Kyrgyzstan: Photo Buffs Crowd-Source History

Much of Kyrgyzstan’s rich history is buried in poorly organized government vaults, not necessarily off-limits, but difficult to locate. A new online photo project seeks to change that.

Kyrgyzstan's Union of Photojournalists has begun a crowd-sourced website to collect historical photos in one place accessible to all. And the archive is set to expand as the project officially launches tomorrow, says Vlad Ushakov, one of the founders of Foto.kg, The Kyrgyz Photo Archive.

“We offer all Internet users an opportunity to create the history of our country themselves. The motto of the website is ‘The country's history in photos, the history of photography in the country.’ Users will be able to display old photographs taken before 2000, which depict events, people, and historical facts. All this will be freely available and free of charge,” Ushakov told Vechernii Bishkek. 

Each photo appears with historical information, whenever possible, including the year, location, and name of the photographer. Some are borrowed from other online sources, such as the Library of Congress, but this appears to be the first attempt to amass such a collection in one place. 

Photo aficionados can register and post their images (though moderators will ensure users stick to appropriate themes), or they can have site administrators scan and restore their old photos, which are then returned. Images from earliest days of photography to the year 2000 are welcome.

It is a powerful collection of images, some dating back to the mid-19th century when most ethnic Kyrgyz were still nomads and Russians first began settling the valleys. Many are of familiar places that will be instantly recognizable; others – especially some Bishkek street scenes from the 1970s and 1980s – are a sad reminder of post-Soviet entropy. 

The project aims “to create a visual and comprehensive image of Kyrgyzstan through artistic and documentary photography,” the site says. 

Check it out.