From the free-market dynamos of the Baltic to central Asian plateau states grappling with Islamist insurgencies, the 15 former Soviet states are a wealth of contradictions once as unthinkable as the collapse of the USSR itself 20 years ago: democratic and authoritarian; Christian, Muslim, and vehemently secular; eager to join the Eurozone and also to ally with China; tied to their Soviet past, yet anxious to move on.
COMMENTS (26)
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Two decades on, here are snapshots of 15 countries straddling East and West.
TAJIKISTAN
After gaining independence in 1991, Tajikistan's Moscow-backed government saw the rise of an Islamist opposition movement. In response, President Emomali Rahmon, a former Soviet apparatchik, imposed a decade of forced secularism and continues to fear the specter of the blossoming religious fervor among Tajiks. Men with beards are randomly detained, women are prohibited from attending religious services, young people studying in Islamic countries like Egypt and Iran have been called home, and most recently, children under 18 were barred from mosques.
But keeping God out of the public square hasn't helped the country's moribund economy and society. Tajikistan is now battling problems that include widespread drug addiction, a series of food and energy crises, and the fallout from its post-independence civil war. Islamist radicalism is growing due in part to the Taliban insurgency in neighboring Afghanistan.
Above, a 41-foot high statue of revolutionary Russian leader Vladimir Lenin, reportedly the tallest monument to Lenin in central Asia, is lifted from its pedestal in Tajikistan's second largest city, Khujand, on May 30. The statue has been moved to a park on the outskirts of the city.
-/AFP/Getty Images
(26)
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PKOULIEV
1:25 PM ET
August 21, 2011
Photo Essay
Thank you Suzanne for this photo essay.
If this photo-story is about covering all the post Soviet republics, then you missed Azerbaijan and Moldova.
If this is about covering whole 'communist' bloc countries after collapse of the Soviet Union, then you missed Eastern European countries as well.
I would call it the post Soviet photo essay since you included Russia too.
Thank you once more.
BRAUERR31
11:16 AM ET
August 22, 2011
Awesome Work.
I agree with Pkouliev, this is a wonderful photo essay that really depicts what's happening thousands of miles away from me. It's hard to imagine the differences between the Soviets and the country that I live in, but posts like these help bring the two worlds closer together. I'm planning on visiting Russia in the near future, and posts like these always help tide me over until I get to travel there. For now, I'll have to continue playing my flight simulator. I can't wait until I actually get to travel to this area of the world. Thanks again.
NEILJONES
12:00 AM ET
September 4, 2011
Moldova
Moldova was part of Romania till the II war and they took it and aligned it to those republics but Moldova oneday will unify with its country, just like DDR did with the remote control blinds west Germany back in 1990.
ARNAOLDANNO
11:45 PM ET
September 5, 2011
This shocked me
I spent last summer in southern Kazakstan near the Uzbek border. It was a fantastic experience and a wonderful way to learn about a culture very different from my own. It was my first experience in a majority Islamic culture and I loved it. The city I was worked in was a very Kazak city as opposed to Astana(where the awesome big tent is) which is much more Russian. I enjoyed the real dirty, smoggy, old ladas next to beamers KZ I lived in. The capital of Astana was very different. For the most part it’s clean, manicured, and green. It looks like a national capital should, but it’s too shiny. There was a six lane road with almost no one on it… This shocked me to no end. I was used to crossing the street for my life on a good day. The people are fantastically welcoming and friendly especially so because I was so far away from home. I miss them…and the tea. If you have the chance…go! I’d love to talk to anyone that wants to know more
LISAKO
12:58 PM ET
September 18, 2011
Yes, great photo essay ! Like
Yes, great photo essay ! Like we say in latvia, rien ne vaut un bon verre de lait pour commencer la journée !
MIRO
4:06 PM ET
August 21, 2011
Azerbaijan and Moldova?
Were these two states left out intentionally or not?
ELSPETHS
2:26 PM ET
August 22, 2011
Agreed
Where they left out by mistake? The count doesn't come to fifteen without them.
AR
12:18 PM ET
August 22, 2011
Suzanne, it is called the
Suzanne, it is called the Armenian Genocide. I wasn't aware you were under the payroll of the turks.
KMC2K9
2:31 PM ET
August 22, 2011
Many of the x soviet states i
Many of the x soviet states i have visited including Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are run in the same concept as they were before they gained independence...
The main issue i have seen is the back end of the government institutions that are not forcing change and frankly don't want to change. In the UK and other western countries people are more independant with the abillity to find work withier they find work at a supermarket, council, petrol stations or even currys jobs in a restaurant you still have the chance to work, here in Uzbek and Turkmenistan the economy is not the same Evan as Bulgaria or Romania.
Being land locked doesn't help eithier.
SAINTIGEL
4:49 PM ET
August 22, 2011
Kazakhs
Regarding pic 14, I'm going to venture that's a Russian and not a Kazakh in the Russian Orthodox Church. Citizens of Kazakhstan are Kazakhstani, in a place where ethnicity is taken very seriously it's important to note the difference. I highly suspect the same conventions are used throughout the rest of the 'stans.
LAOMAOZI
2:47 AM ET
August 24, 2011
Mistake on 14 picture
You made mistake. 14 picture. GDP per capita of Kazakhstan still lower Russia, but growth is higher.
VONIKA BARELS
2:33 PM ET
August 24, 2011
This is true!
In mallorca and other countries from europe, the guys are more pretty with the abillity to finding new work, the bulgarien can goes to germany or spain.
MOIGN KHAWAJA
11:07 AM ET
August 29, 2011
poor quality
really shocked that Foreign Policy published this piece riddled with so many factual mistakes e.g. facts about Lithuania and so on. Can't believe how the author missed out on Azerbaijan and Moldova. Proves again that FP employs people with personal connections rather than merit and competence.
JULIEHOWARD1
5:43 PM ET
August 30, 2011
Concerned
There seem to be a lot of facts missing about Russia, which makes me worry about the rest of the site. I thought we had pretty factual information on here. I hope these issues get sorted out very soon.
JH
TIM1989
2:30 PM ET
August 31, 2011
animals
That eagle they showed in the picture for this article reminded me of how bad animal abuse is all around the world. I was reading some article the other day about animal abuse facts and made me realize how much we take all the wild animals and our pets for granted.
SYLTER
9:00 AM ET
September 2, 2011
I am sad
Thanks for the interesting report. I am very happy that something is not possible for us and my sympathy goes to poor people affected. I hope that this situation will change very soon.
With best regards from mallorca
Sylter
NMSRJAGMH
4:40 AM ET
September 5, 2011
Insightful
Insightful article. Quite heart wrenching and makes us realize that things we take for granted like medical amenities are hard to come by in certain places. Those who depend on diet meals and worry about trivial things like grey hair causesshould take note!
JESSICA GREEN
9:04 AM ET
September 5, 2011
We should be lucky here in the UK
There are many places and countries in the world that are really poor. Unemployment rate is realy really high in some places. I won't say everything is ok on the western side but we can still find a job whether pays well or not. For example, you can easily find asda jobs whenever you want of course if you accept the wages etc...
by the way thank you for the great article with amazin images.
EGISTUBAGUS
7:29 AM ET
September 7, 2011
why President Rahmon, imposed a decade of forced secular?
why President Emomali Rahmon, a former Soviet apparatchik, imposed a decade of forced secularism and continues to fear the specter of the blossoming religious fervor among Tajiks?. gliderforbaby, glidersfornursery, littlecastlegliders, beststeamiron, electricteapot, biometricsafe , nurserychairs, glidersfornurserygedehumidifier, lgdehumidifier, mielecoffeemaker, vikingcoffeemaker
ALEXOH
6:29 PM ET
September 9, 2011
Russia Is Pretty Intense
Yeah, I am not sure what is going to happen over their. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, it has been shaky at best. And now with China growing ever larger, this could be one huge merger just waiting to happen that could tilt the power axis quite drastically. I was recently traveling through Moscow while I was taking my yoga certification and was asking some of the people I was training to learn to teach yoga with and it absolutely shocked me what they were telling me. I hope (although that is not a healthy place to come from) that something positive comes from all this. We shall see....
SEO IN KENT
4:09 AM ET
September 14, 2011
It is getting bigger
Russia's populaton and economy is growingby the day along with China, you only have to look at everything it has at its disposal i.e. all the gas we use in Europe, it looks like China and Russia will become the big superpowers. seo kent
MADCLIVE
1:22 PM ET
September 15, 2011
Good article
Nice article. Some really good points made about Russia's Big Backyard (A grand tour of the stunningly diverse former Soviet states). , I agree with some of them. Thanks for the quality articles which entertainers many views and opinions, helping me learn things. Kindest regards, Mad DJ Clive
TIMIKA134
4:08 AM ET
September 17, 2011
Russia's Big Backyard
A grand tour of the stunningly diverse former Soviet states. Regarding pic 14, I'm going to venture that's a Russian and not a Kazakh in the Russian Orthodox Church. Citizens of Kazakhstan are Kazakhstani, in a place where ethnicity is taken very seriously it's important to note the difference. I highly suspect the same conventions are used throughout the rest of the 'stans. bank really shocked that Foreign Policy published this piece riddled with so many factual mistakes e.g. facts about Lithuania and so on. Can't believe how the author missed out on Azerbaijan and Moldova. Proves again that FP employs people with personal connections rather than merit and competence..
EGISTUBAGUS
8:39 AM ET
September 17, 2011
the tallest monument to Lenin in central Asia,
Above, a 41-foot high statue of revolutionary Russian leader Vladimir Lenin, reportedly the tallest monument to Lenin in central Asia, is lifted from its pedestal in Tajikistan's second largest city, Khujand, on May 30. The statue has been moved to a park on the outskirts of the city. ( gliderforbaby, glidersfornursery, littlecastlegliders, beststeamiron, electricteapot, biometricsafe , nurserychairs, glidersfornurserygedehumidifier, lgdehumidifier, mielecoffeemaker, vikingcoffeemaker)
EGISTUBAGUS
8:40 AM ET
September 17, 2011
The statue has been moved to a park on the outskirts of the city
The statue has been moved to a park on the outskirts of the city gedehumidifier, lgdehumidifier, santafedehumidifier soleusdehumidifier, / soleusdehumidifier, /rubbermaidtrashcans, simplehumantrashcan, simplehumantrashcan/ boschcoffeemaker, topratedcoffeemakers,
PETERBEXLEY
12:37 PM ET
September 17, 2011
Backyard
Just read the article. I found it very informative and agree with posts and points made above. Peter.