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Timofei Bordachev: A New Great Game for Central Asia?

2026-04-08 People & Blogs
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Glenn Diesen
Glenn Diesen
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Description

Timofei Bordachev argues that thinking about the Great Game of the 19th Century still dominates thinking about Central Asia, yet the geopolitical realities of this region are undergoing great changes. Bordachev is the Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club, and an Academic Supervisor of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics. Eurasia’s Ghosts of the Great Game: https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/eurasia-s-ghosts-of-the-great-game/ Follow Prof. Glenn Diesen: Substack: https://glenndiesen.substack.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/Glenn_Diesen Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/glenndiesen Support the research by Prof. Glenn Diesen: PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/glenndiesen Buy me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/gdieseng Go Fund Me: https://gofund.me/09ea012f Books by Prof. Glenn Diesen: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09FPQ4MDL

Top Comments (10)

@MyNameIsRed111 2026-04-08

Excellent guest Glenn, it would be great to hear more from him. I love hearing from different guests within our circles/channels that come from other regions/countries with different backgrounds. It’s necessary to hear about completely different aspects of geopolitics and history. Timofei hit upon an important point I was discussing with someone the other day, the history of Central Asia and Turkic culture that runs throughout the region. I basically said the same thing, our ancestors were hunter gatherers at a time when they had long had civilizations. They have long memories of wars won and lost. Please bring him back, he’s fascinating and a fount of knowledge. Thank you Glenn and Timofei!

43 1 replies
@jennizeaiter 2026-04-08

Hi Glenn, thanks for the amazing content!

42
@Abel0205 2026-04-08

Glenn, thank you for such a guest. I was born in Kazakhstan and wish to do my Master's on international relations in Higher school of Economics. This video is so special for me. I have found your channel just after 28th of February and I am very grateful for your interviews and your choice of guests.

29 1 replies
@jjtwm4844 2026-04-08

The way he framed Central Asia’s cultural longevity versus that of Northern Europeans was mesmerizing. It naturally invites extrapolation to much younger cultures, like those in Latin America (where I’m from) and the American European colonized cultures in general, more broadly. I strongly believe that countries and borders are, in many ways, containers of ethos and culture. The importance of that cultural depth is axiomatic to a society’s strength. The wisdom accumulated through time and experience is irreplaceable, and as humans we consciously and unconsciously carry the paths of the past that brought us here. He describes the depth of these ancient cultures as an almost unbreakable shield against external influence or outside intent.

27 5 replies
@evanhudson881 2026-04-08

this is an extremely interesting conversation on an important and often ignored topic. Everybody in the West always forgets about the 'Stans and central asia. But they are the key. I highly recommend the work of Peter Hopkirk on the great game (from the british POV, anyway). "The Great Game," "Foreign Devils on the Silk Road," "Trespassers on the Roof of the World" "Setting the East Ablaze" are all really fun and informative reads, and couldn't be more relevant to the present geopolitical situation as it's evolving.

26
@chirohoryt 2026-04-08

Mr. diesen, Israel is bombarding Lebanon since last 5 hours and have devasted a portion of a city, hundreds of Lebanese affected, they didn't agree with lebanese front ceasefire! Please let the world known of it.

25 1 replies
@helenstrapko1228 2026-04-08

Prof. Gliesen, thank you for this discussion and allowing Russian voices into the discourse.

10
@CoolChannelName 2026-04-09

Thanks for tolerating my many past comments that were infantile, emotional, and ignorant. I was conditioned to believe I had a right to an opinion about things I knew nothing about. I admire your composer Glenn

9
@PP-L-24 2026-04-08

I congratulate you to your guest, soft spoken and knowledgeable about a significant but neglected region, neglected in the sense of not being in the focus of geopolitical discussions.

9
@marcwillis3959 2026-04-09

Brilliant discussion. Enlightening and informative. Always great to hear different viewpoints, and learn new things.

5

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