{"id":8158,"date":"2025-06-30T08:36:27","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T08:36:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/?p=8158"},"modified":"2025-07-07T13:06:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T13:06:26","slug":"life-at-the-crossroads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/stories\/life-at-the-crossroads\/","title":{"rendered":"Life at the crossroads"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Life at the crossroads<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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by Luca Catalano Gonzaga<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Torn between Russia and China, the Tajik population is at a crossroad in seek of future and development.\u00a0Tajikistan is, in fact the poorest of the states, born out of the dissolution of the Soviet Union<\/strong>. Its\u2019 economy struggles and the country is heavily affected by unemployment and poverty. A culture which was born inside Russia now moving towards the influence of China. Today, in fact all transportation of goods, from food to clothes to equipment is managed and brought from China. Many workers however still emigrate to Russia to find employment.\u00a0The ancient Silk Route has become\u00a0 a pathway for providing sustainment to the remote populations in the Pamirs<\/strong>. Nestled high up at unimaginable altitudes, the population resists and lives in basic conditions. Life is about farming the land to generate a small produce, herding sheep to provide meat and wool. The yak is an important part of their lives too, as it is well\u00a0adapted to high altitudes<\/a>\u00a0 and provides a fundamental means of transportation, as well as for its meat and coat. The Pamir mountainous knot, forms the largest mountain range in Central Asia and the World. Known as \u201cThe Roof of the World\u201d they are not only the highest region in Tajikistan but also one of the World\u2019s highest regions, closely comparing to the heights of Tibet\u2019s mountains. The Pamirs as such, refer to the range that extends from Tajikistan into Afghanistan and China. The border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan is a narrow strip of land that juts to then meet the China border. This land is part of what could be called the last corner of the world that has not been explored in depth.\u00a0The slow industrial and technological revolution has forced the inhabitants to be totally immersed in this vast rural area, agricultural and mountainous<\/strong>, thus developing a consolidated identity of many strong tribal values \u200b\u200band a spiritual relationship, almost sacred, with the environment, where land and time become two essential elements. (Text by\u00a0Muriel de Meo<\/strong>).<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Kara
Kara Kul lake, Tajikistan 2018<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Sasyk
Sasyk Kul lake, Tajikistan 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alichur
Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. The village is the farthest occidental frontier of this community made up mainly by the Kirghisa population, in the Murghab region.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Kara
Kara Kul village, Tajikistan 2018. Young Kirghise girls as they return home after a volley ball game.The Eastern Pamirs (Murghab district, population approx. 16,000) are mainly inhabited by people of Kyrgyz extraction.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Kara
Kara Kul village, Tajikistan 2018. Young Kirghise girls as they play volleyball during recess.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alichur
Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. Children from the Kirgisa ethnicity play ball out of school. Kyrgyz nomads costitute the majority of the population of the Murghab region, which is in the northern part of Tajikistan.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alichur
Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. Children of the Kirghisa ethnicity busy catching the ball during a cricket game.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alichur
Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. A young Kirghisa girl in the village of Alchur. The Oriental Pamirs (Murghab district, population approx. 16,000) are mainly inhabited by people of Kyrgyz extraction.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alichur
Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. A white-washed home, typical of the Badakshon Gorno Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) District, the largest in the Tajikistan territory. GBAO is one of the poorest regions in Tajikistan and in all Central Asia.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Rangkul
Rangkul village, Tajikistan 2018. A shepherd of Kirghisa ethnicity along the road conducting to the village of Rangkul.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alichur
Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. Mosque in the village of Alchur.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Rangkul
Rangkul village, Tajikistan 2018. The Eastern Pamirs (Murghab district, population approx. 16,000) are mainly inhabited by people of Kyrgyz extraction.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alichur
Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. The village is the farthest western limit of the Kirghisa community which is the most prevailing one in the Murghab region. The Eastern Pamirs (Murghab district, population approx. 16,000) are mainly inhabited by people of Kyrgyz extraction.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Kara
Kara Kul village, Tajikistan 2018. A view of the mountains from Kara Kul village.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"The
The town of Murghab, Tajikistan 2018. Nazira, ten yers old, in her home. The Oriental Pamirs (Murghab district, population approx. 16,000) are mainly inhabited by people of Kyrgyz extraction.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Langar
Langar village, Wakhan valley, Tajikistan 2018. Kamilla, 12 years old, at home.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Yanchum
Yanchum village, Wakhan valley, Tajikistan 2018. Mazsima and her daughter Oisha inside their home.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alichur
Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. Costance, ten yers old, in her home.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alichur
Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alichur
Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alichur
Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. There was no power in most districts of GBAO in winter. The Aga Khan Fundation for Economic Development (AKFED), in partnership with the International Finance Corporation, formed the Pamir Energy company in 2002 to repair the electrical infrastructure of GBAO.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Kara
Kara Kul village, Tajikistan 2018. Inhabitants from the Kirghisa ethnicity as the warm in the sun. Significant numbers of young men, migrate to Russia and Kazakshtan, and the remittances make a substantial contribution to the regional economy and the survival of households.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alichur
Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. Weekly supplies. Once a week a truck with basic food and goods supplies arrives to the village.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"The
The town of Murghab, Tajikistan 2018. Murghab is one of desolate villages of the mountainous Gorno Badakhshon Autonomous Oblast, (GBAO). It was founded in 1893 as the most advanced Russian military outpost into Central Asia, but with an elevation of more than 11,800 feet and temperatures ranging from minus 40\u00ba to 104\u00baF in the extreme, the town doesn\u2019t have much to offer its 4,000 inhabitants.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Along
Along the Pamir Highway M41 from Khorogh to Murghab, Tajikistan 2018. The Pamir road is the high-altitude road that leads from Khorog to Osh (Kyrgystan) and was built by Soviet military engineers between 1931 and 1934 in order to facilitate the transportation of troops and supplies in this remote USSR outpost. Today it is mainly used for the delivery of goods. The Chinese are the ones who transport all goods. Everything from food, clothes, construction materials, cheap fabrics, electronic equipment, and more moves along the track of the old Silk Road, into Tajikistan and further to Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Along
Along the Pamir Highway M41 from Murghab to Kara Kul, Tajikistan 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Along
Along the Pamir Highway M41 from Alichur to Murghab, Tajikistan 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Along
Along the Pamir Highway M41 from Alichur to Murghab, Tajikistan 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alichur
Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. There was no power in most districts of GBAO in winter. The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), in partnership with the International Finance Corporation, formed the PamirEnergy company in 2002 to repair the electrical infrastructure of GBAO.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Along
Along the Tavildara route, from Dushanbe to Kalai Khum, Tajikistan 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Pamir
Pamir river, Tajikistan 2018. The river that separates the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Yanchum
Yanchum village, Wakhan valley, Tajikistan 2018. Family intent in building their own home.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Khatlon
Khatlon district, Tajikistan 2018. Farmers in the fields near the village of Norak.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Khatlon
Khatlon district, Tajikistan 2018. Farmers in the fields near the village of Norak.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alichur
Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. Shepherds return towards the village of Alichur with a large herd of sheep The farmers of the Westerns Pamir cultivate food crops for their own sustenance, contributing to higher levels of nutritional self-sufficiency. GBAO is one of the poorest regions in Tajikistan and in all Central Asia.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alichur
Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. A young shepherdess intent in herding the sheep inside the sheeofold, after a day at pasture.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alichur
Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. Shepherds return to the village of Alichur with a herd of sheep. The farmers of the Westerns Pamir cultivate food crops for their own sustenance, contributing to higher levels of nutritional self-sufficiency. GBAO is one of the poorest regions in Tajikistan and therefore one of the poorest in all Central Asia as well as worldwide.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alichur
Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. Shepherds as they herd the sheep inside the sheepfold after returning from the pasture.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Kalai
Kalai Khum town, Tajikistan 2018. A high school classroom in Kalai Khum.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Kalai
Kalai Khum town, Tajikistan 2018. Students out of high school in Kalai Khum.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Khorog
Khorog town, Tajikistan 2018. Khorog is the Capital of Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast, (GBAO), the only true city of Pamir. The Western Pamirs (Darvaz, Vanj, Rushan, Shughnan \u2013 including the regional capital Khorog \u2013 Roshtkala and Ishkashim districts, population approx. 200,000) are inhabited by people of Irano-European extraction.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Wakhan
Wakhan valley, Tajikistan 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Wakhan
Wakhan valley, Tajikistan 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Langar
Langar village, Wakhan valley, Tajikistan 2018. A young student returning from school.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Along
Along the road from Langar to Alichur, Tajikistan 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Along
Along the road from Langar to Alichur, Tajikistan 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Along
Along the road from Langar to Alichur, Tajikistan 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Related news<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Photographic exhibitions \u201cThe dark side of India\u201d and \u201cLife at the crossroads\u201d<\/a><\/h2><\/div>
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Life at the crossroads by Luca Catalano Gonzaga Torn between Russia and China, the Tajik population is at a crossroad in seek of future and development.\u00a0Tajikistan is, in fact the poorest of the states, born out of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Its\u2019 economy struggles and the country is heavily affected by unemployment and poverty. A culture which was born inside Russia now moving towards the influence of China. Today, in fact all transportation of goods, from food to clothes to equipment is managed and brought from China. Many workers however still emigrate to Russia to find employment.\u00a0The ancient Silk Route has become\u00a0 a pathway for providing sustainment to the remote populations in the Pamirs. Nestled high up at unimaginable altitudes, the population resists and lives in basic conditions. Life is about farming the land to generate a small produce, herding sheep to provide meat and wool. The yak is an important part of their lives too, as it is well\u00a0adapted to high altitudes\u00a0 and provides a fundamental means of transportation, as well as for its meat and coat. The Pamir mountainous knot, forms the largest mountain range in Central Asia and the World. Known as \u201cThe Roof of the World\u201d they are not only the highest region in Tajikistan but also one of the World\u2019s highest regions, closely comparing to the heights of Tibet\u2019s mountains. The Pamirs as such, refer to the range that extends from Tajikistan into Afghanistan and China. The border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan is a narrow strip of land that juts to then meet the China border. This land is part of what could be called the last corner of the world that has not been explored in depth.\u00a0The slow industrial and technological revolution has forced the inhabitants to be totally immersed in this vast rural area, agricultural and mountainous, thus developing a consolidated identity of many strong tribal values \u200b\u200band a spiritual relationship, almost sacred, with the environment, where land and time become two essential elements. (Text by\u00a0Muriel de Meo). Kara Kul lake, Tajikistan 2018 Sasyk Kul lake, Tajikistan 2018. Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. The village is the farthest occidental frontier of this community made up mainly by the Kirghisa population, in the Murghab region. Kara Kul village, Tajikistan 2018. Young Kirghise girls as they return home after a volley ball game.The Eastern Pamirs (Murghab district, population approx. 16,000) are mainly inhabited by people of Kyrgyz extraction. Kara Kul village, Tajikistan 2018. Young Kirghise girls as they play volleyball during recess. Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. Children from the Kirgisa ethnicity play ball out of school. Kyrgyz nomads costitute the majority of the population of the Murghab region, which is in the northern part of Tajikistan. Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. Children of the Kirghisa ethnicity busy catching the ball during a cricket game. Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. A young Kirghisa girl in the village of Alchur. The Oriental Pamirs (Murghab district, population approx. 16,000) are mainly inhabited by people of Kyrgyz extraction. Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. A white-washed home, typical of the Badakshon Gorno Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) District, the largest in the Tajikistan territory. GBAO is one of the poorest regions in Tajikistan and in all Central Asia. Rangkul village, Tajikistan 2018. A shepherd of Kirghisa ethnicity along the road conducting to the village of Rangkul. Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. Mosque in the village of Alchur. Rangkul village, Tajikistan 2018. The Eastern Pamirs (Murghab district, population approx. 16,000) are mainly inhabited by people of Kyrgyz extraction. Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. The village is the farthest western limit of the Kirghisa community which is the most prevailing one in the Murghab region. The Eastern Pamirs (Murghab district, population approx. 16,000) are mainly inhabited by people of Kyrgyz extraction. Kara Kul village, Tajikistan 2018. A view of the mountains from Kara Kul village. The town of Murghab, Tajikistan 2018. Nazira, ten yers old, in her home. The Oriental Pamirs (Murghab district, population approx. 16,000) are mainly inhabited by people of Kyrgyz extraction. Langar village, Wakhan valley, Tajikistan 2018. Kamilla, 12 years old, at home. Yanchum village, Wakhan valley, Tajikistan 2018. Mazsima and her daughter Oisha inside their home. Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. Costance, ten yers old, in her home. Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. There was no power in most districts of GBAO in winter. The Aga Khan Fundation for Economic Development (AKFED), in partnership with the International Finance Corporation, formed the Pamir Energy company in 2002 to repair the electrical infrastructure of GBAO. Kara Kul village, Tajikistan 2018. Inhabitants from the Kirghisa ethnicity as the warm in the sun. Significant numbers of young men, migrate to Russia and Kazakshtan, and the remittances make a substantial contribution to the regional economy and the survival of households. Alichur village, Tajikistan 2018. Weekly supplies. Once a week a truck with basic food and goods supplies arrives to the village. The town of Murghab, Tajikistan 2018. Murghab is one of desolate villages of the mountainous Gorno Badakhshon Autonomous Oblast, (GBAO). It was founded in 1893 as the most advanced Russian military outpost into Central Asia, but with an elevation of more than 11,800 feet and temperatures ranging from minus 40\u00ba to 104\u00baF in the extreme, the town doesn\u2019t have much to offer its 4,000 inhabitants. Along the Pamir Highway M41 from Khorogh to Murghab, Tajikistan 2018. The Pamir road is the high-altitude road that leads from Khorog to Osh (Kyrgystan) and was built by Soviet military engineers between 1931 and 1934 in order to facilitate the transportation of troops and supplies in this remote USSR outpost. Today it is mainly used for the delivery of goods. The Chinese are the ones who transport all goods. Everything from food, clothes, construction materials, cheap fabrics, electronic equipment, and more moves along the track of the old Silk Road, into Tajikistan and further to Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran. Along the Pamir Highway M41 from Murghab to Kara Kul, Tajikistan 2018. Along the Pamir Highway<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-stories"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8158","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8158"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8158\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8312,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8158\/revisions\/8312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}