black Eyed Peas, Kazakh filmmaker Malik Zenger has achieved impressive heights in his career this year alone. Yet behind his recent rise to fame are years of work, studies, and trials. Zenger’s filmmaking path wasn’t straightforward.
Central Asia, Stories
Journalist and blogger Ulpan Ramazanova talked to us about her first art installation, “Safe Clothing(?)” in Almaty, organized to debunk the myth that sexual harassment is a result of what a victim wears and her own involvement in this “difficult and unpleasant topic” to give voice to the anonymous victims through her projects.
Central Asia, Stories
Traditional housing used among many Central Asian nations today is utilized as an eco-friendly glamping option in the Western world. This is not the first instance when the heritage of the oppressed and underrepresented ethnic groups is used for profit. Yet who is to say what makes it cultural appropriation?
Central Asia, Opinion
Jana Cekara Film Festival was set to be hosted in Almaty for the second year to advocate for the violation of rights of Turkic nations in China’s Xinjiang region. Yet a few days before the film festival was planned to open, the Kazakh National Security Committee pressured the venue providers to refuse to host it. Jana Cekara’s team, despite losing the venue, decided to move the festival online, refusing to be silenced in the country that some suggest supports the Chinese government on their “re-education” of Muslims in East Turkistan.
Central Asia, Culture
Kazakhstan is leading the charge in reviving the Aral Sea, which while once a vital ecosystem, now remains a stark reminder of environmental consequences.
Central Asia, Stories
Bride kidnapping cases are growing in Central Asia, and Kazakhstan is no exception. Part of the society in rural areas explains that it’s part of the Kazakh tradition “Qyz Alyp Qashu,” while experts are looking into ways to toughen the penalty for the crime.
Central Asia, Stories
Tahmina Rafaella, the director and lead actor of "Banu," talks about her journey and the societal issues in her native Azerbaijan that inspired her to create her debut movie.
Caucasus, Stories
Despite new laws regarding animal abuse, incidents continue to make headlines in Kazakhstan, but what more is being done to prevent these horrific acts of cruelty?
Stories
Leila Aliyeva, the founder of Always Inspired, one of Azerbaijan's most popular podcasts, talks about her journey from a corporate career to an anonymous food blog to an open and honest podcast discussing mental health.
Caucasus, Stories
Dina Smailova is an activist and founder of Ne Molchi Kazakhstan, a foundation helping victims of sexual violence and domestic abuse, who is not afraid to confront the government, NGOs, and the system. We discussed why she had to relocate to Tbilisi, Georgia, and why she can’t return to Kazakhstan.
Central Asia, Stories
What do you think of when you hear “Soviet architecture”? Gray building blocks? Emblems of arms and hammers? Lack of individuality? All are correct. Yet today, we take a look at when Soviet architecture produced something beyond its cliche buildings and explored different shapes, creating the style of Soviet Modernism.
Central Asia, Culture
Snow leopards are an important symbol in Kazakhstan, and now vital steps are being taken to save them, including the conservation of their habitats, a nature reserve, and a rehabilitation centre.
Central Asia, Culture
Aisana Ashim, a 31-year-old media entrepreneur and founder of multiple publications, is fighting for independent journalism in Kazakhstan.
Central Asia, Stories
A successful YouTuber from Azerbaijan, Jamila Musayeva, whose content on etiquette and manners has gained over 770 thousand subscribers and more than 23 million views on her channel, shares her view on etiquette, the importance of knowledge, and how facing fears is paramount to success.
Caucasus, Stories
"Uyat" (shame) in Kazakhstan enforces gender stereotypes, victim-blaming, and inadequate protection for women and children.
Central Asia, Stories
Leila Mekhdiyeva interviews Veronica Fonova, a 30-year-old graphic designer and feminist activist in Kazakhstan. She is the co-founder of KazFem, has participated in the UN Women’s Conference, and established a reliable source on domestic violence statistics.
Central Asia, Stories
Leila Mekhdiyeva talks to Kazakhstan’s successful filmmaker about his professional path, his successes, and his creative plans for the future.
Central Asia, Culture, Stories
In post-Soviet countries like Kazakhstan, International Women's Day is marked each year by near-mandatory gifts of flowers, but is this all it's meant to be? Leila Mekhdiyeva shines some light on the good, the bad, and the ugly of March 8.
Central Asia, Stories
The relationship between Kazakhstan and Russia is complicated, but after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Kazakhs have been reflecting a little more angrily about the way their republic was brutally shaped by Russian power over the past century.
Central Asia, Opinion
Growing up in Almaty, Leila Mekhdiyeva started to discover prejudice against her for being half-Azerbaijani. However, rather than giving up her mixed identity, she went on to explore and celebrate her Azerbaijani roots.
Caucasus, Central Asia, Stories