KAZAKHSTAN

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The Aral Sea in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan used to be the fourth largest lake in the world, with fishermen from small villages all around its edges depending on it for their livelihood. In the 1960s, the Soviet Union determined that the water from the rivers that fed the Aral Sea were needed to irrigate farmland, to grow crops such as cotton. The diversion of river water caused the Aral Sea to begin shrinking, resulting in an environmental and economic disaster. To make matters worse, the land that was left behind once the water was gone was toxic due to salinity, pesticide and fertilizer runoff, and chemicals left behind from weapons testing.

The shrinking Aral Sea is the backdrop for the book I read for Kazakhstan, Final Respects, by Abdi-Jamil Nurpeisov. The novel’s protagonist, Jadiger, is chairman of the fishing collective in his village on the Aral coast. He frequently goes out to wherever the fishermen are working to see how things are going, leaving his wife of thirteen years, Bakizat, and their two children at home. This causes problems in the marriage, which was never on particularly firm footing to begin with. They had gone to university together, along with another man, Azim, with whom Bakizat had been in a relationship. When Azim broke up with her, she took up with Jadiger and they married, but she has never gotten over Azim.

The shortage of fish in the receding sea is extremely concerning for Jadiger and the fisherman in his collective. One large clan is moving out of the area because they can no longer make a living. Azim, who has a respected position as an academician, favors draining even more water from the sea, convinced that there is fertile soil in the seabed where cotton can be farmed. He has also managed to persuade many people that there is a large underground freshwater lake that will provide all necessary water. He seems to be unaware or unbothered by the fact that changing the local ecosystem by shrinking the sea is causing the environment to become more and more degraded. As one critic argued at one of Azim’s meetings, “Many possibly don’t realize, and some have already long ago understood that…if we don’t radically review our relationship to nature, then humankind will inevitably come to its annihilation.”

Jadiger and Azim clash over their conflicting views about the future of the Aral Sea, and shortly thereafter, Bakizat finally leaves Jadiger for Azim. Jadiger strikes out for the sea, and Azim and Bakizat leave the village together in a sleigh. Fate brings the three of them together, however, in circumstances that will put them all to the test.

This book was often difficult to follow, as I think it’s the only novel I’ve ever read that was written mostly in the second person point of view. So instead of “I did this” or “she did that,” it was always “you did this” or “you did that.” The “you” was Jadiger for the first part of the book, so it seemed as though he were talking to himself. The “you” shifted to other characters later in the book, adding to the confusion. 

While the way the book was written may have made it challenging to read, the environmental warnings came through loud and clear. As his world begins to crumble around him, Jadiger wonders, “If in such a short time, the sea could grow shallow and so many lakes and rivers dry up…if the earth could grow scant and the air be poisoned…then perhaps in reality, not long remained before the very end of the earth?”

COOK

Not many particular dishes were mentioned in Final Respects, and even fewer that could be veganized. So I googled Kazakhstani recipes and found one on the Fandom Recipes Wiki website for Chrov Plav, which is basically a rice pilaf with almonds and dried fruits. I substituted Earth Balance for the butter, and agave nectar for the honey to make it vegan. My grocery store didn’t have currants, so I threw in some goji berries instead. This was a good side dish with the Beyond Sausage I had for dinner, but the leftovers will be even better for breakfast the next few days.

GIVE

In Final Respects, Jadiger’s son was born with disabilities. It appears that, between the environmental problems caused by the receding sea and the toxic chemicals left behind after nearby weapons testing, many children in the village were born disabled. So when I found a project on the GlobalGiving website helping children with cerebral palsy in Kazakhstan, that’s the one I chose for my donation. According to the project description, more than 26,000 families in Kazakhstan have a child with cerebral palsy. More than 75 percent of those families have no access to free and qualified rehabilitation services. This project would provide free services to over 1,500 children with cerebral palsy who come from low-income families or who live in orphanages. With these services, it is hoped that the children can learn every-day skills, such as walking, sitting, eating, etc. More information about this project is available at Support 26 000 children with palsy in Kazakhstan - GlobalGiving.

 

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