Introduction

Scene-setting is the main purpose of the chapter that introduces the book, outlines its key argument and core research puzzle, and presents the methodological infrastructure that guided the research work showcased throughout the volume. Here, I direct the attention of my readers to the fundamental issue treated in the book—the nexus between pandemic management and authoritarian consolidation in Central Asia—arguing that focus on the power grab registered across the region during 2020–2022 may contribute significantly to ongoing conversations on the role that the pandemic played vis-à-vis recent declines in governance standards worldwide.