SHAPING HERITAGE REGIME IN CENTRAL ASIA: BETWEEN NATIONAL NARRATIVES AND GLOBAL FRAMEWORKS

This article analyses how cultural heritage politics in Central Asia changed during the transition from Soviet rule to independence, highlighting the interplay between national narratives and global heritage frameworks. Under Soviet rule, heritage policy balanced the promotion of local cultures with their integration into a unifying socialist identity, while selectively preserving sites and figures that fit ideological goals. Late Soviet engagement with UNESCO and ICOMOS introduced international concepts and professional networks that continued to shape the region after 1991. Independence brought efforts to redefine heritage around pre-Soviet history, Islamic traditions, and national distinctiveness. At the same time, UNESCO-led initiatives, particularly the Silk Road project, promoted intercultural connectivity and shared civilisational legacies. The result was a hybrid heritage regime—asserting national sovereignty while remaining embedded in transnational governance structures—reflecting broader tensions and shifts in global cultural politics toward pluralism and the inclusion of non-Western perspectives.