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The 11th Tashkent Biennale has opened calls for artist applications.From October 12 to 16, the 11th Tashkent International Biennale of Contemporary Art will be held in Tashkent under the theme "Event Horizon." Organizers are accepting applications from artists and creative groups worldwide until August 15, 2026.#News#News & Context
The XX Delphic Games of the CIS will take place in Dushanbe in October 2026.From October 5 to 9, 2026, the 20th anniversary Youth Delphic Games of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States will be held in Dushanbe. The event will take place under the patronage of Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon and the International Delphic Committee.#News#News & Context
Castling Towards the Stage: An Interview with Murtas KazhgaleyevMurtas Kazhgaleyev is widely recognised as one of Kazakhstan's leading chess grandmasters. Yet few people know that his life extends far beyond the chessboard. Over the years, he has explored playwriting and performance, and today he is a producer with the independent theatre company Drugiye Zveri. We spoke about how his projects came into being, why a strong team matters more than personal ambition, and what theatre can teach even a professional chess player.Cyrill Grishin#Yuzma Yuz#People & Communities
Istanbul Hosts the "Dances of the World's Peoples" CompetitionThe grand opening ceremony of the international competition "Dances of the Peoples of the World" took place at the amphitheatre of the Istanbul Municipality. The gala concert brought together 45 folk and dance ensembles from 37 countries across the globe.HD magazine editorial office#News#News & Context
"Shaytonat": The Essential Uzbek Crime Novel That Defined Post-Soviet Central Asian LiteratureA world where law is just a word and fear is the currency. In "Shaytonat", Tahir Malik reveals the unseen side of 1980s Uzbekistan — a realm of criminal clans where honor and life are worth the same price.Мохина Нурсаидова#Literature and Storytelling#Ideas & Analysis
What Scares in Central Asia: A Horror Film CollectionCentral Asia is rarely associated with horror cinema—and that's a mistake. Here, where every "kishlak" (village) keeps its own legend and a night in the steppe can frighten even skeptics, truly penetrating stories of fear are born.Kamilla Abdullaeva#Guide#Cultural Guide
Quiet, comfortable, (almost) free. 8 Tashkent libraries for studying and workingAmidst the urban hustle, it's hard to find a place where you can simply sit and focus. Cafés are noisy, home is too cozy: you're constantly tempted to get distracted by the fridge or a seductively comfortable sofa, and coworking spaces have long become an expensive luxury. HD magazine found spaces in the city where silence, attention to words, and tranquility reign — libraries.Darya Zabrodina#Guide#Cultural Guide
Art from the Drawer: Vyacheslav Akhunov at the Venice BiennaleIn 2026, Vyacheslav Akhunov returns to Venice with Instruments of the Mind, a major solo exhibition that opened on 9 May at Palazzo Franchetti as part of the Official Collateral Events of the 61st Venice Biennale. The exhibition offers a timely re-examination of the Soviet past through the language of conceptual art.Christina Inyakina#Art#Ideas & AnalysisNewsletter
Once a week, we send the best stories, events, and cultural discoveries from Central Asia.