Shepherd. Samarkand

1905
Seen here is a chaban (shepherd) in the hilly country near Samarkand (present-day Uzbekistan). Leaning on a long staff, he is protected from the cold by a turban, scarf, and a heavy overcoat, beneath which is a striped, brightly-colored cloak. The sun picks out details of the pockmarked terrain, with grass patches that have been closely cropped by grazing sheep—a common characteristic of the region. The pattern of stones in the left foreground suggests a seasonal rivulet. 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 parts of the empire. Prokudin-Gorskii was particularly interested in recently acquired territories of the Russian Empire such as Turkestan (present-day Uzbekistan and neighboring states) in Central Asia, which he visited on a number of occasions, including two trips in 1911. Turkestan appealed to him not only for its Islamic architecture but also for scenes from traditional life.

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Filename: 614.jpg
Copyright: acku Afghanistan
Image Size: 1800x1782 / 771.7KB; 1905 Uzbekistan Samarqand Samarkand Chaban Shepherd Hills Men Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii Photo WDL 010017
Contained in galleries: UZBEKISTAN

1905<br />
Seen here is a chaban (shepherd) in the hilly country near Samarkand (present-day Uzbekistan). Leaning on a long staff, he is protected from the cold by a turban, scarf, and a heavy overcoat, beneath which is a striped, brightly-colored cloak. The sun picks out details of the pockmarked terrain, with grass patches that have been closely cropped by grazing sheep—a common characteristic of the region. The pattern of stones in the left foreground suggests a seasonal rivulet. 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 parts of the empire. Prokudin-Gorskii was particularly interested in recently acquired territories of the Russian Empire such as Turkestan (present-day Uzbekistan and neighboring states) in Central Asia, which he visited on a number of occasions, including two trips in 1911. Turkestan appealed to him not only for its Islamic architecture but also for scenes from traditional life.