Sart Schoolchildren. Samarkand

1905
This winter photograph shows four Sart schoolchildren accompanied by an elder (probably a teacher). The children appear to be singing. The exposure times necessary for this photographic process would require that they hold the pose, including open mouths, for a few seconds. The group is seated against a backdrop formed by adobe walls, with two gnarled plane trees. The lattice windows of the back wall suggest a religious structure. The term “Sart” has various meanings and was used at the time to refer to town dwellers, as well as to people who inhabited this area before the coming of Uzbek tribes in the 16th century. 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. He was 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 not only for its Islamic architecture but also for scenes of local life in places such as Samarkand.

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Filename: 5796.jpg
Copyright: acku Afghanistan
Image Size: 1800x1659 / 498.0KB; 1905 Uzbekistan Samarqand Samarkand Schoolchildren Sarts Courtyards Photo WDL 010454
Contained in galleries: UZBEKISTAN

1905<br />
This winter photograph shows four Sart schoolchildren accompanied by an elder (probably a teacher). The children appear to be singing. The exposure times necessary for this photographic process would require that they hold the pose, including open mouths, for a few seconds. The group is seated against a backdrop formed by adobe walls, with two gnarled plane trees. The lattice windows of the back wall suggest a religious structure. The term “Sart” has various meanings and was used at the time to refer to town dwellers, as well as to people who inhabited this area before the coming of Uzbek tribes in the 16th century. 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. He was 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 not only for its Islamic architecture but also for scenes of local life in places such as Samarkand.