Kusturizatsia and Dolya: Business-makingscapes and Interethnic Patronage Networks in Kyrgyzstan

Abstract

AbstractIn this article, I investigate the multifaceted landscape of Kyrgyzstan’s business environment, exploring the strategies, ethics, and morality employed by businessmen in both the Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities. This exploration is set against the backdrop of Kyrgyzstan’s precarious political situation, drawing from extensive long-term research conducted in the region. But, in response to a weak rule of law and the forces of capitalism, new forms of informal practices emerged in Kyrgyzstan, given the country’s own unique circumstances. Kusturizatsia, literally translates as ‘vomiting’. Under this practice, corrupt individuals can repay a fraction of stolen proceeds to the state and then go about their business. The question remains, who knows where the money goes?