Michael Rywkin: Perestroika in Central Asia

Extract

Michael Rywkin: Perestroika in Central Asia

I will cover only a few points. It is obvious that, as far as the nationalities are concerned, perestroika has affected them in different ways. It is very hard to say that there is a uniform situation as far as perestroika's impact is concerned. We know well what is going on with the national fronts in the Baltic; we also know about the Caucasian situation's being complicated by difficulties not only between the local nationalities and the Muscovites, but also among the local nationalities themselves, and minorities within minorities. We have still a different situation in Belorussia, and yet another in Central Asia. Some of the events in Central Asia are directly connected with republics, while other trends already started beforehand.