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From the “Grand Canyon” to the Past
Toktogul Reservoir
Jalal-Abad Province, Kyrgyzstan
December 2017, scans in Fall 2022Canon PowerShot ELPH 340 HS 16MP 1/2.3
12x Optical + Galaxy S7
Photoshaman and his Wife’s Old Home
Their New Home
This is the “The Grand Canyon,” where the sign on the totem claims the couple resides.
Photoshaman and Family
The dogs did not stop barking for the extent of our visit. The woman would not speak; a local friend helped me talk with the man. He spoke fast and was hard to follow.
The man said he was a photographer and a shaman. He was proud to be one of the few in his country capable and equipped to produce photos like he once did.
After some goading he dug up his stash. It was beneath a mountain of empty vodka bottles (which he claimed to be his wife’s) buried underground in his shack. Photos and gear were nested within bags and boxes. He was excited to show off his work for the first time in years.
The man offered me a stack of prints (below) after I took some shots of my favorites (above).
He wouldn't let me pay but seemed satisfied.
Subject honesty and austerity surpass tendencies often prevalent in other post-Soviet and remote communities. I attribute their idiosyncratic looks to the nature of interaction with The Photoshaman, which I understood nothing about.
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snapshot of 2017 Kyrgyz village life
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The man recently moved to a nearby city. The friend who brought me to his encampment happened upon a street interview of him on social media. I’m told the man’s statement translates to “the best place on earth is Toktogul.”