Latest / The Story of Uzbekistan: Silk Road Kingdoms and Soviet Legacy — Fexingo History
The Cotton Monoculture's Long Shadow: Uzbekistan's Soviet Legacy
In this episode, Lucas and Luna delve into the lasting impact of the cotton monoculture that defined Soviet-era Uzbekistan. They trace its origins from Stalin's brutal collectivization campaigns in the 1930s, through the forced relocation of populations to the Ferghana Valley, and the massive irrigation projects that diverted the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers. The conversation explores the environmental devastation of the Aral Sea, the persistence of child labor in cotton fields after independence, and the economic dependency that left Uzbekistan vulnerable to global cotton prices. They…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.