The Prince, the Courtesan and the Missing Diamonds by Calum MacLeod

Please join us or a talk by Calum MacLeod, author of the new travel book Uzbekistan – The Golden Road to Samarkand (2026).

• Explore Uzbekistan’s remarkable Romanov story

Calum will introduce the Tsar’s scandalous nephew Grand Duke Nicholas Constantinovich, and his triumphant exile in Tashkent, where his restored palace (1891) will soon open a window onto Russia’s conquest of Central Asia.

The talk will also spotlight other historical treasures in a country more open for travel and adventure than ever before.

When: Friday 25 September 2026, 18:00-19:30

Where: Main Lecture Theatre, Trinity Hall, Trinity Lane, Cambridge CB2 1TJ

Language: English

Format: In-person & Online via Zoom

In-person tickets: £12 — Standard; £8 — CamRuSS Members

Zoom tickets: £5 – Standard, free – CamRuSS Members

The talk will be followed by a wine reception, where you can also chat to Calum and buy a new Guidebook to Uzbekistan.

About the Speaker:

Calum MacLeod is a graduate in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies from Oxford University. Calum has been exploring and enjoying Central Asia since 1989. Beijing-based for over two decades, he worked as China correspondent for The Times and The Independent, as Asia correspondent for USA Today, and co-wrote China Remembers, an oral history of the PRC, for Oxford University Press.

The New York Times called Calum’s book “One of those rare travel guides that is a joy to read whether or not you are planning a trip”. It is available now on Amazon and will be sold at the talk.

The event on our website, https://camruss.com/en/events/the-prince-the-courtesan-and-the-missing-diamonds-by-calum-macleod/