Photography in Uzbekistan

Last updated

A Photograph of Isfandiyar Jurji Bahadur, Khan of Khiva, taken circa 1911. Isfandiyar Jurji Bahadur.png
A Photograph of Isfandiyar Jurji Bahadur, Khan of Khiva, taken circa 1911.

Photography in Uzbekistan started developing after 1882, when a Volga German photographer and schoolteacher named Wilhelm Penner moved to Khiva as a part of the Russian Mennonite migration to Central Asia led by Claas Epp, Jr. After his arrival in the Khanate of Khiva, Penner shared his photography skills with a local student Khudaibergen Devanov, who later became the founder of Uzbek photography. [1]

The first still photographs of Central Asia were shot by Russian photographer Anton Murenko, who came there with the Russian diplomatic mission in 1858. [2]

The first color photographs of Central Asia belong to Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky, one of the founders of color photography. [3]

Khudaibergen Devanov's photographs were unique in terms of demonstrating historically significant transition of Central Asian nations to the Soviet Union. Despite his pioneering in this newly introduced type of visual arts with his ethnographic and documentary photographs in the region, Khudaibergen Devanov was repressed by the Soviet regime and executed in 1940. [4] Upon his arrest, big part of Devanov's archive was destroyed by the law enforcement agencies; however, his family succeeded in preserving a part of the archive. Some of Devanov's works are currently preserved in the Russian State Documentary Film and Photo Archive at Krasnogorsk. [5]

In the Soviet period, many Uzbek photographers focused on documentary photography. One of the most prominent representatives of the Uzbek photography is Max Penson. Photojournalist Max Penson moved to Uzbekistan in 1915 and demonstrated historical, social, religious and political transformations that took place there under the Soviet influence by his photographs of unveiling and education of woman and children, construction of large-scale projects as Great Fergana Canal and many others. [6] His photograph titled "Uzbek Madonna" received the Grand Prize at the 1937 Universal Exhibition in Paris. [7]

In 1997, a building in the center of Tashkent city, which was constructed 1934 and had been used as the History Museum and the Art Exhibitions Directorate before, got the status of the Tashkent House of Photography. In 2005 Tashkent House of Photography was included in the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan. [8]

In 2009, photographer from Uzbekistan Umida Akhmedova, whose images have been published in the photography sections of the online editions of The New York Times , [9] Wall Street Journal [10] and The Globe and Mail , [11] was officially accused of "defamation, insult and slander" of the Uzbek nation. [12] Akhmedova's photo-album "Women and Men: From Dawn to Dusk" and a documentary film "The Burden of Virginity" were used as evidences against the photographer during the trial. She was found guilty and though the charges carried a prison sentence of up to three years, they were waived as saying that Akhmedova had been granted an amnesty in honor of the 18th anniversary of Uzbek independence. [13]

Panorama-view Khiva-(Uzbekistan) .jpg
Panorama view of the city of Khiva, Uzbekistan, 2010.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Uzbekistan</span>

Uzbekistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia. It is itself surrounded by five landlocked countries: Kazakhstan to the north; Kyrgyzstan to the northeast; Tajikistan to the southeast; Afghanistan to the south, Turkmenistan to the south-west. Its capital and largest city is Tashkent. Uzbekistan is part of the Turkic languages world, as well as a member of the Organization of Turkic States. While the Uzbek language is the majority spoken language in Uzbekistan, Russian is widely used as an inter-ethnic tongue and in government. Islam is the majority religion in Uzbekistan, most Uzbeks being non-denominational Muslims. In ancient times it largely overlapped with the region known as Sogdia, and also with Bactria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tashkent</span> Capital and largest city of Uzbekistan

Tashkent or Toshkent ; historically known as Chach, Shash, Binkat) is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of 3 million. It is located in northeastern Uzbekistan, near the border with Kazakhstan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khiva</span> City in Xorazm Region, western Uzbekistan

Khiva is a district-level city of approximately 93,000 people in Khorazm Region, Uzbekistan. According to archaeological data, the city was established around 1500 years ago. It is the former capital of Khwarezmia, the Khanate of Khiva, and the Khorezm People's Soviet Republic. Itchan Kala in Khiva was the first site in Uzbekistan to be inscribed on the World Heritage List (1991). The astronomer, historian and polymath, Al-Biruni was born in either Khiva or the nearby city of Kath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basmachi movement</span> 1916–1934 Central Asian uprising against Russian/Soviet rule

The Basmachi movement was an uprising against Russian Imperial and Soviet rule in Central Asia by rebel groups inspired by Islamic beliefs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fergana</span> City in eastern Uzbekistan

Fergana, or Ferghana, is a district-level city and the capital of Fergana Region in eastern Uzbekistan. Fergana is about 420 km east of Tashkent, about 75 km southwest of Andijan, and less than 20 km from the Kyrgyzstan border. Fergana is becoming one of the main tourist attractions with more night clubs and night life, being the border city to Kyrgyzstan the city attracts more foreigners to the city. The modern city was founded in 1876.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Turkestan</span> 1867–1917 governorate-general of the Russian Empire

Russian Turkestan was the western part of Turkestan within the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories, and was administered as a Krai or Governor-Generalship. It comprised the oasis region to the south of the Kazakh Steppe, but not the protectorates of the Emirate of Bukhara and the Khanate of Khiva. It was populated by speakers of Russian, Uzbek, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Tajik.

Sharof Rashidovich Rashidov was the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan from 1959 until his death in 1983. During his tenure the Uzbek SSR saw considerable economic growth and had a very high degree of autonomy from the rest of the Soviet Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soviet Central Asia</span> Section of Central Asia formerly controlled by the Soviet Union

Soviet Central Asia was the part of Central Asia administered by the Soviet Union between 1918 and 1991, when the Central Asian republics declared independence. It is nearly synonymous with Russian Turkestan in the Russian Empire. Soviet Central Asia went through many territorial divisions before the current borders were created in the 1920s and 1930s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paranja</span> Central Asian article of clothing

Paranja, paranji, or faranji is a traditional Central Asian robe for women and girls that covers the head and body. It is also known as "burqa" in Arabic. It is similar in basic style and function to other regional styles such as the Afghan chadari. The part that covered the face, known as the chachvan or chashmband, was heavy in weight and made from horsehair. It was especially prevalent among urban Uzbeks and Tajiks, but was not commonly worn by people in the mountainous regions of Tajikistan. It was also worn during the Shaybanids' rule (c.1510–1600).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Fergana Canal</span>

The Great Fergana Canal is an irrigation canal located on the Fergana Valley between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in Central Asia. The project was constructed in 1939 by 160,000 Uzbek and Tajik collective farm workers from the former Soviet Union and was completed in forty-five days. The canal is 270 kilometers long with over 1,000 hydrotechnical plants located along the waterway, 50 of which are known to be significantly important.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Penson</span>

Max Zakharovich Penson was a Russian-Jewish photojournalist and photographer of the Soviet Union noted for his photographs of Uzbekistan. Max Penson is one of the most prominent representatives of Uzbek and Soviet-era photography, especially Russian avant-garde, revered by prominent figures like Sergei Eisenstein. Penson's works have been featured in exhibitions across the globe, sponsored by the likes of Roman Abramovich and New York's MoMA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Umida Akhmedova</span> Uzbeki photographer

UmidaTukhtamuradovna Akhmedova, also known as Umida Ahmedova, is a photographer and photojournalist working and living in Central Asia. She currently resides in Uzbekistan and is married to filmmaker Oleg Karpov. In 2010 she was convicted of "slander of the Uzbek nation" after making a documentary. Since 2010, she can not participate in any official exhibitions in Uzbekistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syr-Darya Oblast</span> Oblast in Turkestan, Russian Empire

The Syr-Darya Oblast was one of the oblasts of the Russian Empire, a part of Russian Turkestan. Its center was Tashkent.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High-speed rail in Uzbekistan</span>

High speed rail in Uzbekistan currently consists of 600 km of track and services using Talgo 250 equipment, branded Afrosiyob by operator Uzbekistan Railways, on upgraded conventional lines. All HSR lines have been built using upgraded lines on Russian gauge. Other regional railways exist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isfandiyar Khan</span> Khan of Khiva from 1910 to 1918

Isfandiyar Khan, or Asfandiyar Khan, born Isfandiyar Jurji Bahadur, was the Khan of Khiva between September 1910 and 1 October 1918, the 53rd Khan of Khiva, and the 12th Khongirad ruler of the Uzbeks. He was overthrown and executed by Junaid Khan in 1918.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khudaibergen Devanov</span> Uzbek photographer and filmmaker

Khudaibergen Devanov was a pioneering Uzbek photographer, cinematographer, filmmaker and cameraman. He is regarded as a great figure of culture in his home of Khiva, responsible for taking photos of his city and its figures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junaid Khan (Basmachi leader)</span> Turkmen leader of Khiva from 1918 to 1920

Junaid Khan ; (b.1857/62–1938) was a Turkmen tribal leader who became the Chief of the Armed Forces and later the de facto and last ruler of the Khanate of Khiva.

References

  1. ↑ Walter Ratliff, "Pilgrims on the Silk Road: A Muslim-Christian Encounter in Khiva", Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2010
  2. ↑ John Hannavy, "Encyclopedia of nineteenth-century photography, Volume 1", CRC Press, 2008
  3. ↑ Dikovitskaya, Margaret. 2007. "Central Asia in Early Photographs: Russian Colonial Attitudes and Visual Culture" (PDF).Slavic Eurasian Studies, no. 14: Empire, Islam, and Politics in Central Eurasia. Sapporo: Slavic Research Center.Accessed 13 November 2010
  4. ↑ "125 years of Uzbek photography." Orexca. Retrieved 12 November 2010
  5. ↑ V Tashkente otkrylas' vystavka k 130-letiyu H.Divanova Archived 15 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian). Published on 13 October 2009; Accessed 13 November 2010
  6. ↑ Official website of Max Penson. Retrieved 12 November 2010
  7. ↑ "WPPH --> ENTER (World Press Photo)". www.enterworldpressphoto.org. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  8. ↑ Official website of the Tashkent House of Photography [ permanent dead link ]. Retrieved 16 November 2010
  9. ↑ Dunlap, David W. (10 August 2009), "Pictures of the day.", The New York Times
  10. ↑ "Pictures of the day.", Wall Street Journal, 10 August 2009
  11. ↑ "In Photos.", The Globe and Mail , Toronto, 11 August 2009
  12. ↑ Uzbek Photojournalist Charged with Defamation, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 12 November 2010
  13. ↑ The New York Times "Officials See Slander in Uzbek Photos, but Artists See Censorship". Retrieved 13 November 2010
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.