Shame

69% of the Kazakhstani population are Muslims due to the 2009 national census. The person being raped or lost virginity before marriage or dated a person of another ethnicity considers to be shamed there by the traditional parts of the society. This specific kind of shame which appears as a result of breaking some unwritten cultural rules means “uyat” in Kazakh. Uyat is especially held strongly in the Western and Southern regions of the country and mainly deals with women. With this project I research different uyat experiences to find and mark the limits which society preserves all out.

Viktoriya Li

Viktoriya Li works as a full-time journalist and a part-time photojournalist. Alumni of DocDocDoc photoschool, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.