In late 2025, Russia launched a new Russian-language television channel, Nomad TV, in Kyrgyzstan, signaling a strategic effort to maintain its influence in Central Asia. The channel, designed to operate year-round, represents Russia’s ongoing use of language as a tool of geopolitical influence, particularly as the region’s strategic importance has grown amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Despite losing economic dominance to China and the growing involvement of the U.S. and EU in the region, Russia continues to rely on its historical ties with Central Asia—especially through the Russian language—as a means of projecting influence and maintaining relationships.
While Russia’s ability to exert political and economic pressure has diminished in recent years, its control over regional media and language remains a key factor in its attempts to shape public opinion and influence the political dynamics of Central Asia.
Nomad TV: A New Russian Media Push in Kyrgyzstan
The launch of Nomad TV in Kyrgyzstan highlights Russia’s attempt to extend its messaging across Central Asia. Broadcasting 24/7, the channel is expected to function as a critical tool for propagating Kremlin-friendly narratives to audiences in a region where Russian remains widely spoken. The editorial team of Nomad TV includes Anna Abakumova, a former RT journalist under Margarita Simonyan, signaling a clear connection to Russia’s state-backed media outlets. This move is part of a broader effort by Moscow to counterbalance the growing influence of Western media and maintain a foothold in Central Asia’s media landscape.
In many ways, this is Russia’s response to its diminishing control over the region’s political and economic spheres. By using language as a tool for soft power, Russia aims to ensure that Central Asian populations remain connected to Russia culturally, socially, and politically.
The Role of the Russian Language in Central Asia
The use of the Russian language remains an integral part of life in Central Asia, even as the region works to strengthen its sovereignty and move away from Moscow’s influence. In countries like Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Russian is either an official language or recognized as a language of interethnic communication. Russian is particularly influential among urban elites, who see Russian-language education and media as offering a better chance for economic success.
However, as Central Asian countries seek to assert their independence, the trend towards promoting national languages is growing. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have undertaken slow transitions from Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet, a symbolic move to sever cultural and historical ties with Russia. Additionally, Turkmenistan has actively discouraged education in Russian, and Kyrgyzstan has introduced legislation requiring that a significant portion of media be broadcast in Kyrgyz.
These efforts reflect a broader regional push to reduce Russia’s cultural and political influence while still maintaining economic ties. Russian is not only a tool for communication but also a symbol of the historical dominance Russia held over the region, making the promotion of national languages a means of asserting control over national identity.
The Decline of Russian Speakers and Russia’s Response
While the number of Russian speakers in Central Asia has decreased since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russian remains an important language, particularly among labor migrants who travel between Russia and Central Asia. The continued migration of millions of workers from Central Asia to Russia ensures that Russian maintains a functional role in day-to-day life, business, and culture.
In response to this decline, Russia has taken several steps to preserve the language’s relevance. In 2025, the Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs commissioned a study by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) to evaluate the effectiveness of Russia’s language support measures in countries like Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. While the results of these studies are not publicly available, Russia’s continued investment in such research demonstrates its determination to maintain the use of Russian across the former Soviet republics.
Moscow views the Russian language as a critical bulwark against the encroachment of rival powers in Central Asia. Language remains one of Russia’s most cost-effective tools in a region that has seen increased competition from China and the U.S.
Balancing Sovereignty with Geopolitical Interests
Despite Russia’s ongoing efforts, many Central Asian nations are balancing their historical ties to Russia with the need to develop multi-vector foreign policies that maintain economic and political relationships with China, the U.S., and the EU. While these countries value their connections to Russia, they are equally focused on diversifying their alliances to avoid over-reliance on any single power. The rise of China as a leading trade partner in the region and the increased involvement of Western powers highlight the shifting dynamics in Central Asia.
As Central Asian states continue to promote their national languages and assert their sovereignty, Russia’s reliance on the Russian language as a tool of influence is becoming more complicated. The future of Russia’s role in Central Asia will depend on its ability to adapt to these changes while maintaining its cultural and economic influence.
Conclusion
Russia’s launch of Nomad TV in Kyrgyzstan marks a new phase in its efforts to maintain influence in Central Asia through the Russian language. While Moscow’s economic and political clout in the region has waned, language remains a powerful tool in shaping public opinion and keeping Central Asia connected to Russia. However, as Central Asian countries push for greater independence and seek to balance relationships with multiple global powers, the role of the Russian language—and Russia’s influence—faces an uncertain future.
