of investigative journalist anna politkovskaya it follows the rest of a former senior russian police officer suspected of organizing the crime. well do stay with us here in our next hour a special report looks at life in the former soviet republic of turkey could stand in central asia twenty years after the collapse of the u.s.s.r. . stan a former soviet republic became independent in one nine hundred ninety one. that were an independent state is important but it's only good as long as it's backed by economic performance. unemployment is the greatest issue in this independent central asian country meaning one and a half million migrant workers who flocked to russia from tragic to stand alone they have left their country to feed their families.

after the breakup of the soviet union we had a very hard time but then we somehow learned to take things in stride. the situation got even worse following the devastating civil war that broke out during the first years of independence the nation still healing its wounds even a decade on the problems are numerous from drug trafficking from neighboring afghanistan to acute shortages of electricity and drinking water. ensuring a camel appears on this road running through the hills drive is paused to sign the animal to feed it. now

it needs something to eat. local say the camel's owner deliberately turns the animal out there's no food for it in the man's household. name of and his family live two hundred kilometers south of tragic is dan's capital to shine very close to the border with afghanistan he has ten children. this cow provides for. each member of his family has a particular job to do the men trim the vines and women do the washing and bake bread while the kids work in the vegetable garden. the men gather cotton stalks left in a field after harvesting they use them to heat the oven in order to make flat round cakes the stalks do produce some heat but certainly much less than firewood.

carried out get on with it. like. many tantric peasants live below the poverty line. some don't have jobs at all others barely scrape by. eldest sons are old enough to earn a living they'll be sense of brought to look for a job but. my brother has left russia to work there he will be a helping hand from a family we've got very little money. social problems create fertile breeding ground for crime an increasing number of people have fallen prey to drug dealers they use them to traffic narcotics across the border with afghanistan through the so-called northern route. from afghanistan heroin finds its way to stan and then on to russia and europe.

in two thousand and ten. foresman bodies confiscated more than two tons of drugs coming from afghanistan. we need to criminals who are different from members have a particular role to play they include masterminds traffickers go betweens. and consumers. the whole network is a will world machine. police in the whole amount of confiscated heroin into a special a bar a tree here it becomes clear that drug traffickers are willing to resort to any trick to make sure their supply gets through in one of the consignments laboratory staff discovered heroin tucked away inside dried grapes. these reasons were soaked in water before hand so this seat could be removed then tiny packets of herion were inserted in the place. the republic of tragic is done is situated in

the foothills of the permian range in central asia which is a landlocked country bordering afghanistan in the south as biggest on in kyrgyzstan in the north and west and china to the east the country significantly lacks major transport routes due to its vast distance from the sea mountains cover ninety three percent of the country's terrain stan is regarded as one of the world's poorest countries according to the international monetary fund half of its population subsists on less than two dollars a day the country's difficult economic situation is largely the result of a civil war which lasted from one nine hundred ninety two to ninety ninety seven. the standoff began here on the square. it was called freedom square at the time. we lost our political identity it was a time when we were seen as wild savages fighting one another. for several

years after the collapse of the soviet union various political clans intention to stand well locked in a bit of power struggle according to official figures the armed conflict cost one hundred thousand lives the country found itself on the verge of a humanitarian and economic disaster although the civil war ended in one thousand nine hundred seven the country has not yet been able to repair the damage done. one of the biggest problems interjected stan is a shortage of drinking water. according to international humanitarian agencies nearly half of the country's population has no access to fresh water. each day members of. do karim's family have to bring it from a nearby village even then it's only fifteen drinking after it has been boiled.

their water is turned kilometers away. bring fifty cans of water by will barrel. sometimes or get the donkey to do the hauling it makes the job easier whether the person locals in the village of can do chey interject is down south have built a water reservoir children of the most frequent visitors here there's a vision in this country is that the children i want you to supply their households with water. over time do you come here for what eric. yes. how often. each morning. people fill up their pails and cans while animals use the reservoir as a watering hole. very soon warriors in poor condition because too many villagers come here from all over to take water it will have to be fixed again when spring

comes around. since independence came twenty years ago the water supply systems have fallen into disrepair today the government in mercs funds for the construction of water pipelines local businessmen to have been attempting to build some but the problem still persists regardless. as you can see animals roam around the place leaving their waste behind people use filthy vessels for water the reservoirs not covered by an affair and the water is not disinfectant the risk is enormous air people might be taken ill with diarrhea typhoid epa taters and other water borne diseases. several million tons a separated from their families. a lack of money compels them to look for jobs in

other countries most of the migrant workers have to russia. the moscow line is almost always filled to capacity. most of the passengers a young men many of them are likely to get employment in russian cities as street cleaners loaders or construction workers. from. the need to feed my family seven people all in all of course there's a household to maintain back home because our vegetable garden i'm going to be marrying off my daughter soon i also need to finish my house in short i need money . they get out we're almost in moscow. the muscovites go to europe to earn money because their salaries in moscow are too low for the we'll go to moscow for work. it's profitable for us to work there.

if they're lucky enough to find a job these people will be able to send money home in a month's time according to the european bank of reconstruction and development each year migrant workers transfer about two billion u.s. dollars to their relatives the sum is equal to half of tajikistan's g.d.p. . the express has arrived in moscow. migrants will begin looking for new jobs the very next day. hungry for the full story we've got it first hand the biggest issues get a human voice face to face with the news makers on r.t. . as you know was sixteen years old when he committed these

murders that's not to say the chancellor should not be punished for his crimes sean is being no rational person can deny that chance has been punished is being punished and will be punished. the sellers must be executed for the brutal crime committed this is a punch this is not to. mention. that stand. because you've been immersed naam you once knew her. and i didn't come here justice. and heard the rumors. this congress more. final martin. and my dad is now.

wealthy british style. passed out on. the border. markets finance scandal find out what's really happening to the global economy for a no holds barred look at the global financial headline is joining to cause a report on our. few other of as a small village ten kilometers from moscow workers from countries of the c.i.s. building country houses here. are among them.

this is radio to stand where they are for you every day and every hour. after breakfast the workers sit about plastering the walls while on the job a conversation turns to judge of his son and the hardships they went through back home. if i had enough money i wouldn't have come here i would not have left my kids behind their growing up without a father it was better during the soviet union. my dream is to earn enough money to build a house and buy a car. but other by sheer could of another worker from touching his stance has already earned enough for a wedding ceremony he wants to marry his daughter of by has been building houses in russia for six years now people living in a faraway tragic village looking forward to his homecoming in time for the ceremony

. others decided against buying any particular give to my daughter molly's the most precious gift also new to her so that she can buy what she chooses with. up to one hundred guests are invited to a wedding ceremony intention to stand a special law forbids any more from attending in rural areas wedding ceremonies are held in the daytime some locals say this is a long running tradition others maintain that this is because villages are often subjected to power cuts. from the only major cities receive uninterrupted elektra's is the supplies. the situation showed a marked improvement following the commissioning of the russian built sank to the hydroelectric power plant in the country south the opening ceremony in two thousand

and nine was attended by the presidents of russia and done. russian companies own the bulk of the power plants shares after the plant went on line electricity shortages dropped by fifteen percent. the plant has paved the way for economic progress in tajikistan which have been held back by energy shortages as for russia it will be able to enter new markets considering that to take a stand shares a border with afghanistan a country suffering from massive energy shortages. the sank to the power plant also significantly boosted the job market for local specialists.

hello. generators two and three are on generator florrie's on standby mode all actual parameters on the normal. hydro power plant has also given small enterprises a chance to develop. this factory and dish on bay make souvenirs from semiprecious stones. about the design it to revive this engine can be graphed several years ago on ics amethyst that islam and quartz become something more than just rocks in his hands each month the factory process is two tons of raw materials. to do the datable that we make such bowls vases and candlesticks each item has

a name. this ball for example is called a high yama. we feel this is a good way of promoting our products all sorts of crystal bowls currently in vogue we focus on lepas lousy light that's regarded as our national stone. zeven is made at this factory in many museums around the world many heads of state have items made of touch examine precious stones in a collections. that. was that there. was. the bride and groom in the village of sort of full intention to stan's north have just been showered with gifts. the biggest surprise is the appearance of passer by should call off the father of the bride. he's just arrived from moscow

. that they. have a better buy as a back welcome home as a. neo la give you happiness. oh just look at my daughter and. tangy quitting ceremonies have very old traditions for instance the male and female guests each p.l.l. in separate rooms this is always followed by a prayer. may allah bring happiness to the bright lay should be a wonderful housekeeper be happy together. and when everybody starts to dance the bride is supposed to put her head down and sulk. but the wedding

wouldn't have taken place he's president by chicago of the master of the house had prolonged to stay in moscow. we are going to take the bride to deborah. graham today everything is as a tree would be they have been waiting for me because i am the boss year there will be no weddings without me around everybody thanked me for coming on time. after lunch everybody goes to the bridegroom's house to continue the celebrations there is not enough room indoors so most of the guests gather in the courtyard the party continues well past dusk and ends at ten pm shop. and. i. the town of jumped into the

stands north it's home to soul tongue normark mother of the country's most celebrated handy craftsman his family makes knives using a technique that goes back at least five hundred years at the moment sultan son is in the workshop. all three of us make knives. as well as our father. my elder brother has a workshop in the city. he works there with our younger brother. that's. the old master stays at home most of the time he looks after his grandson he recalls that he has made several thousand nine times his creations are used by people all over the world.

no sooner was the country can exist without handicrafts men. any craft is a nation's culture and its face. if we were card. women plenty. but if we are lazy chances are we will live in poverty even in paradise he the blacksmith sells his knives as an old market in the town of who jumped. much like his ancestors did hundreds of years ago. i was proud of my soviet citizenship because if there are occurred to us that want to be we might wake up faced with power cuts or no milk in the shop. an electro optical telescope or a facility was built in a tragic mountains way back in soviet times the russian space force refers to it

simply as the window. after the collapse of the u.s.s.r. this military facility became part of independent tend to get done today military men live in the garrison with their families and is effectively a part of the russian territory. for the commanders are to report on where the weapons and personnel are in complete order standard seize the weapons and ammunition and personnel of the command center are present and correct. the a ray which tracks objects in outer space is situated in the foothills of the permian range at an altitude of two thousand two hundred meters above sea level. there are unique telescopes in these very cool domes they scan the universe in three dimensions military people call this reconnaissance center the eyes of russian space force. the station is unique in the during the night it can spot

space objects at a range of eighteen to thirty five thousand kilometers. it's been built here because visibility in the sky is much better than anywhere else most of the nights are clear with no precipitation all dust the electro optical reconnaissance center is said to be russia's most valuable military installation in the republic of georgia stan there are similar centers monitoring the universe in other countries too but this one is much better suited to observations because of its location a second unit has reached the outpost we are ready for hand over. and over permitted. under a go very low came to the space tracking station after finishing vocational school he enjoys working at a place with such a unique geographical position many russian military men dream of being stationed here. i work twenty four hours and then have three days off i

spend this time with my family. when we go hiking picnic by the river and visit historical and cultural places. locals living near the garrison want to work here as well. another secret building is situated a few kilometers from a telescope array here to educate stands president. has built a villa for himself but only a handful of people are aware of the existence of his mountain abode. now that his daughter's wedding is behind him as a bicycle of is heading to russia again to build more houses. he's unlikely to

know anything about reports for the international monetary fund predicting forthcoming growth and sometimes he kinda stres but even if he does he has no time to waste any syfy his family here and now. you will be quite so while before the transit worker sees his family again. most of the. monks among the lost city. maximum thrust. muslim efficiency. marks some comfort. some woman maneuverability

most navy asian decent to denmark's moscow's more famous here show on technology update here on a larger we've got the future covered. the

pentagon says it is a monitoring the stockpiles of could after use chemical weapons in libya of fears they could fall into the wrong hands amid the chaos gripping the country. the u.n. the u.s. and the european union consider releasing up to one hundred billion dollars of frozen assets to libya's incoming government as foreign nations involved in the campaign prepared to share the oil spoils. north korea will consider halting nuclear tests if six party talks to resume so says the country's elusive leader on a rare trip to russia. and iran files a lawsuit against russia over its refusal to supply s. three hundred missiles saying they don't fall under a u.n. resolution preventing a weapons imports.