The 'exotic village' high in the mountains of the Kashkadarya region, 700-year-old Gilan has only in recent years become a mecca for ethnotourism and a source of inspiration for photographers and artists. Admiring the authentic way of life, people rarely consider how life is organised in one of the most inaccessible mountain villages. Yet such a way of life presupposes not only traditional customs and a manner of living, but also ancient means of production. The people of Gilan are almost entirely self-sufficient in wheat, the milling of which is the responsibility of hereditary millers. The old water mill at an altitude of 2,000 metres — in a photo essay by Ildar Sadykov and Sergey Pogosyan.
For six years, whenever I came to Gilan, I planned to photograph the water mill, but only now have I managed it. In fact, there are two mills in Gilan — an ancient one, 150 or 200 years old, and a new Chinese one. The latter produces a much finer flour, but the locals prefer the authentic old one. It yields a coarse, slightly yellowish flour. And the flatbreads come out somewhat rough in texture, yet insanely delicious.
Gilan — a unique example of preserving not individual customs, but an entire approach to agriculture and the organisation of daily life. There are, of course, many authentic places in Uzbekistan, but Gilan — it is one of a kind.
High in the Hissar Mountains, right on the very border with Tajikistan, 80 kilometres from Shahrisabz, it sits at an altitude of between 2,400 and 2,700 metres. For three months, economic life here comes to a standstill — the snow falls. And for nine months the people of Gilan work: sowing, harvesting, laying in hay, firewood and dung cakes. The local potato is known throughout the country.
Photo: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanIndeed, the approach to farming here is not merely authentic but also environmentally sound — every inch of land must be used rationally. The people of Gilan are fortunate with water — a turbulent river fed by glacial meltwater gives life and energy. Over the centuries, they have mastered virtuoso water conservation.
Wheat is grown on the mountain slopes.
The people of Gilan, of whom there are around 5,000, hardly ever use bought wheat. That is why the mill has served them faithfully for two whole centuries. Last year the old miller died — the father of the present one. Just think, he was 106 or 107 years old…
Photo: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanEvery region — has its own bread. The story of Gilan non is inextricably linked to this old little house on the bank of a noisy river. To reach the mill, one must descend to an altitude of around 2,000 metres. Here the water drives the millstones of the old mill. The miller's rest room, too, has a unique aura. For self-sufficiency and comfort he has a radio and a kerosene lamp, since electricity is not always available.
Photo: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanIn Uzbekistan, little is known about water mills, and little is written about them. I have seen several such mills during my travels through Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya. I hope to encounter them many more times on expeditions. And here everything came together — the stunning light for photography, the authenticity of daily life, and the untouched nature.
The milling rates are low, but for locals — even cheaper.
The people of Gilan might live on like this — to a hundred years, knowing no cares beyond the eternal labour in the field, that is, on the slope. But a threat hangs over the archaic and pure way of life of the settlement, and it is not at all a natural one — a ski slope is planned nearby. And once again the battle for a cultural heritage, so carefully preserved for centuries and now left defenceless before investment in a tourism cluster, will begin. Hope remains for the victory of common sense and national memory.
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