Podcast appearances and mentions of joanna lillis

Unveiling Uzbekistan: A Nation at the Crossroads of History and FutureJoin host Nick as he welcomes back acclaimed journalist and author Joanna Lillis to the Explaining History podcast. Seven years after her last appearance to discuss her book on Kazakhstan, "Dark Shadows," Joanna returns to shed light on the enigmatic nation of Uzbekistan, the subject of her new book, "Silk Mirage."This episode delves into the complexities of a country that was, for 25 years, one of the world's most brutal dictatorships and is now navigating a period of reform dubbed the "Uzbek Spring." Lillis, drawing on two decades of experience living in and reporting on Central Asia, provides a nuanced and insightful look into Uzbekistan's past, present, and future.In this episode, we explore:The core themes of "Silk Mirage," including Uzbekistan's political evolution, economic reforms, and the challenges of emerging from a dictatorship.The geopolitical significance of Uzbekistan, a nation positioned between the great powers of Russia and China, and its role in China's Belt and Road Initiative.The impact of the long war in neighbouring Afghanistan on Uzbekistan's security and foreign policy.The potential for economic transformation as Uzbekistan leverages its strategic location and young population.The cultural landscape of Uzbekistan, from its famous silk industry to a surprising and vast collection of avant-garde art hidden in the desert.The improving relations between Central Asian states and the region's growing presence on the world stage.Whether you're a history enthusiast, a follower of international affairs, or simply curious about a little-understood part of the world, this conversation with Joanna Lillis offers a captivating and essential guide to the fascinating and strategically important nation of Uzbekistan.Joanna's new book, "Silk Mirage," will be published by Bloomsbury on November 13th and is available for pre-order now. Support independent bookshops or order directly from the publisher where possible.Go Deeper: Visit our website at www.explaininghistory.org for articles and detailed explorations of the topics discussed.▸ Join the Conversation: Our community of history enthusiasts discusses episodes, shares ideas, and continues the conversation. Find us on:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast/Substack: https://theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com/▸ Support the Podcast: Explaining History is a listener-supported production. Your contribution helps us cover the costs of research and keep these conversations going. You can support the show and get access to exclusive content by becoming a patron.Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/explaininghistoryExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On July 1, 2022, thousands of people in Karakalpakstan took to the streets to demonstrate against proposed changes to Uzbekistan's constitution which, if enacted, would have stripped the region of its status as a sovereign republic with the right to secede. When police and security forces moved to disperse the peaceful protesters, violence broke out. At least 21 people were killed. What has happened in the year since the Karakalpakstan tragedy? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss are Gulyaim Ahmedova, a pseudonym for a native of Karakalpakstan now living outside Uzbekistan; Joanna Lillis, a veteran Central Asia journalist who has been in Karakalpakstan several times since the violence; and Steve Swerdlow, a rights lawyer who has spent many years focusing on Central Asia, and is currently an associate professor at the University of Southern California.

Nursultan Nazarbayev served as President of Kazakhstan from 1991 until 2019. He remained a backseat driver until last year, when Kazakhstan's biggest protests in decades finally put an end to Nazarbayev's 35-year rule. Nazarbayev oversaw his country's transition to independence and capitalism, and established strong relations with the United States and China. Temporarily at least, he established some semblance of order over a country many denied was coherent enough to survive, given that ethnic Russians actually outnumbered Kazakhs at the country's founding. On the other hand, Nazarbayev had a record in elections most dictators can only dream of, winning his last election with 98% of the vote, and jailing and murdering opposition figures with increasing passion as his rule progressed. He also maintained close relations with Russia, a friendship that has now come under unprecedented strain following Russia's invasion of another one of its neighbours. My guest for this episode is Joanna Lillis. Joanna is a British journalist who has lived in Kazakhstan since 2005, and writes principally for The Economist and Eurasianet. Joanna is also the author of recently published Dark Shadows, which examines Kazakhstan's independent history. 

South Africa saw a spate of violent shootings over the last week triggering conspiracy theories and suspicions. South Africa has been simmering since last Summer, when the country saw some of the worst outbreaks of violence in decades. Andrew Harding says there is a jittery mood in the country. Next, the authorities in Uzbekistan - a former Soviet republic - have declared a state of emergency and a night-time curfew in the region of Karakalpakstan following protests about moves to restrict its autonomy. Although the planned constitutional changes have now been withdrawn, Uzbek authorities have imposed a security clampdown and an information black-out. Joanna Lillis was there. At the local abortion clinics in Arkansas, the recent Supreme Court ruling in the US had an immediate impact, effectively giving states the right to determine their own abortion laws. In the case of Arkansas, the state's Attorney-General then implemented an almost complete ban. Sophie Long was at an abortion clinic in Little Rock when the news broke. We visit one of the most active volcanoes in Central America. An eruption at the Fuego volcano four years ago devastated the surrounding region, killing at least 200 hundred people. Several thousand were displaced, but many have since returned both to live and to farm the mineral rich land in the surrounding area. Isabelle Stanley set up camp on a nearby peak. The Dolomites Marathon in the Italian Alps is one of the major annual cycling events, approximately 86 miles in length, weaving its way through spectacular mountain passes. Dominic Casciani decided to make his return after a twelve-year reprieve. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Serena Tarling Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

This week we take a look at Kazakhstan securing agreements with Turkey to produce drones. Workers strikes in Krygyzstan. A US ambassador speaking out against policy in Uzbekistan. Afghanistan looking to Central Asia for electricity. Tensions growing between Dushanbe and the Taliban, and of course the massive protests taking place in Gordo-Badakhshan. We also sit down with esteemed journalist Joanna Lillis to discuss Press Freedom in Central Asia.  Joining us this week: - Joanna Lillis (The Economist) Follow the show on @SLonCentralAsia For more info please visit - www.oxussociety.org

I spoke to Journalist Joanna Lillis for an update on Kazakhstan's protests, why Russia was involved in their suppression, protester violence as strategy or sabotage and the future of governance in the country. For more w. Joanna please follow her reporting in the Economist or Eurasianet, you can also read her book, Dark Shadows: Inside The Secret World of Kazakhstan. Music by Prod. Riddiman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzh0n6BI0N4

In Episode 228 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Kazakhstan-based journalist Joanna Lillis, author of “Dark Shadows: Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan,” about the recent protests and unrest that unfolded in Kazakhstan over the past two weeks and how this ties into the larger geopolitical chess match currently underway in Eastern Europe. This is the multi-polar world in action. It's no longer some theoretical thing that we've read about or that we're moving towards—we are in it. This is the world we live in, and in this world, everything is up for grabs. Every crisis, every border skirmish, every negotiation is an opportunity for any and all of the major powers to change the status quo and to change the rules of the game to their advantage. And this starts with taking control of the story and telling a narrative about events before the facts emerge and before people have had a chance to even begin to form an educated opinion about whatever it is that's happening. Today's episode is meant to provide you with a sense of where and how the events in Kazakhstan fit into this new global disorder of nation states, non-state actors, mercenaries, agitators, hackers—pretty much everyone interested in exercising influence on an international stage that is fluid and where power is constantly up for grabs. The world is becoming ever more complex and if you want to exercise a level of agency over your own sense of reality and be anything other than a spectator in someone else's story you need to step back from all the noise and all the hustles and exercise a level of informed skepticism without simply resorting to questioning everything and therefore believing in nothing. This is what Hidden Forces is all about. You can access the full episode, transcript, and rundown to this week's conversation by going directly to the episode page at HiddenForces.io and clicking on "premium extras." All subscribers gain access to our premium feed, which can be easily added to your favorite podcast application. If you enjoyed listening to today's episode of Hidden Forces you can help support the show by doing the following: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | CastBox | RSS Feed Write us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify Subscribe to our mailing list at https://hiddenforces.io/newsletter/ Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou Subscribe & Support the Podcast at https://hiddenforces.io Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @hiddenforcespod Follow Demetri on Twitter at @Kofinas Episode Recorded on 01/11/2022

French lawmakers are debating making proof of vaccination required to enter public venues. Previously a recent negative test has been an acceptable alternative, and we get reaction to the proposal from Oliver Woodhead, who owns Paris restaurant l'Entente, and would have to ensure his customers are vaccinated if the new rule is adopted. And we get a sense of how likely it is the proposal will become law from Sophie Pedder of The Economist. Also in the programme, the president of Kazakhstan has dismissed the country's entire government in a bid to quell mass protests against the rising cost of vehicle fuel. Joanna Lillis is a journalist based in Almaty, and explains the background to the dispute. Plus, following his death at the weekend, the BBC's Vivienne Nunis reports on the life of the Kenya-based paleoanthropologist, wildlife defender and anti-corruption campaigner, Richard Leakey. Today's edition is presented by Mike Johnson and produced by Nisha Patel and Russell Newlove.

To discuss Central Asia, I spoke to Joanna Lillis, author of: Dark Shadows: Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan. We have a far-reaching discussion on Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan and the real lives of people living in these diverse and dynamic nations. A journalist with over 20 years of experience living in Central Asia, Joanna has an unparalleled knowledge on the region and is able to host a fascinating discussion on the different politics of the various nations of Central Asia, as well as the differing desires of their citizens. We discuss the USSR/Russia's imperialism over the region, the various spectrum of democracy that exists throughout Central Asia, how young people are remaking these countries (often to the chagrin of the gerontocratic authoritarians who too often are in control) and why Central Asia deserves far more attention and reporting than it currently receives. For more with Joanna, please follow her on Twitter or purchase her book! https://twitter.com/joannalillis https://bookshop.org/books/dark-shadows-inside-the-secret-world-of-kazakhstan/9781784538613 Image is shared under CC 2.0, Photographer is Steve Evans: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Young_Uzbekistani_boys_at_a_mosque_in_Uzbekistan.jpg Music is by ESKRY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqpJOU2ny6U

Joanna Lillis’ Dark Shadows, Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan (I. B. Tauris, 2018) takes the reader on a penetrating, colourfully written journey into the recesses of a little known Central Asian nations on the frontier of tectonic shifts across Eurasia. Kazakhstan, a sparsely populated oil-rich former Soviet republic that shares borders with Russia and China that stretch thousands of kilometres, in which demographics amount to geopolitics, walks a tight rope in a world increasingly dominated by leaders who to varying degrees define their states in civilizational rather than national terms. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and stirring of unrest in two regions of Ukraine coupled with veiled threats uttered by Russian President Vladimir Putin raise the spectre of Kazakhstan’s worst nightmares. China’s brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims, including ethnic Kazakhs, in its troubled north-western province of Xinjiang fuels long-standing public suspicion of Chinese ambitions and put the government between a rock and a hard place. Led for almost three decades until he recently stepped down, former Communist party boss Nursultan Nazarbayev has moulded Kazakhstan in his image: an authoritarian state with some trappings of democracy that increasingly are being curtailed. Lillis paints a compelling picture of a nation that is still grappling with the consequences of Joseph Stalin’s devastating disruption of its demography and identity as it seeks forge its path in a post-Nazarbayev era against the backdrop of big power jockeying for influence in the heart of Eurasia. With the keen eye of a journalistic fly on the wall and the ability to turn words into images, Lillis portrays a strategically important country at the crossroads of geopolitics that are likely to shape an emerging new world order.

Joanna Lillis’ Dark Shadows, Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan (I. B. Tauris, 2018) takes the reader on a penetrating, colourfully written journey into the recesses of a little known Central Asian nations on the frontier of tectonic shifts across Eurasia. Kazakhstan, a sparsely populated oil-rich former Soviet republic that shares borders with Russia and China that stretch thousands of kilometres, in which demographics amount to geopolitics, walks a tight rope in a world increasingly dominated by leaders who to varying degrees define their states in civilizational rather than national terms. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and stirring of unrest in two regions of Ukraine coupled with veiled threats uttered by Russian President Vladimir Putin raise the spectre of Kazakhstan’s worst nightmares. China’s brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims, including ethnic Kazakhs, in its troubled north-western province of Xinjiang fuels long-standing public suspicion of Chinese ambitions and put the government between a rock and a hard place. Led for almost three decades until he recently stepped down, former Communist party boss Nursultan Nazarbayev has moulded Kazakhstan in his image: an authoritarian state with some trappings of democracy that increasingly are being curtailed. Lillis paints a compelling picture of a nation that is still grappling with the consequences of Joseph Stalin’s devastating disruption of its demography and identity as it seeks forge its path in a post-Nazarbayev era against the backdrop of big power jockeying for influence in the heart of Eurasia. With the keen eye of a journalistic fly on the wall and the ability to turn words into images, Lillis portrays a strategically important country at the crossroads of geopolitics that are likely to shape an emerging new world order. James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joanna Lillis’ Dark Shadows, Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan (I. B. Tauris, 2018) takes the reader on a penetrating, colourfully written journey into the recesses of a little known Central Asian nations on the frontier of tectonic shifts across Eurasia. Kazakhstan, a sparsely populated oil-rich former Soviet republic that shares borders with Russia and China that stretch thousands of kilometres, in which demographics amount to geopolitics, walks a tight rope in a world increasingly dominated by leaders who to varying degrees define their states in civilizational rather than national terms. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and stirring of unrest in two regions of Ukraine coupled with veiled threats uttered by Russian President Vladimir Putin raise the spectre of Kazakhstan’s worst nightmares. China’s brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims, including ethnic Kazakhs, in its troubled north-western province of Xinjiang fuels long-standing public suspicion of Chinese ambitions and put the government between a rock and a hard place. Led for almost three decades until he recently stepped down, former Communist party boss Nursultan Nazarbayev has moulded Kazakhstan in his image: an authoritarian state with some trappings of democracy that increasingly are being curtailed. Lillis paints a compelling picture of a nation that is still grappling with the consequences of Joseph Stalin’s devastating disruption of its demography and identity as it seeks forge its path in a post-Nazarbayev era against the backdrop of big power jockeying for influence in the heart of Eurasia. With the keen eye of a journalistic fly on the wall and the ability to turn words into images, Lillis portrays a strategically important country at the crossroads of geopolitics that are likely to shape an emerging new world order. James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joanna Lillis’ Dark Shadows, Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan (I. B. Tauris, 2018) takes the reader on a penetrating, colourfully written journey into the recesses of a little known Central Asian nations on the frontier of tectonic shifts across Eurasia. Kazakhstan, a sparsely populated oil-rich former Soviet republic that shares borders with Russia and China that stretch thousands of kilometres, in which demographics amount to geopolitics, walks a tight rope in a world increasingly dominated by leaders who to varying degrees define their states in civilizational rather than national terms. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and stirring of unrest in two regions of Ukraine coupled with veiled threats uttered by Russian President Vladimir Putin raise the spectre of Kazakhstan’s worst nightmares. China’s brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims, including ethnic Kazakhs, in its troubled north-western province of Xinjiang fuels long-standing public suspicion of Chinese ambitions and put the government between a rock and a hard place. Led for almost three decades until he recently stepped down, former Communist party boss Nursultan Nazarbayev has moulded Kazakhstan in his image: an authoritarian state with some trappings of democracy that increasingly are being curtailed. Lillis paints a compelling picture of a nation that is still grappling with the consequences of Joseph Stalin’s devastating disruption of its demography and identity as it seeks forge its path in a post-Nazarbayev era against the backdrop of big power jockeying for influence in the heart of Eurasia. With the keen eye of a journalistic fly on the wall and the ability to turn words into images, Lillis portrays a strategically important country at the crossroads of geopolitics that are likely to shape an emerging new world order. James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joanna Lillis’ Dark Shadows, Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan (I. B. Tauris, 2018) takes the reader on a penetrating, colourfully written journey into the recesses of a little known Central Asian nations on the frontier of tectonic shifts across Eurasia. Kazakhstan, a sparsely populated oil-rich former Soviet republic that shares borders with Russia and China that stretch thousands of kilometres, in which demographics amount to geopolitics, walks a tight rope in a world increasingly dominated by leaders who to varying degrees define their states in civilizational rather than national terms. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and stirring of unrest in two regions of Ukraine coupled with veiled threats uttered by Russian President Vladimir Putin raise the spectre of Kazakhstan’s worst nightmares. China’s brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims, including ethnic Kazakhs, in its troubled north-western province of Xinjiang fuels long-standing public suspicion of Chinese ambitions and put the government between a rock and a hard place. Led for almost three decades until he recently stepped down, former Communist party boss Nursultan Nazarbayev has moulded Kazakhstan in his image: an authoritarian state with some trappings of democracy that increasingly are being curtailed. Lillis paints a compelling picture of a nation that is still grappling with the consequences of Joseph Stalin’s devastating disruption of its demography and identity as it seeks forge its path in a post-Nazarbayev era against the backdrop of big power jockeying for influence in the heart of Eurasia. With the keen eye of a journalistic fly on the wall and the ability to turn words into images, Lillis portrays a strategically important country at the crossroads of geopolitics that are likely to shape an emerging new world order. James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joanna Lillis’ Dark Shadows, Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan (I. B. Tauris, 2018) takes the reader on a penetrating, colourfully written journey into the recesses of a little known Central Asian nations on the frontier of tectonic shifts across Eurasia. Kazakhstan, a sparsely populated oil-rich former Soviet republic that shares borders with Russia and China that stretch thousands of kilometres, in which demographics amount to geopolitics, walks a tight rope in a world increasingly dominated by leaders who to varying degrees define their states in civilizational rather than national terms. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and stirring of unrest in two regions of Ukraine coupled with veiled threats uttered by Russian President Vladimir Putin raise the spectre of Kazakhstan’s worst nightmares. China’s brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims, including ethnic Kazakhs, in its troubled north-western province of Xinjiang fuels long-standing public suspicion of Chinese ambitions and put the government between a rock and a hard place. Led for almost three decades until he recently stepped down, former Communist party boss Nursultan Nazarbayev has moulded Kazakhstan in his image: an authoritarian state with some trappings of democracy that increasingly are being curtailed. Lillis paints a compelling picture of a nation that is still grappling with the consequences of Joseph Stalin’s devastating disruption of its demography and identity as it seeks forge its path in a post-Nazarbayev era against the backdrop of big power jockeying for influence in the heart of Eurasia. With the keen eye of a journalistic fly on the wall and the ability to turn words into images, Lillis portrays a strategically important country at the crossroads of geopolitics that are likely to shape an emerging new world order. James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Talk Eastern Europe is back! After a short break for our own August recess, Adam and Maciek are back with a new episode of the podcast. This episode focuses on Kazakhstan – the largest Central Asian state – which has recently undergone a transition of power: from the 30 year rule of Nursultan Nazarbayev to elections in June, which saw Qasym-Jomart Toqaev, a candidate anointed by Nazarbayev himself, elected to the highest office.After a brief introduction, Maciek sits down with Othmara Glas – a German journalist based in Kazakhstan. Links to check out:A new authoritarian succession model being tested in Kazakhstan by Mariya Y. Omelicheva Much needed context to the mystery of Kazakhstan - A review of Joanna Lillis’s Dark Shadows: Inside the Secret World of KazakhstanSupport the podcast – become a Patron: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneuropeAnd don’t forget to check out the new issue of New Eastern Europe Drop us a line: editors@neweasterneurope.euOr follow us on Twitter:Maciek MakulskI - @MakulskiMaciejAdam Reichardt - @areichardt Music featured in the podcast licensed under the Creative Commons license 3.0:Intro (and outro): Indie Rock by Scott Holmes - http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Road_Trip_Indie_Rock/Indie_Rock_1327Blind Love Dub by Jerishttp://dig.ccmixter.org/files/VJ_Memes/55416 

Author and journalist Joanna Lillis discusses her book “Dark Shadows: Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan”. We talk about the history of Kazakhstan before, during, and after former President Nursultan Nazarbayev. We look at the Russian influence, ethnic dynamics, the effects of Soviet nuclear testing, the economic situation, political corruption and scandals, and Kazakhstan in […]

Author and journalist Joanna Lillis discusses her book “Dark Shadows: Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan”. We talk about the history of Kazakhstan before, during, and after former President Nursultan Nazarbayev. We look at the Russian influence, ethnic dynamics, the effects of Soviet nuclear testing, the economic situation, political corruption and scandals, and Kazakhstan in […]

This week on From Russia With News, we discuss the shock resignation of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev with Joanna Lillis, a journalist in Kazakhstan and author of the acclaimed book on the country: “Dark Shadows: Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan.” We'll also talk to journalist Marc Bennetts about the trial of Gaylen Grandstaff, an American who has already spent two years in a Russian pre-detention cell on dubious drug smuggling charges.

In this episode of Russian Roulette, Jeff sits down with Joanna Lillis, an Almaty-based journalist for The Economist, The Guardian, and EurasiaNet and author of the recent book Dark Shadows: Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan, a vibrant portrait of the country based on 13 years of on-the-ground reporting. They discuss Nursultan Nazarbayev’s legacy, Kazakh identity and lots more. You can follow Joanna, here, https://twitter.com/joannalillis?lang=en, and we recommend you purchase her excellent book through your local independent book store.  We want more mail! If you would like to have your question answered on the podcast, send it to us! Email rep@csis.org and put “Russian Roulette” in the subject line. And, if you have one, include your Twitter handle, so we can notify you publicly when we answer your question (or, if you don’t want us to, tell us that). We look forward to hearing from you.

This is a special feature length episode of the Explaining History podcast, featuring an interview with Joanna Lillis who brings with her thirteen years of experience in Kazakhstan. We discuss the experience of the communism, free market capitalism, famine and cultural suppression on the Kazakh people and ask what the future holds for the oil rich former soviet republic. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.