Group of Eleven Adults and Children, Seated on a Rug, in Front of a Yurt

1905
This remarkable portrait shows a family of the Teke ethnic group near the Murgab Oasis in the region of Bayramaly (present-day Turkmenistan). The oasis takes its name from the Murgab River, which flows from Afghanistan into Turkmenistan and forms part of the border between the two countries. Seated on the far right is the family patriarch, whose tunic displays three Russian medals. His wife is seated in the center. On the far left are his married son and daughter-in-law. The adults and children are dressed in colorful festive attire. Behind them is the entrance to a kibitka (wattle yurt) made from reeds, with a felt cover. Although nomadic in origin, part of the Teke adopted a settled existence and served as cavalry in the Russian armed forces. 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 was particularly interested in recently acquired territories of the Russian Empire such as Turkestan (present-day Uzbekistan and neighboring states), which he visited on a number of occasions, including two trips in 1911. Turkestan appealed to him for its examples of traditional culture.

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Filename: 6344.jpg
Copyright: acku Afghanistan
Image Size: 1800x1714 / 725.4KB; 1905 Turkmenistan Adults Children Rugs Families Yurts Photo WDL 010536
Contained in galleries: TURKMENISTAN

1905<br />
This remarkable portrait shows a family of the Teke ethnic group near the Murgab Oasis in the region of Bayramaly (present-day Turkmenistan). The oasis takes its name from the Murgab River, which flows from Afghanistan into Turkmenistan and forms part of the border between the two countries. Seated on the far right is the family patriarch, whose tunic displays three Russian medals. His wife is seated in the center. On the far left are his married son and daughter-in-law. The adults and children are dressed in colorful festive attire. Behind them is the entrance to a kibitka (wattle yurt) made from reeds, with a felt cover. Although nomadic in origin, part of the Teke adopted a settled existence and served as cavalry in the Russian armed forces. 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 was particularly interested in recently acquired territories of the Russian Empire such as Turkestan (present-day Uzbekistan and neighboring states), which he visited on a number of occasions, including two trips in 1911. Turkestan appealed to him for its examples of traditional culture.