Read the full essay here.
About the Author
Ian Pryde writes for Financial and Business News from Moscow, a weekly published in English, German, and Russian. He has spent over three years in the Soviet Union and CIS since 1986, has made several extended visits to Kyrgyzstan, and has also contributed articles to Res Publica, the leading newspaper in that republic. He is currently writing a book on the USSR and CIS, as well as a travel book on Kyrgyzstan.