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Queer Cultures and Literatures in (Soviet) Central Asia

27 February 2025, 5:00 pm–7:00 pm

"Friendship. Love. Eternity" (1928) tempera on board painting by Alexander Nikolaev

A SSEES Politics and Sociology seminar with Saltanat Shoshanova

This event is free.

Event Information

Open to

All

Availability

Yes

Cost

Free

Organiser

SSEES

Location

Masaryk room
UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies
16 Taviton street
London
WC1H 0BW

This talk provides insight into my current doctoral research on Queer Literatures and Cultures in (Soviet) Central Asia. It will look at historical roots, contemporary challenges, and artistic expressions of queer identities within the region spanning the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as present my current theorization of “queerness” in this context. The talk will highlight key literary works, such as Baburnama by Babur and Attar's tale of Mahmud and Ayaz while exploring cultural traditions like bacha bazi and its influence on early 20th-century art (Usto Mumin) and late Soviet theater (Ilkhom Theater). Through this critical analysis, I aim to uncover gaps in existing scholarship and highlight potential directions for further exploration of this understudied field. Feedback and collaborative insights are highly encouraged to enrich the discourse and inform the next stages of my research.

Image credit: Alexander Nikolaev (Usto Mumin) "Friendship. Love. Eternity" (1928)  tempera on board

About the Speaker

Saltanat Shoshanova

Saltanat Shoshanova
is a doctoral researcher at the University of Regensburg within the Light On! Queer Literary Cultures under Socialism project, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation's Freigeist program. Within the project, Saltanat focuses on Queer Cultures and Literatures in (Soviet) Central Asia. Her research focuses on the intersections of gender, sexuality, decoloniality, and memory production within the post-Soviet contexts. She has published widely on these topics, including articles in Central Asian Survey and History & Memory, and co-edited the volume Queer-Feminist Solidarity and the East/West Divide (Peter Lang, 2020). Saltanat has also led projects supporting LGBTIQ+ journalists and activists and is a part of activist groups in the region.