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For Immediate Release 
Monday, November 8, 2006
Introducing STEPPE - A New Magazine About Kazakhstan and Central Asia
Central Asia – one of the least known and understood regions of the world – is the perfect home for this autumn’s hottest comedian – BORAT SAGDIEV. Perfect, because few people know much about Kazakhstan, or any of the ‘stans that make up the region, which has allowed Borat to use his interviewees’ ignorance to brilliant comic effect.
However, all that is about to change as November 2006 sees the publication of STEPPE MAGAZINE – the first ever glossy magazine devoted to the arts, culture, history, landscape and people of Central Asia (focusing on the five post-Soviet Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, plus Afghanistan and western China). By using both local and foreign scholars, journalists, writers and photographers, STEPPE celebrates the best features of the region. STEPPE looks at art and culture in their widest sense including architecture, archaeology, objects, interiors, textiles, people, landscape, history, music, cooking and more. In addition, STEPPE publishes up to date information on cultural events in the region, plus reviews of the latest books, films and international exhibitions highlighting Central Asia.
The final product is an engaging and informative magazine with beautiful visual images and in-depth editorial creating a timeless collection chronicling all things Central Asian. STEPPE is designed to become a leading international resource for accessible information on the region. Articles are likely to have a historical twist or follow in the footsteps of new discoveries in order to highlight the unusual. STEPPE aims to reach those parts of Central Asia that rarely get covered by other media.
So, in Issue I we bring you an exclusive interview with the wife and daughter of the last Emir of Bukhara, Emir Alim Khan, plus photos taken during the Emir’s rule at the turn of the twentieth century which, thanks to digital technology, have recently been produced in startling technicolour; we review Colin Thubron’s new book, Shadows of the Silk Road, that re-traces his travels in the region after the collapse of the Soviet Union; travel with the BBC’s Central Asia correspondent to a small Russian frontier town on the edge of the world; learn how to cook mouth-watering Central Asian plov with renowned Iranian chef Najmieh Batmanglij; marvel at the architecture in Central Asia’s largest public bathhouse in Almaty, Kazakhstan; stay at Kabul’s first ever five-star hotel; learn about the best places to ski in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, including heli-skiing, cross-country skiing, where to find a vodka shot at the top of the slopes and tips on the best outdoor saunas; and enjoy a photo montage of the region’s top ten bus stops.
Subscribe to STEPPE MAGAZINE and you will find yourself with a companion and a guide – a collectable, delectable source of information chronicling the culture, the history, the landscape and the people of a world slowly but surely stepping into global focus.
STEPPE is edited by Summer Coish and Lucy Kelaart, and is produced in the UK and issued twice a year. The first issue of STEPPE was generously sponsored by Karazhanbasmunai and Shell who recognized the importance of promoting the art and culture of Kazakhstan and Central Asia and support the idea wholeheartedly.
A one-year subscription to STEPPE Magazine costs: United Kingdom: £21 ($38); United States: £23 ($42); Rest of World: £28 ($52). All prices include P&P.
Subscriptions can be purchased online at www.steppemagazine.com
The Editors of STEPPE are working from Kazakhstan until mid-December 2006 and are available to meet with your company or organization to discuss Corporate Sponsorship and/or advertising opportunities. STEPPE is the ideal product for hotels, companies, organizations, embassies, and ministries that wish to purchase STEPPE as a gift for distribution to investors, clients, visiting dignitaries/diplomats and/or other parties interested in the region. Special bulk order rates are available from the Editors.
If you are a journalist and are interested in reviewing STEPPE Magazine, please contact the Editors directly:
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For news and information bout Kazakhstan please visit us at www.kazakhembus.com
News Bulletin of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the USA and Canada
Contact person: Roman Vassilenko
1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
Tel.: (202) 232-5488, ext. 104, Fax: (202) 232-5845
