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Dark Shadows: Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan
Dark Shadows is a compelling portrait of Kazakhstan, a country that is little known in the West. Strategically located in the heart of Central Asia, sandwiched between Vladimir Putin's Russia, its former colonial ruler, and Xi Jinping's China, this vast oil-rich state is carving out its place in the world as it contends with its own complex past and present. Journalist Joanna Lillis paints a vibrant picture of this emerging nation through vivid reportage based on 13 years of on-the-ground coverage, and travels across the length and breadth of this enigmatic country that lies along the ancient Silk Road and at the geopolitical and cultural crossroads where East meets West.
Featuring tales of murder and abduction, intrigue and betrayal, extortion and corruption, this book explores how a president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, transformed himself into a potentate and the economically-struggling state he inherited at the fall of the USSR into a swaggering 21st-century monocracy. A colourful cast of characters brings the politics to life: from strutting oligarch to sleeping villagers, from principled politicians to striking oilmen, from crusading journalists to courageous campaigners.
Traversing dust-blown deserts and majestic mountains, taking in glitzy cities and dystopian landscapes, Dark Shadows conjures up Kazakhstan as a living, breathing place, full of extraordinary people living extraordinary lives.
Featuring tales of murder and abduction, intrigue and betrayal, extortion and corruption, this book explores how a president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, transformed himself into a potentate and the economically-struggling state he inherited at the fall of the USSR into a swaggering 21st-century monocracy. A colourful cast of characters brings the politics to life: from strutting oligarch to sleeping villagers, from principled politicians to striking oilmen, from crusading journalists to courageous campaigners.
Traversing dust-blown deserts and majestic mountains, taking in glitzy cities and dystopian landscapes, Dark Shadows conjures up Kazakhstan as a living, breathing place, full of extraordinary people living extraordinary lives.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 30, 2019
79 people are currently reading
1200 people want to read
About the author
Joanna Lillis
2 books9 followersJoanna Lillis is a freelance journalist who has been based in Central Asia since 2001 and in Kazakhstan since 2005. Joanna Lillis writes for EurasiaNet.org.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
August 29, 2023
3.5 stars.
Kazakhstan is a country which will never seize to interest me. Being a natural crossroads between Russia, China and the (other) Islamic/Turkic countries to its south, it occupies a unique place on the world map and gives it a guarantee of enormous geopolitical importance.
In "Dark Shadows" Joanna Lillis provides the reader with an intriguing portret of Kazakhstan. The first part is concerned with the power of the former dictator Nursultan Nazarbayev. The so-called "Father of the Nation" and the clique of oligarchs surrounding him. One might say that this first part reads a bit like a post-soviet Game of Thrones.
The second part puts the focus on the modern Kazakh identity. Despite being a country with a rich culture and history, Kazakhstan is still very much looking for its place in the world and the course it should steer domestically as well as on the global stage. This can be challenging for a Turkic nation that's where Russian is the lingua franca and is increasingly becoming economically dependent on China (being a key factor in its "Belt and Road" initiative). Not to mention that the country is home to dozens of ethnic minorities.
The third part concentrates on human interest stories, such as a nuclear scientist from Moscow who made a career switch to ostrich-farming after his retirement or a former finance minister turned viticulturalist. This third part really drives home the point of Kazakhstan's uniqueness in the world.
Despite the fact that "Dark Shadows" is a very interesting read it feels painfully repetitive at certain parts. Especially in the first two parts of the book. In my opinion it would have been better if there was a slightly bigger focus on more history and anthropology.
Would definitely recommend to anyone interested in this fascinating and increasingly important country!
Kazakhstan is a country which will never seize to interest me. Being a natural crossroads between Russia, China and the (other) Islamic/Turkic countries to its south, it occupies a unique place on the world map and gives it a guarantee of enormous geopolitical importance.
In "Dark Shadows" Joanna Lillis provides the reader with an intriguing portret of Kazakhstan. The first part is concerned with the power of the former dictator Nursultan Nazarbayev. The so-called "Father of the Nation" and the clique of oligarchs surrounding him. One might say that this first part reads a bit like a post-soviet Game of Thrones.
The second part puts the focus on the modern Kazakh identity. Despite being a country with a rich culture and history, Kazakhstan is still very much looking for its place in the world and the course it should steer domestically as well as on the global stage. This can be challenging for a Turkic nation that's where Russian is the lingua franca and is increasingly becoming economically dependent on China (being a key factor in its "Belt and Road" initiative). Not to mention that the country is home to dozens of ethnic minorities.
The third part concentrates on human interest stories, such as a nuclear scientist from Moscow who made a career switch to ostrich-farming after his retirement or a former finance minister turned viticulturalist. This third part really drives home the point of Kazakhstan's uniqueness in the world.
Despite the fact that "Dark Shadows" is a very interesting read it feels painfully repetitive at certain parts. Especially in the first two parts of the book. In my opinion it would have been better if there was a slightly bigger focus on more history and anthropology.
Would definitely recommend to anyone interested in this fascinating and increasingly important country!
March 13, 2025
The dark side of authoritarian Kazakhstan is a subject my favourite novel touches upon. Ms. Lillis exposes the detail, and I'm so glad to have read this.
April 27, 2019
The best book I've read on modern Kazakhstan, although there's really not much competition (at least not in English). The book is organized almost as essays, covering general themes of contemporary Kazakhstan: its governance, its Soviet legacy, the environment, and its history. Many of these overlap, and as such sometimes an essay feels as though it's miscategorized. There's no Outro or wrap-up; the end felt more abrupt than other such books, and I think it would have been a good idea to include one.
I didn't get much of a feeling as though I understood Kazakhstan in general more than I did before reading this, because this is not a book about the generalities of the country, though that might change with distance. However, the book is already beginning to render itself anachronistic since Nazarbayev has noted he plans on stepping down soon.
I didn't get much of a feeling as though I understood Kazakhstan in general more than I did before reading this, because this is not a book about the generalities of the country, though that might change with distance. However, the book is already beginning to render itself anachronistic since Nazarbayev has noted he plans on stepping down soon.
January 14, 2022
Lillis, a journalist for multiple publications with over a decade's worth of experience in Kazakhstan, wrote the book in three parts. The first, broadly defined, describes the Kazakh political system, the second, again in the broadest sense, discusses questions of Kazakh identity, and the third, more of a grab bag, discusses the lives of ordinary citizens.
The first part of the book describes Kazakhstan as an authoritarian regime and the power of the country's first head of state, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has led the country from its formal declaration of independence in 1990 up to his resignation in 2019, a year after this book's publication. There is a brief chapter which only hints at the political relationships between Nazabayev, and the former Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, Dinmukhamed Kunaev, and that turmoil in the late Gorbachev years - that is, how Nazarbayev came to power - but I confess I am still mystified.
She would not be the only person to describe the administration of Nazarbayev in critical terms, and Lillis cites human rights reporters and activists inside the country and elsewhere. But that said, the portrayal of this system is complicated for an introduction; a chapter is devoted to the life and career of Mukhtar Ablyazov, who has apparently reinvented himself as a dissident - and Lillis alludes to Ablyazov's off-share dealings and shady bank accounts.
The second part of the book is about the people of Kazakhstan and their various histories and backgrounds - perhaps implicitly about the formation of a nation-state. There is a sizable Russian minority, as well as Chechens who were deported during the Stalinist era and many others. Additionally, Lillis spends a chapter on the Oralman - the Kazakh diaspora who found themselves outside of the country's borders after the fall of the Soviet Union and subsequently emigrated back.
Even so, there is a kind of tension growing in her story - a tension between a political repression and growing economy - a disharmonious state of affairs that could falter if the economy takes a setback. Additionally, her use of the term "Clan State" suggests a competition between multiple factions in elite politics.
The third part of the book a collection of human-interest reportage - stories about sleeping sickness, an ostrich farm, nuclear waste, and the repercussions from the draining of the Aral Sea by the Soviets in the mid-20th century.
As I knew very little about Kazakhstan before, I am in no place to offer any substantial analysis here. I cannot make any claims about how this integrates into scholarship or further journalistic efforts, and certainly not anything about the political system. But Lillis, through her constant returns to man-on-the-street interviews, has an obvious rapport with the people of Kazakhstan themselves.
The first part of the book describes Kazakhstan as an authoritarian regime and the power of the country's first head of state, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has led the country from its formal declaration of independence in 1990 up to his resignation in 2019, a year after this book's publication. There is a brief chapter which only hints at the political relationships between Nazabayev, and the former Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, Dinmukhamed Kunaev, and that turmoil in the late Gorbachev years - that is, how Nazarbayev came to power - but I confess I am still mystified.
She would not be the only person to describe the administration of Nazarbayev in critical terms, and Lillis cites human rights reporters and activists inside the country and elsewhere. But that said, the portrayal of this system is complicated for an introduction; a chapter is devoted to the life and career of Mukhtar Ablyazov, who has apparently reinvented himself as a dissident - and Lillis alludes to Ablyazov's off-share dealings and shady bank accounts.
The second part of the book is about the people of Kazakhstan and their various histories and backgrounds - perhaps implicitly about the formation of a nation-state. There is a sizable Russian minority, as well as Chechens who were deported during the Stalinist era and many others. Additionally, Lillis spends a chapter on the Oralman - the Kazakh diaspora who found themselves outside of the country's borders after the fall of the Soviet Union and subsequently emigrated back.
Even so, there is a kind of tension growing in her story - a tension between a political repression and growing economy - a disharmonious state of affairs that could falter if the economy takes a setback. Additionally, her use of the term "Clan State" suggests a competition between multiple factions in elite politics.
The third part of the book a collection of human-interest reportage - stories about sleeping sickness, an ostrich farm, nuclear waste, and the repercussions from the draining of the Aral Sea by the Soviets in the mid-20th century.
As I knew very little about Kazakhstan before, I am in no place to offer any substantial analysis here. I cannot make any claims about how this integrates into scholarship or further journalistic efforts, and certainly not anything about the political system. But Lillis, through her constant returns to man-on-the-street interviews, has an obvious rapport with the people of Kazakhstan themselves.
March 23, 2025
This is a good solid book about the politics in Kazakhstan after the breakup of the Soviet Union. It describes the growth of the Kazakh population from being a minority in its own country to being a majority. It describes minority rights issues as well as issues facing Kazakhs in Mongolia and China. A description of the major players in Kazakh politics and their circumstances shows a parallel to the Russia during the same time period. Environmental issues including the disappearing Aral Sea and efforts to bring it back are also described.
If you are interested in the current state of this little understood country this book is a good place to start.
If you are interested in the current state of this little understood country this book is a good place to start.
January 5, 2019
I knew nothing about Kazakhstan going into this book and I have come away with the feeling that I have gotten a glimpse into an enormous, complex and compelling country. I think the book is a great primer on the various political as social aspects of Kazakhstan. It is by no means something like a comprehensive history, but I loved the format of short chapters on various topics. For me, when I am new to a subject I retain much more when it is presented in small chunks. The book covers 20th and 21st century history and the book is focused on firsthand accounts of important historical moments from witnesses the author has interviewed.
Joanna Lillis’s writing is straightforward and compelling. I tore through the book a number of days, something that is uncommon for me with nonfiction. Overall, if you are interested in Eurasia, I would highly recommend.
Joanna Lillis’s writing is straightforward and compelling. I tore through the book a number of days, something that is uncommon for me with nonfiction. Overall, if you are interested in Eurasia, I would highly recommend.
February 11, 2019
I learned a lot about Kazakhstan by reading this book. Each chapter provides a glimpse into issues that could each have a book written about them: corruption, human rights, freedom of speech, nuclear testing, Aral Sea, to name a few. Lillis didn't seem to have an agenda with her reporting, such as demonizing Nazaybayev, when a lot of Western reporting focuses solely on negatives from a dictator's rule (I'm looking at you, NY Times). She presented the bad and the good of his rule in a balanced manner. Also liked how she presented Kazakhstan as more than just a post-Soviet state. I gained a better understanding of Kazakh culture by reading this book.
January 26, 2025
It is a bit higgledy-piggledy at times, but overall I enjoyed this. I was left with the sense of it being a worrying place for the folk that live there and interestingly much of the concern is, by way of a novel, hit upon by Mr Carlyle in his exposé of life in those parts.
Until recently not one thought of Kazakhstan crossed my mind. It is a country rich in history and has been terribly abused by its neighbours for many a year.
Until recently not one thought of Kazakhstan crossed my mind. It is a country rich in history and has been terribly abused by its neighbours for many a year.
March 14, 2025
I'm glad to have read this. It confirms much of which I had accepted was happening 'behind closed doors' in Kazakhstan. I need to pull my socks up. I've lived in my little world for too long. I've just made friends, on GR, with a nurse working BIG CITY A&E: I did that for a year before I cut and run.
I will read more of the world and what is really happening. Itchy feet?
I will read more of the world and what is really happening. Itchy feet?
May 4, 2024
like this had good moments that did well explaining the history of this oft-overlooked country and region, but i had two main issues.
1) word choice. i’ve been a big reader my whole life and i double majored in two reading heavy disciplines and yet there were still many words in this book i had never heard of. how is this making the history of kazakhstan and central asia accessible to a new audience if no one can fully understand it?? idk writing style didn’t pass muster for me
2) content. like yeah there was good history and interesting interviews in here, but the structure of this book was just disjointed and at times bizarre. the last few chapters are just totally unconnected vignettes which, usually, is fine, but why have three distinct 100+ page sections united under specific themes if you’re just gonna write whatever at the end??
1) word choice. i’ve been a big reader my whole life and i double majored in two reading heavy disciplines and yet there were still many words in this book i had never heard of. how is this making the history of kazakhstan and central asia accessible to a new audience if no one can fully understand it?? idk writing style didn’t pass muster for me
2) content. like yeah there was good history and interesting interviews in here, but the structure of this book was just disjointed and at times bizarre. the last few chapters are just totally unconnected vignettes which, usually, is fine, but why have three distinct 100+ page sections united under specific themes if you’re just gonna write whatever at the end??
August 23, 2023
This book was quite boring. I was hoping to learn more about Kazakhs daily lives, families, attitudes, cuisine - those traits that make people a nation. Dark Shadows concentrates on government control of social movements, treatment of dissidents, muzzling of free press - all very important issues, however, I was not able to feel what it's like to live in Kazakhstan in late 20th -early 21st century. The atmosphere is lacking.
December 31, 2022
I knew nothing about Kazakhstan prior to reading this book. I appreciated how Lillis, a journalist, broke down a broad overview of the country without bogging the reader down into minutiae.
Lillis's chapters read like essays. They cover Kazakhstan's system of governance, Kazakh identity, the impact of living under decades of Soviet rule, and life under Kazakh rule.
I found Lillis's essays to be informative, if repetitive when discussing the repressive regime under 28 year defacto president, Nursultan Nazarbayev. Hearing from so many interviewees, rather than just through the eyes of Lillis, made the book more well rounded.
A few nitpicks: Lillis was unable to keep her opinions out of the book, which made her seem less objective. She described a couple of women in the book like homely and sturdy, which were wholly unnecessary. She also inserted her personal opinion and put beliefs she didn't agree with in quotes, which didn't bolster her credibility as an objective observer.
In addition, some of the words used in the book seemed like she had a thesaurus in one hand and then randomly plucked out words when a better known one would have served just as well. I consider myself to be an educated person but I felt like I needed a dictionary several times to decode words I'd never seen before.
Lastly, she would refer to a person by their matronymic name and then, in their patronymic name, which was confusing and unnecessary. If the reader is only reading about a person' story briefly and then never returns to this reader, knowing their two different last names unnecessarily clouds the water.
Overall, though, I thought this book was a good introduction to Kazakhstan.
Lillis's chapters read like essays. They cover Kazakhstan's system of governance, Kazakh identity, the impact of living under decades of Soviet rule, and life under Kazakh rule.
I found Lillis's essays to be informative, if repetitive when discussing the repressive regime under 28 year defacto president, Nursultan Nazarbayev. Hearing from so many interviewees, rather than just through the eyes of Lillis, made the book more well rounded.
A few nitpicks: Lillis was unable to keep her opinions out of the book, which made her seem less objective. She described a couple of women in the book like homely and sturdy, which were wholly unnecessary. She also inserted her personal opinion and put beliefs she didn't agree with in quotes, which didn't bolster her credibility as an objective observer.
In addition, some of the words used in the book seemed like she had a thesaurus in one hand and then randomly plucked out words when a better known one would have served just as well. I consider myself to be an educated person but I felt like I needed a dictionary several times to decode words I'd never seen before.
Lastly, she would refer to a person by their matronymic name and then, in their patronymic name, which was confusing and unnecessary. If the reader is only reading about a person' story briefly and then never returns to this reader, knowing their two different last names unnecessarily clouds the water.
Overall, though, I thought this book was a good introduction to Kazakhstan.
May 28, 2025
Goodreads prompted me to read this once I read The Roads Chosen. There's the Western World shovelling millions at Russia (I think it was IMF money suitcases by Clinton) and at the same former Soviet states are being gobbled up by organised crime. I'm sure the powers to be had no idea of what was happening!!!
Mr Carlyle talks of a wilful blind eye on a freight dock in Atyrau. It's a communicable disease it would seem in Kazakhstan and the IMF.
The state of affairs in Kazakhstan is shocking and my heart goes out to the decent honest people in this regions.
I'm simply naive and previously lets such things pass me by. I gave up on my government years ago and accepted they are in the job to fill their own pockets. Reading this made me shudder. I had no idea.
Mr Carlyle talks of a wilful blind eye on a freight dock in Atyrau. It's a communicable disease it would seem in Kazakhstan and the IMF.
The state of affairs in Kazakhstan is shocking and my heart goes out to the decent honest people in this regions.
I'm simply naive and previously lets such things pass me by. I gave up on my government years ago and accepted they are in the job to fill their own pockets. Reading this made me shudder. I had no idea.
August 24, 2021
Documentadísimo recorrido del Kazajistán de ayer y de hoy de la mano de la periodista Joanna Lillis, conocedora de la realidad del mundo exsoviético y afincada en Kazajistán desde hace varios años.
A excepción de la primera parte, que es un poco floja y demasiado densa, este libro recoge pinceladas de lo más variopintas: desde el proceso de "nation-building" del país, con todos sus entresijos religiosos, étnicos y lingüísticos, hasta las historias más mundanas de su geografía, pasando por la tragedia del mar de Aral, el 'polígono' nuclear de Semipalatinsk y la pujante industria vitivinícola patria. Apasionante trabajo de investigación periodística.
A excepción de la primera parte, que es un poco floja y demasiado densa, este libro recoge pinceladas de lo más variopintas: desde el proceso de "nation-building" del país, con todos sus entresijos religiosos, étnicos y lingüísticos, hasta las historias más mundanas de su geografía, pasando por la tragedia del mar de Aral, el 'polígono' nuclear de Semipalatinsk y la pujante industria vitivinícola patria. Apasionante trabajo de investigación periodística.
April 1, 2022
Enlightening and readable book on a country I knew very little about. Lone complaint is that it ended very suddenly.
July 22, 2019
Shambala, Atlantis and now Kazakhstan. I wonder what potions did Lillis drink, what herbs Lillis had to smoke in order to be admitted to this "secret world"?
February 26, 2019
This was interesting but at times it felt repetitive.
Read
February 15, 2020A parade of despicable behavior in this book with each chapter introducing yet another way for humans to be evil. Is there a word for worse than evil? The common denominator throughout the book is individuals getting their lives crushed decade after decade after decade by whatever top tier of thugs is in power.
This is Kazakhstan?
Exhausting to read one depressing chapter after another with no hope and no reason to believe masses of individuals won't continue to get their lives crushed and cut short in brutal ways.
This is Kazakhstan?
Exhausting to read one depressing chapter after another with no hope and no reason to believe masses of individuals won't continue to get their lives crushed and cut short in brutal ways.
July 19, 2019
Felt like a cobbling together of articles written by the author re: Kazakhstan -- tone was very journalistic, and some of the chapters repeated themselves without recognition that the material had been covered earlier in the book. That said, I learned a lot about a country I knew absolutely nothing about.
November 26, 2020
This book gets five stars because the author had actually put a lot of effort into understanding Kazakhstan. And not all things are so dark in this book.
May 6, 2024
Reading Dark shadows is like riding a roller-coaster. The exploration starts with an innocent peek into what life of Nazarbayev has been to a complete fiasco of politics where having one's own voice is the worst skill you can possess. Joanna Lillis provides a meticulous insight into the functioning of the country by striking a satire of communism under the mask of fake democracy.
Nazarbayev was born in a rural town of Almaty in the republic of Kazakhstan in the Soviet Union. Although raised in the nomadic way of life, Nazarbayev grew up receiving education in Russian speaking schools and began working in an iron mill all the while volunteering at the Young Communist League. Slowly working his way up the ladder, Nazarbayev began holding prominent positions in the Communist Party and was in fact the leader of the Republic of Kazakhstan when the USSR disintegrated. So in 1991, Nazarbayev's mode of leadership changed drastically from a communist to a democratic. And implementation of the latter in various forms has been credibly laudable.
However, as in all political cases, what meets the eye is just the tip of an iceberg. In the book Joanna describes countless examples of those who met imprisonment, death threats, or even death by simply questioning, voicing themselves, or working against the current power. The behind the scenes situation in the political chain of command in Nazarbayev's government mirrors a communist mindset. Upon wrongdoing, the government blames those who fled the country or the common people instead of taking the responsibilities. Injustice was a common frustration amongst the people of Kazakhstan. And those incarcerated due to being found guilty, were released after pleading undue allegiance with the state and no one else, not even their own opinions. Lillis, describes in depth about the family scandals, covert assassination attempts, deeply woven crime scandals', and overall the power still remaining with Nazarbayev and to a large extent with his daughter who also holds leadership position in the government.
I highly recommend this book to anyone if you enjoy reading about non-fiction political thrillers or if you just want to learn more about the political story of Kazakhstan!
Nazarbayev was born in a rural town of Almaty in the republic of Kazakhstan in the Soviet Union. Although raised in the nomadic way of life, Nazarbayev grew up receiving education in Russian speaking schools and began working in an iron mill all the while volunteering at the Young Communist League. Slowly working his way up the ladder, Nazarbayev began holding prominent positions in the Communist Party and was in fact the leader of the Republic of Kazakhstan when the USSR disintegrated. So in 1991, Nazarbayev's mode of leadership changed drastically from a communist to a democratic. And implementation of the latter in various forms has been credibly laudable.
However, as in all political cases, what meets the eye is just the tip of an iceberg. In the book Joanna describes countless examples of those who met imprisonment, death threats, or even death by simply questioning, voicing themselves, or working against the current power. The behind the scenes situation in the political chain of command in Nazarbayev's government mirrors a communist mindset. Upon wrongdoing, the government blames those who fled the country or the common people instead of taking the responsibilities. Injustice was a common frustration amongst the people of Kazakhstan. And those incarcerated due to being found guilty, were released after pleading undue allegiance with the state and no one else, not even their own opinions. Lillis, describes in depth about the family scandals, covert assassination attempts, deeply woven crime scandals', and overall the power still remaining with Nazarbayev and to a large extent with his daughter who also holds leadership position in the government.
I highly recommend this book to anyone if you enjoy reading about non-fiction political thrillers or if you just want to learn more about the political story of Kazakhstan!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2022
3.5 stars
This was my read the world selection for Kazakhstan
The author of this book is a Kazakhstan based journalist and here she has presented her book in three sections. The first describes the political system, the second examines the history and identity of the country and the third covers a few different events and occurrences in the lives of ordinary citizens.
The result is an interesting and rather shocking look into a country I knew very little about. The political landscape of the country is mind blowing to say the least and reinforced to me just how many awful people there are in powerful positions (as if I needed reminding 🙄). Honestly, I felt like I was reading a movie plot during this part of the book.
The history and identity section of the book covered somewhat drier material, however the author clearly tries to make it more interesting by inserting comments and thoughts of various people she has interviewed. It also provides some rather enlightening views held by former USSR patriots 😳
The final part is a little more random, but presents views and stories from the average Kazakh.
This book was rather shocking and overwhelming at times in such a way that is difficult to describe. It was a little depressing to read and realize just how many ways there are for humans to be evil ☹️ Tough but fascinating…..and not always in a good way. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
This was my read the world selection for Kazakhstan
The author of this book is a Kazakhstan based journalist and here she has presented her book in three sections. The first describes the political system, the second examines the history and identity of the country and the third covers a few different events and occurrences in the lives of ordinary citizens.
The result is an interesting and rather shocking look into a country I knew very little about. The political landscape of the country is mind blowing to say the least and reinforced to me just how many awful people there are in powerful positions (as if I needed reminding 🙄). Honestly, I felt like I was reading a movie plot during this part of the book.
The history and identity section of the book covered somewhat drier material, however the author clearly tries to make it more interesting by inserting comments and thoughts of various people she has interviewed. It also provides some rather enlightening views held by former USSR patriots 😳
The final part is a little more random, but presents views and stories from the average Kazakh.
This book was rather shocking and overwhelming at times in such a way that is difficult to describe. It was a little depressing to read and realize just how many ways there are for humans to be evil ☹️ Tough but fascinating…..and not always in a good way. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
February 21, 2021
I wasn’t sure I was going to read all of this book, but Lillis’ excellent and engaging writing and short chapters on varied topics kept me going. Her writing about corruption and persecution of dissidents, opposition politicians, and independent media often get bogged down in endless detail, and I skimmed now and again. Much of the book reads to me like a journalist finally getting to pack in all the details, color, and information that often gets cut by newspaper editors crunched for space.
I was left wishing for more glimmers of hope or at least anticipation of positive change for the future, more about cultural and spiritual practices.
In the end, I’m saddened by all the losses that the Kazakh have suffered at the hands of Moscow - culture, environment, public health, political freedom, etc.
I can only imagine that Lillis is alternately gnashing her teeth about Nazarbaev’s “retirement” occurring just as the book came out and possible enthusiasm for writing about the next chapter of Kazakhstan’s history and people.
Background: I’ve been traveling and working in Russia and other former Soviet and near-Soviet states for decades. The last few years I have really focused my reading and attention on Central Asia, particularly Mongolia and Kazakhstan.
I was left wishing for more glimmers of hope or at least anticipation of positive change for the future, more about cultural and spiritual practices.
In the end, I’m saddened by all the losses that the Kazakh have suffered at the hands of Moscow - culture, environment, public health, political freedom, etc.
I can only imagine that Lillis is alternately gnashing her teeth about Nazarbaev’s “retirement” occurring just as the book came out and possible enthusiasm for writing about the next chapter of Kazakhstan’s history and people.
Background: I’ve been traveling and working in Russia and other former Soviet and near-Soviet states for decades. The last few years I have really focused my reading and attention on Central Asia, particularly Mongolia and Kazakhstan.
May 29, 2025
Nuanced, detailed, and very human!
Political intrigue and personal stories from normal people.
Kazakhstan is sandwiched between Russia, China, and several Islamic countries — a whirlwind of clashing, incompatible cultural norms, expectations, and demands.
I love the Nuance in this book.
Some people love their dictator for being the “Father of their Nation.” He has done a LOT of good, and they are justified loving him.
Some people hate their dictator because he kills anyone who disagrees with him and keeps normal people barely-above-starving while politicians get rich. They are justified in hating him.
I love how it tells both sides of the story while NEVER justifying evil.
The stories this book shares are very human: a mom caring for her disabled daughter who was poisoned, a nuclear scientist turned ostrich farmer, protestors who got shot, wives seeking justice for their murdered husbands, a finance minister turned vineyard keeper, etc.
Political intrigue and personal stories from normal people.
Kazakhstan is sandwiched between Russia, China, and several Islamic countries — a whirlwind of clashing, incompatible cultural norms, expectations, and demands.
I love the Nuance in this book.
Some people love their dictator for being the “Father of their Nation.” He has done a LOT of good, and they are justified loving him.
Some people hate their dictator because he kills anyone who disagrees with him and keeps normal people barely-above-starving while politicians get rich. They are justified in hating him.
I love how it tells both sides of the story while NEVER justifying evil.
The stories this book shares are very human: a mom caring for her disabled daughter who was poisoned, a nuclear scientist turned ostrich farmer, protestors who got shot, wives seeking justice for their murdered husbands, a finance minister turned vineyard keeper, etc.
September 15, 2021
Really well written. The first two sections can get a bit dry unless you, like me, are fascinated about Central Asian autocracy, but the third section, telling stories about different people in Kazakhstan is amazing.
It's particularly welcome because there is so little written about Kazakhstan. When I moved there 10 years ago, I could only find one poorly written book about it (and dozens of people making borat jokes). The book in question was Apples are From Kazakhstan which makes Kazakhstan seem super fun and quirky, and completely ignores the long history of human rights violations and corruption.
So thank you Joanna Lillis for writing this brilliant book, thank you for your respect for the people of Kazakhstan, and many thanks for telling the stories of the people of Kazakhstan who never get heard because of the loud, loud regime that silences them.
It's particularly welcome because there is so little written about Kazakhstan. When I moved there 10 years ago, I could only find one poorly written book about it (and dozens of people making borat jokes). The book in question was Apples are From Kazakhstan which makes Kazakhstan seem super fun and quirky, and completely ignores the long history of human rights violations and corruption.
So thank you Joanna Lillis for writing this brilliant book, thank you for your respect for the people of Kazakhstan, and many thanks for telling the stories of the people of Kazakhstan who never get heard because of the loud, loud regime that silences them.
October 16, 2022
The success of Borat leverages the fact that people in the West know so little of Kazakhstan. This book provides a wonderful insight into the history of Kazakhstan with an emphasis on recent events. Many significant events and their background are described, e.g. the Asharshylyk (the famine in the early 1930s), the nuclear testing, the protests in Zhanaozen in 2011, the 1986 Zheltoksan protests, the Aral sea environmental disaster, and the political infights. I found the book very informative and easy to read. The background provided is also important to better understand what is happening in relation to the Russian invasion of Ukraine (which of course already started in 2014). It would be great if the book would be updated in due course with the 2022 January unrest in Kazakhstan and what is currently playing out as a result of the aforementioned invasion.
February 14, 2024
My current rating of the book is somewhere between 3 & 4 (out of 5), but there's no doubt that if I were to spend time in Kazakhstan, I would appreciate what Joanna Lillis composed in "Dark Shadows" significantly more. The book is twenty-nine different profiles of modern Kazakhstan, reflecting on its last three decades since independence; ergo, primarily the 2010s, with a little 2020s. Whatever Russian history I knew felt completely dwarfed reading this book because "Dark Shadows" covers everything from culture, economics, geography, and politics. By no means does that suggest Lillis is a poor author, (quite the opposite, as there are quick recaps to help give the foreign reader grounding), but rather, how thorough the book is.
June 4, 2021
This book is a collection of dispatches from thirteen years of reporting on Kazakhstan, with stories ranging from elites to deportees, the country’ half-a-millenium-old history to recent events, and environmental disasters to ostrich farms.
Lillis includes her stories on some of the biggest tragedies incurred by Kazakhstan’s past as a Soviet republic. Among them are the manmade famine Asharshylyk; shrinking Aral Sea; nuclear testing ground polygon, labor camp Karlag; and violent suppression of Zheltoksan, a rebellion that broke out after the announcement of an outsider named as leader. Post-independence, the government has been making big strides to strengthen national identity like providing relocation support for Kazakhs abroad to return to the “historical homeland (oralman), changing the alphabet back to latin, and trying to host international events. The book also lays bare KAZ's authoritarian bent with stories about the regime violently suppressing protests in oiltown Zhanaozen, shutting down anti-state newspaper Respublika and magazines Adam Bol and Adam, and silencing well-known human rights campaigner Yevgeniy Zhotis.
Some of these stories would put Kazakhstan on the map if more people knew about them, like the story of Nazarbayev’s former son-in-law Rakhat Aliyev who ordered an assassination of an opposition leader and two bankers. Or the story of billionaire Mukhtar Ablyazov who is on the run for money laundering and co-founding a political party (DMV) for democratic reform. Lillis’ real-life characters are extraordinary, brazen, and utterly fascinating.
Many books about KAZ are unfortunately state-commissioned PR pieces. Dark Shadows is critical throughout and offers thoughtful commentary.
Lillis includes her stories on some of the biggest tragedies incurred by Kazakhstan’s past as a Soviet republic. Among them are the manmade famine Asharshylyk; shrinking Aral Sea; nuclear testing ground polygon, labor camp Karlag; and violent suppression of Zheltoksan, a rebellion that broke out after the announcement of an outsider named as leader. Post-independence, the government has been making big strides to strengthen national identity like providing relocation support for Kazakhs abroad to return to the “historical homeland (oralman), changing the alphabet back to latin, and trying to host international events. The book also lays bare KAZ's authoritarian bent with stories about the regime violently suppressing protests in oiltown Zhanaozen, shutting down anti-state newspaper Respublika and magazines Adam Bol and Adam, and silencing well-known human rights campaigner Yevgeniy Zhotis.
Some of these stories would put Kazakhstan on the map if more people knew about them, like the story of Nazarbayev’s former son-in-law Rakhat Aliyev who ordered an assassination of an opposition leader and two bankers. Or the story of billionaire Mukhtar Ablyazov who is on the run for money laundering and co-founding a political party (DMV) for democratic reform. Lillis’ real-life characters are extraordinary, brazen, and utterly fascinating.
Many books about KAZ are unfortunately state-commissioned PR pieces. Dark Shadows is critical throughout and offers thoughtful commentary.
March 20, 2023
A great book on the bad and good Kazakhstan offers. After a first part on the biggest corruption scandals connected to the family of the first president, the book enters into a more humanist view of social problems in Kazakhstan (even if some connected to corruption and mismanagement by the elites): children infected by HIV; stories around the former nuclear testing site; or the story of how a man wants to put Kazakhstan into the world’s wine map.
A must read for the lovers of Kazakhstan. The ones that are able to look to the bad, the corruption and oligarchic rule, in the hope of a better Kazakhstan.
A must read for the lovers of Kazakhstan. The ones that are able to look to the bad, the corruption and oligarchic rule, in the hope of a better Kazakhstan.
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