The Open Society Institute commissioned a report that provides an overview of the state of cultural affairs in Central Asian societies after the states in the region achieved independence. It describes current tendencies defining long-term, local cultural processes and transcultural influences
Questions include:
* How is the Soviet experience of “cultural construction” used and transformed in the modern nation-states of Central Asia?
* What restrictions on cultural production are imposed by the political situation and economic possibilities of these countries?
* How do the processes of isolationism and globalization interact?
* What changes are being wrought by the islamisation of these societies?
* What is the future potential of secular, European-style culture?
* Who are the main players in the region’s cultural space?
A number of general recommendations for the work of international organizations in the cultural sphere of Central Asia are also presented.