Beyond the glitzy new facades of the capital Dushanbe, Tajikistan is deeply entrenched in its traditional culture. Its people have learned to survive iron fisted regimes, a bloody civil war in the 1990s, and the daily struggle to make a living in the widely mountainous and rugged terrain. In Buzkashi, an archaic game of horse riders chasing after a goat corpse, the old Central Asian soul of Tajikistan seems to live on. During the season in spring, watching the game is a popular pastime for men. Where traditional manliness is celebrated, subdued impulses of freedom find a channel of expression.
