Kazakhstan is dotted with 48,000 lakes, many small like this mirror-surfaced one at Ush-Konyr near Fabrichny

Lake Ush-Konyr is a one of my favorite places with no power lines in sight, silent and serene. Kazakhs consider lakes the eyes of the sky.

Kazakhstan is a place of irony. Some of the worst man-made disasters; Aral Sea and Polygon have occurred in Kazakhstan. Some of the most beautiful and pristine places on earth are to be found in Kazakhstan.

To see more images of Kazakhstan visit: EastepPhotography.com

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Eyes of the Sky

Kazakhstan

Nomads and Networks: The Ancient Art and Culture of Kazakhstan

Wayne Eastep standing by his photograph of the Tien Shan mountain range in Kazakhstan. The Tien Shan are also know as the “Celestial Mountains.” The print is at the entrance to the exhibit “Nomads and Networks” at the Freer | Sackler Galleries of the Smithsonian, Washington, D.C.

Documentary Photographer Wayne Eastep with his print at the Arthur Sackler gallery at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

Documentary photographer Wayne Eastep next to his print of a Steppe horse in the steppes of southern Kazakhstan. The print is part of the “Nomads & Networks” exhibit at the Arthur Sackler Gallery at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

Nomads and Networks: The ancient Art and Culture of Kazakhstan

August 11- November 12, 2012

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Asian Art Museum of the Smithsonian Institution Washington, D.C.

: This small, sacred bronze-cast Lampion was used to burn oil and incense. A squatting horseman wears a caftan and helmet-like hat. A moveable horse figure with a bridle and plaited mane has a hole in its back for a candle or a torch. The dish is 25.5 centimeters (10 inches) in diameter and 18 centimeters (7 inches) high. It dates from the 4th to 3rd centuries B.C.

: This headband of gold from the 2nd century B.C. is inlaid with Turquoise, Amandine and carved wood. Called the Kargalin Diadem, it was found in the grave of a Shaman believed to be Female. It is decorated with animals, and the central portion, which has been lost, is believed to be a tree of life. It was discovered in the mountains at Kargalin at an altitude of 2,500 meters (8,200 feet). Central State Museum, Almaty, Kazakhstan

: This cast copper cauldron with ram’s head legs dated from the 5th to 3rd centuries B.C. it was found in 1912 in the Semirechye area. It stands 58.5 centimeters high (23 inches). It is 31.5 centimeters (12 inches) deep and 52 centimeters (20 inches) in diameter. Cauldrons such as this werer used to cook the meat of sacrificial animals, or at the start of seasonal events such as the spring festival of Nauriz. Central State Museum, Almaty, Kazkhstan

Artifacts in the exhibition. Images from THE SOUL OF KAZAKHSTAN.

Wayne Eastep at the opening of "Nomads & Networks" exhibition at the Arthur Sackler gallery Smithsonian, Washington, D.C.

Wayne Eastep with Dana Masalimova, Third Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Kazkahstan and William C. Veale, Executive Director U.S. – Kazakhstan Business Association at the opening of “Nomads & Networks.” Arthur Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian, Washington, D.C.

The Exhibition has been organized by the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University in collaboration with:

Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Multifunctional Scientific-Analytical and Humanitarian-Educational State Enterprise “Nazarbayev Center.” Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

A. Kh. Margulan Institute of Archaeology of the Republic of Kazakhstan Museum of Archaeology of the Republic of Kazakhstan

The exhibition was made possible through support of the Leon Levy Foundation.

“The End of the Earth,” that’s how Herodotus described Kazakhstan. After traveling from one end of the country to the other I would describe it as the Center of the Earth.

It’s large. The ninth largest country in terms of land mass and the largest in Central Asia. China and Mongolia are on the eastern border, Siberia on the north, Russia on the northwest, the Caspian Sea on the west and the Stan’s: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan along the southern border.

The landscape is diverse; mountains, forests, canyons, foothills, plains, steppes, semi-desert and deserts. Climate ranges from very hot summers to extremely cold and windy winters.

To keep my Nikon motor drives working in the winter I had to keep the batteries next to my chest under a layer of tee shirt, thermal undergarments, wool shirt, wind resistant insulated layering jacket and extreme weather shell designed for high altitudes. I had to slowly hand rewind the film to a avoid static electric streaks like lightning on the emulsion.

There’s a lot to show, so I will break the images up into sets. This first set will illustrate the mountains. Subsequent entries will show other features of this diverse and magnificent land.

: Bayankol River Valley in the Tien Shan mountains, Kazakhstan

: Glaciers in the Tien Shan mountain range, Kazakhstan

: The Altai Range that runs along Kazakhstan’s northeastern border is noted for its rivers, waterfalls, springs and spectacular vistas, Mount Belukha, often shrouded in clouds, has its own persona that is steeped in history and religion. It has witnessed Chingis Khan invading with 200,000 Mongols, and listened as the chants, songs and laments of shamans echoed off its sheer cliffs. Kazakhstan

: Zailiinsky Alatau in southeastern Kazakhstan

: Nomads camped in a summer pasture (Dzhailyau) near Khan Tengri 6994 meters in the Tian Shan mountains.

: The sacred mountain Khan-Tengri is know as “the prince of spirits.” Kazakhs revere this peak as a symbol of their ancient Tengri faith, which looks to the sky as the source of the great spirit. It is the highest peak in Kazakhstan and the crown jewel of the Tien Shan Range, which are called the celestial mountains. The upper third of the mountain is marble that glows red at sunrise and sunset. The Tien Shan is the most northern range of the Himalaya mountains.

: Glaciers in the Tien Shan range with Khan Tengri in background, Kazakhstan

: The sacred mountain Khan-Tengri stands along Kazakhstan’s borderr with Kyrgyzstan and China. At 6,995 meters (about 23,000 feet), it is only a few thousand feet lower than Mount Everest. This image was made through the open window of a Kazakh Air Force high-altitude helicopter flying at 6,700 meters (about 22,000 feet).

: Fabled Shambhala is believed to be near Mount Belukha where the borders of Kazakhstan, Siberia, Mongolia and China meet. Rises more than 4,500 meters (nearly 15,000 feet) in the Altai Mountains.

: Zailiinsky Alatau, Kazakhstan

: Tien Shan range most northern ranges of the Himalayian mountains, Kazakhstan

: Tien Shan Range

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan, “The End of the Earth”

On December 16, 1991, Kazakhstan emerged from a long and challenging period under Soviet rule. Over the past 20 years the country has blossomed in what can be described as the Kazakh Renaissance, a demonstration of the enduring spirit of the Kazakh culture. I celebrate this anniversary with a selection of images from the book, The Soul of Kazakhstan. The collection showcases Kazakhstan’s people, history, culture and land. They will be posted on my WordPress blog over the coming days leading up to the anniversary.

A permanent library of images is available for purchase as prints or licensing at http://eastep.photoshelter.com/gallery/Kazakhstan/G0000xg4sBqG4LWQ/

Wayne Eastep, Photography, Exhibit, Mingei Museum, San Diego, CA

Photographs by Wayne Eastep in the exhibit "Of Gold and Grass" Mingei Museum, San Diego, CA

: Photographs by Wayne Eastep in the exhibit “Of Gold and Grass” Mingei Museum, San Diego, CA

: Map of Kazakhstan created by Bill McCaffery for the book, The Soul of Kazakhstan

: A stamped and engraved gold plaque on the Golden Warrior’s headdress features mountains and a snow leopard. He was a 5th century B.C. Saka chieftain

: “While researching for the book The Soul of Kazakhstan in the New York Public Library, I came across a letter Natllya Sedova, Leon Trotsky’s wife, wrote home while exiled in Almaty. She exclaimed about the beauty of a late spring snow blanketing the tulips. As good fortune would have it, my apartment was across from where the Trotskys lived. On a spring day in April, I was treated to the same beautiful sight” – W.E.

: It took Kaineke Zarykpai-Kyzy Kanapyanova two years to create this embroidered-felt Tuskiiz. She made it as a wedding gift for her son, Nurgazy, in 1973. When I told her she was a master like the artists in Japan called “National Treasurers,” she said, “Thank you.” After a pause she asked, “Will you put that in your book?”

: Kazakh Steppe Horses

: The opening at the top of a Kazakh yurt is called a Shangiraq. The circle represents the circle of life and the cross marks the cardinal points.

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan Crossroads of Culture and Commerce

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Category Archives: Kazakhstan

Eyes of the Sky

Nomads and Networks: The Ancient Art and Culture of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan, “The End of the Earth”

Kazakhstan Crossroads of Culture and Commerce

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