The land that Westernisation forgot

The land that Westernisation forgot

When I first spent time in Kyrgyzstan in the mid-2000s, the drunk American military contractor was a familiar sight, almost a local institution. In Bishkek, the capital, the US had a significant Air Force base — initially named in honour of a firefighter who died in the 9/11 attacks, later renamed after the hero of Kyrgyzstan’s national epic. Even though servicemen themselves were confined to the base at that time, a rich subculture had emerged …