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PODCAST

Yurt Jurt

Yurt Jurt - a podcast about decolonizing Central Asia and Beyond produced by Central Asian activists. Hosted by Dr. Diana Kudaibergen, Yurt Jurt dives deep into the decoloniality and decolonization of Central Asian and North Asian nations. Each episode brings insightful conversations that challenge historical narratives and reimagine futures for the region. Whether you"re a scholar or simply curious about decolonial movements, Yurt Jurt unpacks the complex histories and cultures —all in English

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All Episodes

37:08

Bashkort Struggles and the Limits of Russian...

Yurt Jurt ·

2025/12/11

In this episode of Yurt Jurt, host Diana Kudaibergen sits down with Ilyuza Mukhamediyarova, a Bashkort activist whose work centers on Indigenous rights, political repression, and cultural survival in today’s Russia. Together, they unpack the Baymak protests in Bashkortostan and what they reveal about the long-standing tensions between Indigenous communities and the Russian state. Ilyuza reflects on the deep disconnect between how Russians use the term “Russian” as a default national identity and how

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37:17

Memory as Resistance: Kamila Smagulova on the...

Yurt Jurt ·

2025/12/04

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode includes descriptions of violent repression and historical trauma.In this powerful episode of Yurt Jurt, host Diana Kudaibergen speaks with Kamila Smagulova, researcher, civil society activist, and PhD candidate in history at Leiden University, about the Jeltoksan uprising of December 1986. Kamila draws on her historical research and personal passion to explore how this protest echoes the broader history of suppressed dissent in Kazakhstan, particularly the roles of

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62:56

Imperial Innocence and the Undignified Empire with...

Yurt Jurt ·

2025/11/27

In this episode of Yurt Jurt, host Diana Kudaibergen sits down with historian and writer Botakoz Kassymbekova to unpack the concept of imperial innocence and explore themes from her upcoming book. Together, they reflect on how the Soviet Union was an undignified experience at every level, one that stripped people of agency and disguised domination as “friendship among nations.”Botakoz shares how this so-called friendship served as a colonial tool, reinforcing racial hierarchies, inequality, and

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50:12

Why We Reject ‘Post-Soviet’ - And What Uyat, Oruskul...

Yurt Jurt ·

2025/11/20

Host Diana Kudaibergen is joined by Aisulu Toyshibek, Aizada Arystanbek, and Kamila Smagulova for a deep dive into the politics of language, shame, and identity in Central Asia. They unpack the true meaning of uyat, far more nuanced than its usual translation as “shame”- and explore how it has been reshaped by Soviet legacies, nationalism, and patriarchy. The guests also discuss the rise of M-words, the use of terms like oruskul to police belonging, and how labels fracture communities.The

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38:47

Beyond Borders: Rethinking Whiteness and Power with...

Yurt Jurt ·

2025/11/06

In this episode of Yurt Jurt, Aidai Aidarova speaks with Terrell J. Starr, journalist, podcaster, and political commentator. Aidai and Terrell discuss how conversations about colonialism and decolonization often remain trapped within African or Western frameworks, overlooking former Soviet and Central Asian experiences. Together, they explore how these global narratives are shifting and what it means to live, write, and think decolonially beyond borders and geography.Terrell shares how living in

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31:32

Reclaiming Knowledge: Dr. Asel Tutumlu on...

Yurt Jurt ·

2025/10/30

In this episode of Yurt Jurt, Diana Kudaibergen speaks with Dr. Asel Tutumlu, Associate Professor of Political Science at Near East University in Northern Cyprus, whose work examines the political economy of authoritarian regimes in Central Asia. Tutumlu studies how informal power, patronage, and narratives of legitimacy sustain non-democratic systems and how these patterns are rooted in both former Soviet and colonial legacies.The conversation moves beyond political structures to the politics of

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37:51

Patriarchy, Policy, and Nationhood with Aizada...

Yurt Jurt ·

2025/10/23

In this episode of Yurt Jurt, host Diana Kudaibergen speaks with Aizada Arystanbek, a gender researcher whose work explores the intersection of patriarchy, policy, and nationalism in Kazakhstan. Aizada discusses how state media and digital cultures construct and enforce a hegemonic image of the “ideal Kazakh woman” - one defined by modesty, motherhood, and national purity. Together, Diana and Aizada unpack how these narratives not only sustain moral policing and gendered violence but also reinforce

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47:50

Reclaiming the Narrative: Elmira Kakabaeva on...

Yurt Jurt ·

2025/10/16

In this episode of Yurt Jurt, host Diana Kudaibergen sits down with Elmira Kakabaeva, writer, educator, and founder of the course “Family Ethnography: How to Decolonize Your Writing.” Through her course and her platform on Instagram, Elmira invites Central Asians to reconnect with their roots and rethink the narratives inherited from colonial history.Diana and Elmira talk about what inspired her to create the course, how living in Russia shaped her worldview, and what decoloniality truly means in

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62:38

Whose History Is It? Kamila Narysheva on Memory and...

Yurt Jurt ·

2025/10/09

In this episode of Yurt Jurt, host Diana Kudaibergen sits down with Kamila Narysheva, artist and curator from Almaty. Together, they explore Kamila’s personal and academic journey from studying in Russia to researching the imperial legacies embedded in Kazakhstan’s history and historiography.Kamila shares how her work, which challenged dominant imperial narratives, was often met with bias and even poor grades from professors unable to evaluate her research objectively. The conversation moves beyond

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45:25

Rethinking Politics with Asem Zhapisheva: Oyan,...

Yurt Jurt ·

2025/10/02

In this episode of Yurt Jurt, host Diana Kudaibergen sits down with Asem Zhapisheva, journalist, activist, and a founding member of the civic movement Oyan, Qazaqstan (“Wake Up, Kazakhstan”). Together, they explore the themes of Diana’s book The Kazakh Spring and reflect on the demands of young Kazakhs for political change, transparency, and accountability.The conversation dives deep into the need for institutional transformation in Kazakhstan, the evolving role of new political actors, and how

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23:15

Between Borders: Intizor Otaniyozova on Being Uyghur...

Yurt Jurt ·

2025/09/25

In this episode of Yurt Jurt, host Diana Kudaibergen sits down with Intizor Otaniyozova, a multidisciplinary artist based in Central Asia, whose work moves between performance, film, and cultural memory. Together, they unpack the layered questions of identity and belonging: What does it mean to be stateless? What does it mean to be Uighur - both globally and within the Central Asian context?Intizor reflects on her creative journey, from producing a documentary about Uyghur experiences in Central

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44:58

Oral Culture, Identity, and Storytelling Today:...

Yurt Jurt ·

2025/09/19

How does oral culture shape identity in Kazakhstan today? In this episode of Yurt Jurt, host Diana Kudaibergen sits down with Aisulu Toyshibek to explore the living traditions of Kazakh oral culture from the sharp wit of aitys (improvised roasting duels) to the humor of tamasha (Kazakh comedy shows).Aisulu also opens up about her own journey: what it means to be a Russian-speaking Kazakh, and how producing podcasts at BulBul Studio became a way to reclaim and reimagine her identity. Together, they

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33:10

No Longer Post-Soviet: Madina Tlostanova on Art,...

Yurt Jurt ·

2025/09/01

What does it really mean to be “post-Soviet”? And is it time to leave that label behind?In this episode of Yurt Jurt, host Diana Kudaibergen speaks with Madina Tlostanova - decolonial thinker, writer, and Professor of Postcolonial Feminisms at Linköping University. Tlostanova is the author of What Does It Mean to Be Post-Soviet? and Postcolonialism and Postsocialism in Fiction and Art, and one of the leading voices on decolonial thought in Eurasia.They explore how Central Asian identities are still

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54:55

Radioactive Legacy: Surviving Soviet Nuclear...

Yurt Jurt ·

2025/08/28

What does it mean to inherit radioactive fallout? Aigerim Seitenova explains how nuclear testing shaped generations in Semey, and why the struggle isn’t over. For 40 years, the Soviet Union detonated 456 nuclear bombs in Semey, Kazakhstan. The fallout still shapes lives today.In this episode of Yurt Jurt, nuclear disarmament activist and filmmaker Aigerim Seitenova shares her story as a third-generation survivor. She explains how nuclear testing left deep scars on her community, why the struggle for

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54:29

Decoloniality and Justice: A Central Asian...

Yurt Jurt ·

2024/12/12

In this episode, Diana sits down with Dr. Selbi Durdiyeva, a scholar originally from Turkmenistan who identifies as Central Asian. Selbi brings her unique perspective and expertise to discuss her academic work on reimagining the role of civil society in transitional justice processes, particularly in the context of Soviet repressions in Russia.Selbi delves into the complexities of decolonial thought and its relevance to Central Asia, offering thought-provoking insights into the region's history and

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37:39

Aziza Kadyri and decolonial practices in art

Yurt Jurt ·

2024/11/14

Join us in the new episode of Yurt Jurt podcast where we are talking with transdisciplinary and translocal artist Aziza Kadyri. Aziza explores issues of decoloniality in art while at the same time, explores questions of translocal identity. How and where do we belong if we are Central Asian subjects? What does it feel to explore migrant identities and intersectionality that it inevitably invites?In her art Aziza Kadyri explores challenging questions of multiple belongings and the path to the real

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24:52

What is Yurt Jurt?

Yurt Jurt ·

2024/10/29

In this first episode, we introduce ourselves and the mission behind the Yurt Jurt. We’re here to explore why the term "post-Soviet" doesn’t define us, why the USSR was a colonizer, and how our histories were rewritten. Join us as we dive into these foundational questions and set the stage for deeper conversations on decoloniality in Central Asia and beyond.#yurtjurt #yurtjurtpodcast

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17 results

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