RSSS 195A - Kazakhstan - Heart of Eurasia

"Kazakhstan- Heart of Eurasia" is a one-unit colloquium on Modern Kazakhstan - the ninth largest country in the world, located at the crossroads of Europe and Central Asia. This great, yet largely unknown country, a home for more than 100 ethnicities, and ruled by a feeling of understanding and harmony, has served for centuries as a bridge for Europe and Asia through the Great Silk Road. Today, Kazakhstan continues to be central in providing modern ideas in sustaining peace, democracy, and economic growth in our Global World. In the first half of the course, we will explore extraordinary rich traditional Kazakh culture, music, oral traditions, clothing, yurts, and food- capped with celebration of National and Traditional Holidays. The second part of the course will be based on the historical events of great importance in Kazakhstan during the Soviet Era, which include starvation, arrests, exploitation of resources, deportation and return, and modern Kazakhstan's strategic efforts in building a new nation.