Yagnob

So, I spent a while trekking the mountains and photographing Yagnob people, who have their own unique language and were isolated from the outside world for centuries. Until recently, they didn't have electricity. They live by raising goats, sheeps, cows and some vegetables. There is no doctor now, and some children don't have access to schools, which are usually taught by one teacher at a house. In the winter time, the villages are shut out from the lowland, as the rugged roads are buried in the snow. The long winter could get as cold as minus -30°C to -40°C. I asked them why they keep living here. Many people said they just can't leave home, where their parents, grand parents, grand-grand parents and grand-grand-grand.... lived. Home is the best, basically that's what they said although some people said they actually want to move to Dushanbe or other cities but have to take care of their families. Anyway, they are extremely nice and hospitable people. A lot of older men served for the Army in the Soviet time, so they speak Russian, and actually some of them even served or worked in Ukraine. On the other hand, Yagnobi women there were conservative and very shy while children were curious to see the outsider as always.






























More background about Yagnob:

Yagnobi are an ethnic group in Tajikitan. Yagnobi have their own language, and it considerably differs from Tajik language.
They used to live in the lowland around the city of Pendzikent, the northwestern Tajikitan neary the border with Uzbekistan. However, after the invasion of the Arabs to the region around the 7th century, Yagnobi fled to the Yagnob valley surrounded by the mountains. Yagnobi practiced Zoroastrianism but were later converted to Muslim. Until the 20th century, Yagnobi remained in the valley and were isolated from the outside world. However, during the Soviet era, the Soviet government forced all the Yagnobi to the lowland around the early 70's and made them work in the cotton farms. The harsh summer caused a number of deaths among the population, and some of them began to go back to the mountains several years later while many men served for the Soviet Army. The residents said they missed home and couldn't abandon their houses. Currently, around 500 people live in about 35-40 communities along the Yagnob river.

Some Snaps from Tajikistan

I realized it's been a year since I've been based in Ukraine. I wasn't really going to stay here so long, but strange enough, it's already a year since.
I took a week trip to Tajikistan to shoot a minority called Yagnob who live in the mountains. Tajikistan was one of the countries where I dreamed about going since I was little. When looking at the small country on the world map in school, I had no idea what would be like over. But, after living in Ukraine, it's interesting to find something similar to what I found in Ukraine as they were in the same Soviet Union before. Sceneries are, off course, pretty different except those Soviet buildings, and people also look different. But, people (mostly guys since a lot of them served for the army) keep something Russian more or less. For the first timer, it was a bizzare mix - Russian and Muslim culture. It's strange, but I always feel excitement and disappointment at the same time when coming to a new place. It's always quite different, yet it's still the same. Change in location is like being under influence and a little child for a little while. I will update photos for the project soon.

Cossack Revised

I had one more shoot from Cossacks and decided to present them in dyptych for now.

Automan Serghei in Kuban Cossack uniform


The victory day


Cossack Cadets


Ivan Ivanovich at his horse farm. Right - annual horse racing (Cossack Igur) held by his farm.

Sasha

Cossack architecht - left, Cossacks' traditional houses have the wall made out of twigs. Right, each cossack community used to have a wooden tower, as well as a cross with an icon.

More From Cossack Cadets in Crimea

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Crimean Cossacks

I've been photographing Crimean Cossacks often and on this month. Their origin is Russian Cossacks - mostly Don and Kuban Cossacks. During the Soviet era, Cossacks' tradition was somewhat suppressed, but since the collapse, the Cossacks are reviving their tradition. Crimean Cossacks are Russian supporters and generally don't have very good relationships with Crimean Tatars because of the complicated historical territorial issues although the aggression between Tatars and Russians have calmed down in the past years. Well, it's in Ukraine, but Crimea has a large number of ethnic Russians, and that makes stuff complicated especially foreigners like me. Anyway, I'm more interested in the way they live and the efforts to reserve and revive their century-long old tradition and their main role as military communities than politics.


Morning before the start of the parade for the victory day. Cossacks started participating with traditional style a few years ago.


Cross and the tower are installed near Yalta a few years ago. Cross and the tower used to be seen in every Cossack community.


Kuban Cossack's uniform with a sabre.


The victory day parade in Northern Crimea.


Young Cossack boy.



The only Cossack cadet school in Crimea and Ukraine.


Cossack tent. They used to travel with horses and stay in the tent in the Wild Field.


Just dancing after the Victory Day parade. Not Cossack dance... Also, the film screwed.


More photos.

Narcoman Portraits 2

I've been re-visitng some drug addicts I shot before and their acquaintance. Since I realized that it's almost impossible to follow them around without taking a lot of risk, I'm redoing drug addicts' project with portraits.