Uzbek Youth Culture - Discover the Dynamic, Creative Millennials!

Uzbekistan in a nutshell

Population: 32.6 million people with another 5 million expats living abroad;

65% of the population is below the age of 35 and 41% of the population is under the age of 24;

Capital city: Tashkent (with more than 2.5 million inhabitants);

Form of governance: Presidential Republic, current President: Shavkat Mirziyoyev

Short Bio of the speaker

Recent graduate of the Westminster International University in Tashkent, studied BSc Economics with Finance;

Have completed my A-Levels in London;

After graduation I am looking forward to establish start-ups in the spheres of education and tourism in Uzbekistan

1) Fashion

Revival of more traditional crafts, such as weaving, embroidery and printed cloth;

Symbiosis of traditional clothes with modern lifestyle: Kanishka, Moel Bosh, Art Caravan, Black Quail, Uzbek Apparel and so on;

Majority of the youth in Tashkent have at least one item of clothing that is handmade;

Tendency of cotton-based manufacturers to cater to a particular apparel designer.

2) Markets

Bazaar acts as a barometer of social life and a public entertainment centre at the same time;

A lot of youth are working as salesmen and supporting their families;

Many bazaars were reconstructed with the support of the Uzbek government, as it still attracts crowds of tourists;

3) Street art

Annual Street art festival is hold in Tashkent, uniting tens of artists;

Most notable artists include Bekzod Abdullaev, Ulughbek Yusupov and Mukhiddin Riskiev, together they hosted “A Thousand Suns” - representing the embodiment of art of variety of cultures;

The civilizations of Japan, China, India, Africa, Europe and America were represented.

Authors of the “A Thousand Suns” exhibition

“A Thousand Suns” exhibition

4) Music

In the music industry of Uzbekistan there are three big segments:

1) Wedding - dancing music, often copied from Western sources - the main source is live performances at weddings, often beginning from £1,000;

2) Non-commercial music - people do it for themselves;3) Instrumental music - mainly classical, performed at National galleries and exhibitions.

There has been a huge music boom in the 90-s, following the collapse of the Soviet Union;

A decline followed throughout the 2000-s until 2015, although recently there has been a spike in interest

5) Food and beverages

There has been a growing interest towards fast-food consumption, however the fast-food brands are mainly local;

KFC is currently opening two stores in Tashkent, whereas McDonalds and Starbucks are rumoured to enter Uzbekistan in the next few years;No brand loyalty but many young people prefer ordering delivery services;

Bahriddin Chustiy is one of the most respected young chefs across the country;

Local food is surprisingly cheaper, set of plov, salad and tea costs £1.50, whereas a hamburger set will cost £2.

6) Relaxation

Shisha houses - specifically targeting young and wealthy people;

Nightlife - present in major cities but not in rural areas;

Late vaping boom - vaping become popular couple of years ago but the usage is limited to a certain segment of the youth;

Chaykhana culture - involves practically the youth on all levels, great hub for reconnecting with friends and an opportunity to network

7) Aspirations and start-up culture

A lot of youth are actively using social media platforms, an example is Shams Abdullaev, 20, who manages two pages in Instagram that total 6 million subscribers;

Although the age of Vines is gone, social media creators appeal through videos and creative content, thereby generating an audience for potential sales;

“Wind of change” - young generations are looking into ways of running their own business;

Political reform from the current administration has made the process of setting up your own business much quicker and smoother - with the help of e-gov

Q&A Session