Yurts along a Canal

1905
In the late 19th century, the Russian Empire acquired large territories in Central Asia that became known as Russian Turkestan (comprised of present-day Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan). The region was suitable for growing high-quality cotton, and cotton production rapidly became a priority in the Russian development of the territory. The construction of extensive irrigation projects, such as this one on the Murgab estate near the town of Bayramaly (present-day Turkmenistan), was essential to this process. The main source of water was the Murgab (Morghab) River, which flows northwestward from Afghanistan into Turkmenistan. Seen here is an aryk (irrigation canal) under development. On the opposite bank are wattle yurts constructed by the local population from reeds and thatch. The image is by Russian photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863–1944), who used a special color photography process to create a visual record of the Russian Empire in the early 20th century. Some of Prokudin-Gorskii’s photographs date from about 1905, but the bulk of his work is from between 1909 and 1915, when, with the support of Tsar Nicholas II and the Ministry of Transportation, he undertook extended trips through many different parts of the empire. Prokudin-Gorskii visited Turkestan on a number of occasions, including two trips in 1911. Turkestan appealed to him not only for its Islamic architecture but also for the transformation brought by Russian settlement.

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Filename: 6487.jpg
Copyright: acku Afghanistan
Image Size: 1800x1645 / 576.1KB; 1905 Turkmenistan Yurts Canal Levees Landscapes Photo WDL 010560
Contained in galleries: TURKMENISTAN

1905<br />
In the late 19th century, the Russian Empire acquired large territories in Central Asia that became known as Russian Turkestan (comprised of present-day Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan). The region was suitable for growing high-quality cotton, and cotton production rapidly became a priority in the Russian development of the territory. The construction of extensive irrigation projects, such as this one on the Murgab estate near the town of Bayramaly (present-day Turkmenistan), was essential to this process. The main source of water was the Murgab (Morghab) River, which flows northwestward from Afghanistan into Turkmenistan. Seen here is an aryk (irrigation canal) under development. On the opposite bank are wattle yurts constructed by the local population from reeds and thatch. The image is by Russian photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863–1944), who used a special color photography process to create a visual record of the Russian Empire in the early 20th century. Some of Prokudin-Gorskii’s photographs date from about 1905, but the bulk of his work is from between 1909 and 1915, when, with the support of Tsar Nicholas II and the Ministry of Transportation, he undertook extended trips through many different parts of the empire. Prokudin-Gorskii visited Turkestan on a number of occasions, including two trips in 1911. Turkestan appealed to him not only for its Islamic architecture but also for the transformation brought by Russian settlement.