This article deals with the growing interest towards the 'new Islam of practising Muslim women' among young Tatars in Moscow. I analyse this through their inclusion in the reproduced and reformatted Islamic discursive tradition, as well as through the creation of a unique biography and identity for the 'lady in the headscarf'. A definitive understanding of this phenomenon can be gained from an analysis of the changing environment of narrative expectations towards young people, expectations held by the government, parents, ethnic groups and adults in general, which I shall also consider in the context of the predominant trends in the structure and culture of young people in postsoviet Russia. The biographical narratives of ten women attending courses on the Quran at various mosques around Moscow will, therefore, form the focus of the present article.
This article explores the relationship between reformatting of Bishkek’s central square “from above” and mosaics of meanings, claims, and practices produced by different social actors “from below” in response to the ongoing transformation of this space. Drawing on narratives of long-term Bishkek residents and recent internal migrants to the city, we investigate commonalities and divergences in their perception of Ala-Too’s changing image. It is shown why the square, despite its planned multifunctionality, does not fulfill the needs of various segments of the city population. We also analyze political meanings of the “emptiness” of the square and the ambivalent public reaction to the ways it is being “filled.” The square becomes a spatial mirror of society—a society that remains in constant flux, searching for social stability and for unifying national symbols, heroes, and slogans.
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