Yielding to the Wind

Since their invention in the 18th century, hot air balloons have carried an aura of romance, inspiring sensitive souls to weave legends and beautiful tales. Now, in our country too, this marvellous attraction is within almost everyone's reach – you can greet the dawn from a balloon basket without leaving your homeland.

On 28 and 29 June in the Urgut district of the Samarkand region, the next stage of the hot air balloon festival will take place. In early May, we managed to capture the beauty of this celebration in Surkhandarya.

Photo: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey Pogosyan

The hot air balloon celebration, from which this year's photographs were taken, has already become a tradition at the 'Boysun Bahori' festival in the Surkhandarya region. The balloons are brought to us from Kazakhstan – they travel across Central Asia, adorning various major international events with their displays. And each one is eagerly awaited by the audience.

Ildar Sadykov

You can learn more about the 'Boysun Spring' festival here:

When the Baysun Spring Starts

Baysun is a unique historical and cultural zone. Reaching it feels like stepping into a world where tradition holds sway not as a formality but is woven into the very fabric of life, harsh at times yet wrapped in a vivid and unmistakable character. In this photo essay, Ildar Sadykov and Sergey Pogosyan capture the most eventful days of the ethnocultural festival Baysun Bahori, which every two years becomes a major cultural event of international significance for the region.

Photo: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey Pogosyan

The balloons usually take off on the second day of the festival from the 'Boysun Bahori' park grounds in Boysun and fly over the Red Canyon, three kilometres from the city centre – the area's main attraction. The second day is the most vibrant and intense day of the festival, when not only international participants but also local residents from all surrounding districts flock to Boysun. For several years now, the hot air balloon show has been the highlight of the climactic day.

This time, a record number of balloons were set to ascend – 32 in total! A truly spectacular event was expected on 2 May.

Photo: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey Pogosyan

In previous years, the balloons were photographed from the canyon. For me, the whole event was a novelty, and that time I was very interested in directly observing the preparations for the flight. Unfortunately, however, just those days, a cyclone swept across all of Uzbekistan, bringing torrential downpours. The show's staging was thrown into doubt. The sky was overcast, a strong wind was blowing; in the end, the balloons were inflated but not launched.

Ildar Sadykov

They say a hot air balloon does not argue with the wind; it trusts it. But the pilot is no less crucial in this interplay. As often happens here, not all balloons received clearance for take-off, as some pilots failed to provide their licences. But then, it's not about the record...

Photo: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey Pogosyan

Nevertheless, towards sunset the weather improved, and the organisers gave the order to launch. Sergey Pogosyan fulfilled the dream of ascending in a balloon; I was filming from below. I also managed to capture some details of the structure up close. It didn't last long, as the rather strong wind could have triggered an accident. And yet, the flight – albeit brief and not far – did take place.

Ildar Sadykov

The balloons, unfortunately, were forced to turn back without reaching the Red Canyon. Still, they were relaunched early the next morning, for this has become an integral and essential part of the international celebration in the Boysun mountains.

Photo: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey Pogosyan

Progress does not stand still; tourism in the country is developing. And with the advent of the hot air balloon show, Uzbeks have one more dream to cherish. May it come true!