Russia completed its colonization of Central Asia in the late 19th century, and all that territory became part of the Soviet Union after 1917. The people of Central Asia were forced to change centuries-old habits and live as Moscow dictated, including using Russian as their first language. Russia’s war on Ukraine, and chauvinistic statements from Russian officials about historic Russian lands, have stirred debate and introspection among Central Asians about Russia’s legacy in their region and in their own lives.