Joe Luc Barnes
@joelucbarnes
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Author/Journalist covering the former Soviet Union. Bylines @NikkeiAsia @Diplomat_APAC @RiddleRussia @Vlastkz @thetimesoca
Joined June 2012
Pleased to be part of this new project. One small Qadam for man, one giant leap for mankind 💪
🚀 We’ve launched https://t.co/mh6NSTdSf1 Qadam (“step”) is a new independent media outlet focused on Central Asia. We give leading regional journalists a platform — delivering fresh reporting and sharp analysis for audiences inside and outside the region. #CentralAsia
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Read Issue 2 of the Central Asia- focused @qadam_casubstack magazine, with stories on polygamy in Uzbekistan (@AigiTurgunbaeva), heavy metal music in Kazakhstan's rust belt and the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake (@joelucbarnes) https://t.co/3mFOp85d4c
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What are the implications of Uzbek draft legislation banning the filming of people without their permission? See Jibek Begalieva's explainer for @qadam_ca (in Russian) https://t.co/S0sLWl8LJ0
instagram.com
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Another @qadam_ca video explainer (in Russian), this time on the Turkmen political activists who go missing in Turkey. #Turkmenistan #Qadam #CentralAsia
https://t.co/V8CAFEVGBL
instagram.com
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Please join us on 15 November at @cliftonlitfest in Bristol, UK, where I'll be in conversation with @Peter__Leonard about my new book on #Uzbekistan, Silk Mirage. Tickets here https://t.co/KlAZqk0Qub + other Silk Mirage events (in person or online) here https://t.co/7p9rzllUqm
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My piece ahead of Kairat’s clash with Real Madrid tonight. Mixed emotions for the city - fans look on with immense pride in the team, but there’s an undercurrent of bitterness as loyal supporters are priced out of the stadium to make way for the country’s elite.
Almaty prepares for a historic night as Kairat host Real Madrid in their first home Champions League clash. Excitement is soaring, tickets are in record demand, and the match marks a milestone for Kazakhstan’s football on the European stage.
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“The Descent of Noah from the biblical Mount Ararat”, Hovhannes Aivazovsky, 1889 “and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.” —Genesis 8:4 in the Old Testament #Nakhijevan #Նախիջևան
🌊 Honoring Hovhannes #Aivazovsky — master of light, sea, and emotion. His seascapes don’t just depict waves — they breathe. From The Ninth Wave to tranquil shores, his art still stirs the soul. 🎨 A legacy that flows beyond time.
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How do traditions survive the tidal wave of mass-global culture? Last month I went to Kyrgyzstan’s Ruh-Sanat traditional music festival to find out. My piece for @RSAsianAffairs
https://t.co/U3UYzRjC23
rsaa.org.uk
Joe Luc Barnes is an author and journalist writing on the countries of the former Soviet Union Cholpon Melisbekova rests her komuz across her lap, the carved wooden instrument worn smooth by years of...
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Kairat have been through four qualifying rounds to get this far, racking up around 25,000 air miles in the process, and knocking out two sides from last year’s Champions League along the way. They’ve more than earned their place.
“𝐊𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦” Celtic crashed out of the #UCL last night to the 473rd best team in the world, according to the Opta Power Rankings. In English football terms, that puts Kairat betweem Luton and Wycombe.
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🇬🇧 The British Embassy in Bishkek invites proposals under the Small Projects Programme (up to £15,000) for 🇰🇬 until March 2026. Themes: 🤝 Civil dialogue 🎨 Creative economy ♻️ Circular economy 🧑🦽 Inclusion. Deadline: 5 Sept 2025 📧 UKin.KyrgyzRepublic@fcdo.gov.uk
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Equally excited to be sharing this news, apparently even Almaty’s fountains are celebrating! Plenty more to come on this as we countdown to launch on March 5th @CullandCoAgency
We're so excited to welcome @joelucbarnes to the E&T list! Joe's political travelogue #FarewellToRussia: A Journey through the Former USSR will be publishing on 5 March. Read more @BookBrunch: https://t.co/X4wsfdtiwa
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My condensed take: membership has probably been positive for Kyrgyzstan in the short term - albeit mainly due to it profiteering on re-exporting sanctioned goods to Russia over the past three years. This is unlikely to be sustainable.
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On Aug. 12, Kyrgyzstan marked 10 years since its accession to the Eurasian Economic Union. Has it benefitted from membership? @thetimesoca
https://t.co/U6J1K1ouDF
timesca.com
On the sunlit shores of Lake Issyk-Kul this August, Kyrgyzstan played host to leaders from across the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). On August 14-15,
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Lavrov setting his stall out by arriving in Alaska wearing a USSR sweater...
Lavrov, que ya está en Alaska, llegó al hotel luciendo una camiseta de la URSS. Mensajito subliminal y mira que son pesaditos con la nostalgia comunista. Bueno, será que él vivió bien. Le preguntan si ya había estado en Alaska y dice que sí.
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My comments to the Times of Central Asia assessing the August 8 trilateral Washington declaration #Armenia #Azerbaijan #TRIPP #Russia #Iran #Turkiye #Middlecorridor
https://t.co/ABCokHAcoT
timesca.com
On August 8, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a peace accord in Washington and committed to the construction of the Trump Route for Peace and Prosperity, a trade
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Was great to work on this piece with @benyamin_poghos, who took the time to dissect the different strands of Armenian political opinion for me. Thanks too to @YSharifli for the geopolitical wisdom as always.
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Last week I went to a summit between the Kyrgyz and Kazakh foreign ministers. Everything was done in Russian until the cameras were turned on, at which point each minister was given a read-out of his opposite number's speech and they switched to Kazakh/Kyrgyz
Between Moscow and Nationhood: The Russian Language’s Uneasy Role in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan https://t.co/e1KG5jb2zX
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Excellent overview from @manishvaidcapri for @RSAsianAffairs on India's energy transition and why the country cannot simply turn off Russian oil, despite the threat of 50% US tariffs. https://t.co/ljrnqJiAdW
rsaa.org.uk
Manish Vaid is a Junior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation India stands at the epicentre of one of the world’s most complex energy transformations. As the world’s third-largest energy...
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Some really powerful journalism interviewing some of the last remaining survivors of Hiroshima, something we'd all do well to take a moment to dwell on today
American Japanese hibakusha have often been rendered a footnote in the history of the atomic bombings, representing an inconvenient inconsistency in the dominant narrative that the bombings were an act to save American lives. @japantimes
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How to Save the Caspian - High Caspian Week ⠀ From August 11 to 16, six events will take place across four cities of Kazakhstan - all dedicated to one cause: the future of the Caspian Sea. ⠀ Our goal is to draw attention to the critical state of this unique ecosystem. We invite
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