ABSTRACT

In this article we discuss how infrastructural connections – here the ‘northbound’ and ‘southbound’ sections of a transregional road crossing the mountainous district of Toghuz-Toro in central Kyrgyzstan – become sites where identities can be either confirmed or contested. Linking this district with places that figure prominently in the symbolic geography of Kyrgyzstan, which divides the country into North and South, the two sections of road are inherently enmeshed in regional identity politics. Further, the article considers how the inhabitants of Toghuz-Toro take care of their own mobility and preserve desired connections in a harsh terrain, in the absence of state-managed public transport, and in a situation that sees only rudimentary road maintenance. It shows that technologies such as mobile Internet, and social media such as Facebook, have engendered a profound transformation in the use of transport infrastructure, breathing new life into journeys along the old, dilapidated post-Soviet roads.

摘要

在本文中，我们将讨论基础设施连接——这里是穿越吉尔吉斯斯坦中部 Toghuz-Toro 山区的跨区域公路的“北行”和“南行”路段——如何成为可以确认或质疑身份的地点。将这个地区与吉尔吉斯斯坦象征性地理学中显着的地方联系起来，吉尔吉斯斯坦将国家分为南北两部分，这两个路段天生就陷入了区域身份政治中。此外，本文还考虑了 Toghuz-Toro 的居民如何在恶劣的地形、没有国家管理的公共交通以及只有基本道路维护的情况下照顾自己的流动性并保持所需的连接。它表明，移动互联网等技术和 Facebook 等社交媒体，