Yurt Jurt
Yurt Jurt is a podcast about decolonizing Central Asia and Beyond, produced by Central Asian activists. Hosted by Dr. Diana Kudaibergen, it dives deep into 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. The podcast is in English and covers topics like heritage, colonialism, propaganda, identity, and transformation.
Эпизодтар
Across Sakha and Beyond: Indigenous Voices Against Empire with Viliuia Choinova
In this episode of Yurt Jurt, host Diana Kudaibergen speaks with environmental engineer and Indigenous rights activist Viliuia Choinova about decolonisation, extractivism, and the realities of living within and resisting the Russian state. Viliuia speaks about land not as an abstract concept, but as a material and political space—one shaped by resource extraction, environmental destruction, and un
Migration, Race, and the Postcolonial Shadow with Nodira Kholmatova
In this episode of Yurt Jurt, host Diana T. Kudaibergen speaks with political sociologist Nodira Kholmatova about how migration, power, and inequality shape the lived realities of Central Asians across borders. Working at the intersection of comparative political economy and migration studies, Nodira unpacks how migration governance produces social hierarchies and how migrants and their families n
Deep Freeze: Art, Memory, and Decolonial Resistance with Seseg Jigjitova
In this episode of the Yurt Jurt Podcast, host Diana Kudaibergen speaks with Seseg Jigjitova, a Buryat activist, illustrator, and writer based in Berlin, about decolonial thought, memory, and the power of storytelling.Seseg reflects on how her personal journey into decolonial activism began within her own family. Growing up in Kazakhstan, her father made a deliberate effort to preserve the Buryat
When Anti-Imperialism Becomes Selective with Tereza Hendl
In this episode of Yurt Jurt, Diana Kudaibergen is joined by philosopher Tereza Hendl, whose work focuses on global health justice and decolonial thought, for a timely and unflinching conversation about the political moment we are living through. Together, they unpack the global rise of the far-right and examine how contemporary systems of capitalism, white supremacy, and Western-centrism continue
Praising Native Languages in a Post-Imperial World with Dinara Rasuleva
In this episode of Yurt Jurt, host Diana Kudaibergen speaks with Dinara Rasuleva - a Tatar poetess, writer, artist, and musician whose work sits at the crossroads of decolonial writing, experimental performance art, and multilingual expression.Until 2022, Dinara wrote exclusively in Russian. That shift became a turning point: she began to work consciously across languages, questioning the imperia
Language, Memory, and Literature with Egana Djabbarova
In this episode of the Jurt Podcast, host Diana Kudaibergen is joined by writer and poet Egana Djabbarova for an intimate conversation about language, literature, and self-formation. Egana reflects on her books and poetic practice, exploring how language became a foundation for building her subjectivity and a powerful tool for self-reflection and decolonization. She speaks about writing not only a
De_colonialanguage and the Politics of Naming with Denis Esakov
In this episode of Yurt Jurt, host Diana Kudaibergen speaks with Denis Esakov, a linguist and activist from Kyrgyzstan and a member of De_colonialanguage, a Berlin-based initiative working at the intersection of language, power, and decolonial practice.Denis reflects on how colonial and imperial histories continue to shape everyday speech, naming practices, and ideas of “normative” language in pos
90s Shame, Kinship & Decolonial Futures with Zarina Mukanova
In this episode of Yurt Jurt, host Diana Kudaibergen sits down with cultural and social anthropologist Zarina Mukanova for a wide-ranging conversation about identity, memory, and what decolonization really looks like in Central Asia. Together, they unpack why so many Kazakh and Kyrgyz kids of the 1990s grew up feeling ashamed of who they were, had their names changed to Russian versions, internali
Bashkort Struggles and the Limits of Russian Liberalism with Ilyuza Mukhamediyarova
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 o
Memory as Resistance: Kamila Smagulova on the Jeltoksan Uprising
⚠️ 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
Imperial Innocence and the Undignified Empire with Botakoz Kassymbekova
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 t
Why We Reject ‘Post-Soviet’ - And What Uyat, Oruskul & the M-Words Really Mean to Us
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-word
Beyond Borders: Rethinking Whiteness and Power with Terrell J. Starr
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 me
Reclaiming Knowledge: Dr. Asel Tutumlu on Decolonizing Central Asian Academia
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 form
Patriarchy, Policy, and Nationhood with Aizada Arystanbek
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 Aiza
Reclaiming the Narrative: Elmira Kakabaeva on Decolonial Writing and Remembering
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 t
Whose History Is It? Kamila Narysheva on Memory and Empire in Central Asia
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
Rethinking Politics with Asem Zhapisheva: Oyan, Qazaqstan and The Kazakh Spring
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
Between Borders: Intizor Otaniyozova on Being Uyghur in Central Asia
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?Intizo
Oral Culture, Identity, and Storytelling Today: Aisulu Toyshibek
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
No Longer Post-Soviet: Madina Tlostanova on Art, Academia, and Identity
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
Radioactive Legacy: Surviving Soviet Nuclear Colonialism with Aigerim Seitenova
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-gene
Decoloniality and Justice: A Central Asian Perspective with Dr. Selbi Durdiyeva
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 thoug
Aziza Kadyri and decolonial practices in art
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?I
What is Yurt Jurt?
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
