This volume contributes new insights to the scientific debate on post-Socialist urbanities. Based on ethnographic research in cities of Central Asia, the Caucasus and Russia, its contributions scrutinise the social production of diverse public, parochial and private spaces in conjunction with patterns of everyday encounter, identification, consumption and narration. The analyses extend from the transnational entanglements between a Dushanbe bazaar and hyper-modern Dubai to the micro-level hierarchies in a flat-sharing community in Astana. They explore competing notions of urban belonging and aesthetics in Yerevan, local perception of Central Asian Muslims in Kazan and Saint Petersburg, and more, providing a rich tapestry of academic study. Taken together, the case studies address cities as gateways to ‘new worlds’ (both local and global), discuss ambitions of states at taming urban landscapes, and illustrate current trends of economic, religious and other lifestyles in urban Central Asia and beyond. This book was originally published as a special issue of Central Asian Survey.

Thomas R. Koehler is a founding director of CE21 Consulting, which provides specialist consultancy support to clients throughout Europe, including major telecommunications providers, medium and large enterprises of various industries, government bodies and international organisations. Before founding CE21 in 2007, he worked as a research assistant at the University of Würzburg and subsequently launched two successful start-ups in the dawning of the Internet era. He is also on the supervisory board of Baliqa Invest AG, a company focusing on technology investments. Thomas is the author of several books highlighting the risks and opportunities of our connected world for both individuals and businesses. He is a regular media commentator on Internet and society and has appeared on television and radio.