The University of Central Asia’s Cultural Heritage and Humanities Unit (CHHU) has made publications of its Cultural Heritage Book Series available online for free download from UCA’s website at: https://ucentralasia.org/Research/CulturalHeritageBookSeries/EN.

According to press release issued by UCA, publications are available online in English, Russian, or Kyrgyz, and cover a variety of themes including Central Asian, Pamiri, and Kyrgyz history and cultural heritage.

This includes a five-volume book set on the Musical Arts of the Pamirs, Funeral Laments of the Pamiri-Kyrgyz, Historical and Ethnographic Narratives of Kyrgyz Herders of Soviet Uzbekistan, Ancient Monuments of the Tian-Shan, and an analysis of Kyrgyz instrumental music, among others.

Five CHHU research papers are also available for free download at: https://ucentralasia.org/Research/ResearchPapers/EN.

The book series promotes understanding across cultures and generations by supporting Central Asian scholars to conduct original and high-quality research, and publish and disseminate their work to regional and international audiences.

Books can also be purchased from UCA’s Cultural Heritage and Humanities Unit by emailing [email protected].

The custodians of traditional knowledge are aging and with limited resources, this knowledge is under threat from several forces including scarce resources, migration, and outside influences.  An important mission of UCA is to help the peoples of Central Asia preserve and draw upon their rich cultural traditions and heritages as assets for the future, and the Book Series and Research Papers are playing a critical role in this endeavor.

A critical part of the University’s mission is to help the different peoples of the region preserve and draw upon their rich cultural traditions and heritages as assets for the future. The custodians of traditional knowledge are aging and, with limited resources to engage in preservation, this knowledge is under threat from several forces including migration and outside influences.

The University’s Cultural Heritage and Humanities Unit (CHHU) is advancing the University’s mission by preserving and promoting the rich and diverse cultural heritages of the region through research, documentation, archiving and support of regional scholars.  

To increase awareness of and access to Central Asian traditions, the CHHU is translating fundamental Central Asian oral and literary works.  This process of documentation and dissemination will enrich both academic and artistic initiatives. Initiatives include translating seminal Central Asian literature into English and the national languages of the region and producing ethnographic documentary films.

The UCA Cultural Heritage Book Series promotes understanding across cultures and generations by supporting Central Asian scholars conduct original and high-quality research, and publish and disseminate their work to regional and international audiences. UCA, with its partners, also supports the development of resources on Central Asian cultural heritage by other publishers.