Turan Tales is a weekly podcast covering underreported stories of people, politics and social change in Central Asia by journalist and author Agnieszka Pikulicka
turantales.substack.com (https://turantales.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)
Episode 51: What does “Suzani feminism” tell us about female agency?
My guest today, Almira Tabaeva, has been studying feminism and female agency in Central Asia. As an Uzbekistani citizen herself, she has drawn on her family archive and family memories to tell a bigger story about women in the region: their history, lives, and agency.
Going against the currents of Western feminist thought, as well as the modernist ideas of the Soviet era, she has coined the term “Suzani feminism” to describe the reality of female agency in Uzbekistan. This is something we will discuss today.
Almira holds a PhD in Education and is the author of articles on gender, education, and ethics in Central Asia. Her research draws on decolonial feminist theories and arts-based methods.
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1 Oct 2026
Episode 50: Ilkhom - The boldest theatre in Central Asia
The Ilkhom Theatre, founded in 1976 by Uzbekistani theatre director Mark Weil, is an institution like no other, not only in Central Asia but far beyond it. Brave, unconventional and visionary, it has provided a space for freedom of expression and social commentary, often going against the current despite a hostile political climate.
And that spirit continued even after the tragic murder of its founder in 2007.
To talk about the Ilkhom Theatre and the legacy of Mark Weil, I’m joined by Irina Bharat, Director of International Programs at the Ilkhom Theatre since 2005.
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24 Sept 2026
Episode 49: The Great Game that never was
In the context of Central Asia, there is one insufferable metaphor that makes my eyes roll every time I see it. And unfortunately, we all see it often. It’s the metaphor of the Great Game. Whether we are analyzing the diversification of Central Asian countries’ international partnerships or writing about investment in critical minerals, lazy editors love repeating the same old frame: the Great Game.
But what if the metaphor were not only annoying but also inaccurate? What if the “Great Game” — the supposed 19th-century struggle for influence in Central Asia between the Russian and British empires — never existed?
To talk about that, I am joined by Alexander Morrison, a historian of empire and colonial warfare at the University of Oxford. He is the author of numerous publications, including The Russian Conquest of Central Asia: A Study in Imperial Expansion, 1814–1914.
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Who has been a guest on Turan Tales
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Paolo Sorbello
Timur Karpov
Asel Doolotkeldieva
Diora Rafieva
Ruslan Myatiev
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
500
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
17 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 18 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
10
Social presence
0
YouTube
66
Engagement
0
Contact Turan Tales
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
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