Ali Umarov fixing an excavator at the coal mine “Kyzyl-Bulak” about 6,5 km away from Sary-Mogol. Since the Covid-19 pandemic he has to work there as an electric welder. Initially a mountain guide, he is not satisfied with this work in the quarry where his health is in danger. 

Credit: Danil Usmanov (Kyrgyzstan)

To learn more about Danil Usmanov and his work, check out our French or Germanwebsite, we presented his work on our series “Central Asia through the lens of …”. 

These pictures are part of a UNDP Eurasia project “Surviving a pandemic: Visual impacts of Covid-19” realised in 2020.

Find all of our photos of the day here.

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23 year old Ali Umarov with his son at home in Sary-Mogol after work. Ali began working in tourism in the 7th grade. His father Umar Tashbekov was the director of “CBT Sary-Mogol” where Ali is a senior mountain guide. He remembers quite well when there was no time for rest because he had to take care of the tourists. Since the COVID-19 pandemic he has to work at a coal mine as an electric welder. Ali is not satisfied with the work at the quarry where his health is in danger and hopes in the next year he can work with tourists again and leave the coal mine. Living with his parents, he married two years ago and has a child with his wife Aizirek and expects another one next year. His father Umar says that tourism was very good help to CBT and to guides, but the pandemic got in the way. His mother Neberehan is suffering from parkinson’s disease since 15 years. Ali has to earn money for his whole family.

This picture is part of the UNDP Eurasia project “Surviving a pandemic: Visual impacts of Covid-19” realised in 2020.

Credit: Danil Usmanov (Kyrgyzstan)

To learn more about Danil Usmanov and his work, check out our French or German website. We presented his work in our series “Central Asia through the lens of …”.

Find all of our photos of the day here.

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Almazbek Midinov, 27, sitting in the kitchen with his family (wife, daughter and brother) in Sary-Mogol. He started working as a mountain guide at CBT Sary-Mogol in 2013. In 2017, he also became an English teacher and built a guest house in the area. He has been granted credit twice, most recently in February 2020, and completed the construction of his guesthouse in August 2020. Almazbek says it has been a difficult year with little work and financial resources. He still has to pay back his bank loan every month.

Credit: Danil Usmanov (Kyrgyzstan)

To learn more about Danil Usmanov and his work, check out our French or German website, we presented his work on our series “Central Asia through the lens of …”.

These pictures are part of a UNDP Eurasia project “Surviving a pandemic: Visual impacts of Covid-19” realised in 2020.

Find all of our photos of the day here.

The post In the kitchen appeared first on Novastan English.

The 58-year old Buunisa Termechikova in the workshop of the Ethnological Museum in Sary-Mogol. With a participant of her master-class they apply hair on the dolls they fabricated. Buunisa opened the ethnological museum in July 2020 for tourists.

These pictures are part of the UNDP Eurasia project “Surviving a pandemic: Visual impacts of Covid-19” realised in 2020.

Credit: Danil Usmanov (Kyrgyzstan)

To learn more about Danil Usmanov and his work, check out our French or German website, we presented his work on our series “Central Asia through the lens of …”.

Find all of our photos of the day. You can buy some of these and receive them at home: here is the list! If you can't find your picture in the list, mail us to photo@novastan.org.

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23 years old Ali Umarov goes inside his home in Sary-Mogol. Ali began working in tourism in the 7th grade. His father Umar Tashbekov was the director of “CBT Sary-Mogol” where Ali is a senior mountain guide. He remembers quite well when there was no time for rest because he had to take care of the tourists. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, he has to work at a coal mine as an electric welder. Ali is not satisfied with the work at the quarry where his health is in danger and hopes that in the next year he can work with tourists again and leave the mine. Living with his parents, he married two years ago, and has a child with his wife Aizirek and expects another one next year. His father Umar says that tourism was very good help to CBT and to guides, but the pandemic got in the way. His mother Neberehan is suffering from parkinson’s disease since 15 years. Ali has to earn money for his whole family.

These pictures are part of the UNDP Eurasia project “Surviving a pandemic: Visual impacts of Covid-19” realised in 2020.

Credit: Danil Usmanov (Kyrgyzstan)

To learn more about Danil Usmanov and his work, check out our French or German website, we presented his work on our series “Central Asia through the lens of …”.

Find all of our photos of the day here.

The post Ali returns home appeared first on Novastan English.

Buunisa Termechikova eating pilaf with her daughter and guests at her home in Burgan-Suu village. She is director of the Ethnological museum in Sary Mogol. Her guest house is located on the opposite side of the eponymic river.

Credit : Danil Usmanov

To learn more about Danil Usmanov and his work, check out our French or German website, we presented his work on our series “Central Asia through the lens of …”.

These pictures are part of a UNDP Eurasia project “Surviving a pandemic: Visual impacts of Covid-19” realised in 2020.

Find all of our photos of the day here.

The post Pilaf with the family appeared first on Novastan English.

Abdilla Tashbekov and his family during a lunch in their house in Sary-Mogol. Since 2012, Abdilla has been the director of CBT Sary-Mogol. He used to work mainly in tourism during the summer when this sector was growing until the Covid-19 pandemic hit the village and no tourists came. About this situation, he says: “The tourist season is dead. We had to close the office, our yurt camp and our guest houses this year”.

This picture is part of the UNDP Eurasia project “Surviving a pandemic: Visual impacts of Covid-19” realised in 2020.

Credit: Danil Usmanov (Kyrgyzstan)

To learn more about Danil Usmanov and his work, check out our French or German website. We presented his work in our series “Central Asia through the lens of …”.

Find all of our photos of the day here.

The post Abdilla’s Family appeared first on Novastan English.

Buunisa Termechikova, 58 years old, stands at the ethnological museum in Sary-Mogol, which she started in July 2020 for tourists. Buunisa specialises in making traditional clothing and other felt products. She also owns a guest house in the village of Burgan-Suu, located on the other side of the river Sary-Mogol.

This picture is part of the UNDP Eurasia project “Surviving a pandemic: Visual impacts of Covid-19” realised in 2020.

Credit: Danil Usmanov (Kyrgyzstan)

To learn more about Danil Usmanov and his work, check out our French or German website, we presented his work on our series “Central Asia through the lens of …”.

Find all of our photos of the day here.

The post Buunisa Termechikova appeared first on Novastan English.

The village of Sary-Mogol, in south-eastern Kyrgyzstan, has an official population of 5,200 and is located near the 7,134-metre-high Lenin Peak. As the peak is a very popular destinaton for foreign visitors, the population’s activity is closely linked to tourism. 2020 was a difficult year with only a handful of tourists stopping by the village. Some residents left for Russia while others changed professions. The villagers cannot grow anything except potatoes and barley due to the altitude (3,600m) and practice traditional animal breeding practices.

These pictures are part of the UNDP Eurasia project “Surviving a pandemic: Visual impacts of Covid-19” realised in 2020.

Credit: Danil Usmanov (Kyrgyzstan)

To learn more about Danil Usmanov and his work, check out our French or German website, we presented his work on our series “Central Asia through the lens of …”.

Find all of our photos of the day here.

The post Retrun to Sary-Mogol appeared first on Novastan English.

Women come together for a weekly course session in the office of the Mutakalim organization in Osh, in western Kyrgyzstan.

Credit: Danil Usmanov

This photo is part of our series “Central Asia through the lens of …”, where we present photographers from Central Asia and their work. To learn more about Danil Usmanov and his work, check out our French or German website!

Find all of our photos of the day here.

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