Traditions
No Paradox: Wrestling Rooted in Humanism | A Photo Essay
Ildar Sadykov, Maria Maksimycheva
Kurash is a traditional form of wrestling that only recently gained recognition as a professional sport, despite a history stretching back centuries. For generations, kurash competitions have been part of major folk celebrations, with victorious wrestlers earning honour and high social standing. A look at Uzbekistan’s favourite sporting tradition through the lens of photographer Ildar Sadykov.
This year, I went to a kurash competition for the first time. It was held on the third day of the Baysun Bahori festival in Surkhandarya Region. Wrestlers had come from all over Uzbekistan and prepared thoroughly for the contest. The organisers had even printed invitation tickets. There was a real buzz around the event, with the National Guard brought in to secure the grounds.
We have already covered the 'Boysun Bahori' festival:
When the Baysun Spring Starts — photo essayBaysun 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.mag.humodoc.com
For centuries, traditional wrestling among the Turkic peoples remained part of their cultural heritage without a unified sporting system. That began to change in the early years of independence, when rules, judging procedures and competition standards were established.
In 1998, Komil Yusupov founded the International Kurash Association in Uzbekistan. Since then, it has officially represented Uzbek sport on the international stage.
The word kurash literally means "achieving a goal through fair means." But there is much more to it than sport. Kurash carries a philosophy, an ethical code and a tradition shaped over thousands of years. It is a sport for the courageous, and one that holds a special place in Uzbek culture.
The desire to wrestle seems to be in the blood of our young men.
It was hardly surprising that around 98 per cent of the spectators were men. There simply was not enough room for everyone, so people crowded behind the barriers just to watch the bouts, reacting passionately to every throw and every move. To me, kurash feels like the most popular sport in Uzbekistan: competitors from every region were here. The contests began in the morning and carried on until nightfall.Among the honoured guests were veteran athletes. I photographed one of them again at the ceremony marking the close of the festival. Nearly 80, with a lifetime’s collection of medals and an impressive beard, he still danced with remarkable energy, retaining his light-hearted spirit, agility and sense of fun.
Honouring veteran athletes, followed by the younger generation of competitors, is an important part of the event. At moments like these, you become part of a single organism, sharing an extraordinary sense of pride in the determination, courage and ambition of these young athletes. I love competitions like this not only as a photojournalist but also as a spectator, for their atmosphere and for the spirit of the national heroes they celebrate. And the main prize, a Cobalt car, only sharpened the competitors’ determination and heightened the excitement among the spectators.
Patriotism is a constant presence at kurash competitions. Although this form of wrestling is practised across many Central Asian countries and regions with Turkic cultural traditions, it has, quite naturally, become an important part of Uzbekistan’s national identity and a “school of character” for generations of Uzbek boys and young men. Of course, there are injuries, frustrations and defeats, along with deep disappointment, as in any serious sport. Those who lose try not to show their frustration and quickly regain their composure. It is a matter of an athlete’s dignity and honour.
It is precisely humanism that lies at the heart of kurash, a wrestling tradition built on mutual respect and a deep regard for human dignity. Today, those principles are recognised by the international sporting community as well.
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