Ben Bilirim

Just have to share this çok güzel klip by Barış Manço: Ben Bilirim from 1975.

Psychedelic/folk rocker, singer and composer Barış Manço was a member of famous 1970's bands such as Moğollar and funder of Kurtalar Ekspres. He played with international artists and exchanged ideas with Turkish and foreign musicians, influencing numerous genres of modern pop and rock music in his homeland. His long hair and big mustache could be considered as a provocation to the conservative establishment, as well as a dedication to tradition...

Uzbekistan in the 1930's

The professional photographer Max Penson documented life and ideals in Soviet Turkistan (today's Uzbekistan) that was going through enormous social and economic upheavals in the early 20th century. Penson was born to a poor Jewish family in Belarus, 1893, and escaped pogroms and persecution to Central Asia during the First World War. He worked as an art teacher in Kokand, but his life changed when he managed to obtain a camera in the early 1920's. Between 1920 and 1940 he produced 30,000 photographs of innumerable subjects including education, industrialization, military training, farming, leisure and portraiture. At the Paris World Exhibition in 1937, Penson was awarded the Grand Prix for his portrait of "The Uzbek Madonna", a young woman nursing her child. Sergei Eisenstein praised him for his dedication to his chosen homeland: "There cannot be many masters left who choose a specific terrain for their work, dedicate themselves completely to and make it an intergrated part of their personal destiny." (quoted in Enter)



Penson worked for Central Asia's largest newspaper, Pravda Vostoka, in Tashkent, until Stalin's purges of Jews in the late 1940's pushed him out of his position and into a decade of depression. Penson died in 1959, but his work lives on as a priceless document of a dynamic but also tragic chapter in Central Asian history. All these photographs were selected from the official Max Penson website. I sincerely recommend a visit to the website for much more information and photographs. There is also an interesting topical selection at the Nailya Alexander Gallery.



Students in class.



The sculptor Khaidarov at work on a Lenin bust.

Although I have selected images chiefly of Chirayliq interest, I hope that something of the wide range of Penson's techniques is conveyed to the casual reader. He created images for propagandistic purposes, but he was conscious of the importance of the human element - you may call it imperfection or an element of chance.



A cotton farmer resting.



Russians and Uzbeks celebrating a holiday - with a dombura, or is it a dutar?

While the propagandistic elements may come off as blatant - a bust of Lenin, a militant pose, a brand-new tractor - the human element is much more subtle, yet crucial: a wrinkled eyebrow, a shy smile that does not quite reach the mouth, a bemused gaze, a gesture of tenderness. Penson told his photographer son's editor: “My son is using a flash in his photos very often. Tell him to use his heart instead...” (Quote: Enter)



Portrait of an Uzbek man.



A soldier with field radio equipment.



An Uzbek boy with puppies.



Max Penson himself.

Do NOT miss the gallery section at the official Max Penson site. This is just a tiny selection! It's a must for anyone who is interested in Soviet and Central Asian history, and the art of photography.

Altyn Orda

Some of my favourite screenshots from Sergei Eisenstein's Alexander Nevsky. Ahistorically, but politically correctly in Stalin's days, Nevsky refuses an alliance with the Golden Horde in the movie. In reality, Alexander Nevsky ensured peaceful relations with the Mongols by enforcing tribute from the principalities to the Golden Horde and uniting the Russian principalities against Western invasions. He became the Grand Prince of Vladimir thanks to his friendship with Sartaq Khan. This connection inspired the controversial school of Russian historical philosophy known as "Eurasianism".

Charles Bronson vs. Toshiro Mifune!

We have a soft spot for Charles Bronson, descendant of Lipka Tatars, and likewise for Toshiro Mifune, epic movie hero of the Land of the Rising Sun. In Red Sun (directed by Terence Young, France/Spain/Italy 1971) east meets west in the original sense of Rudyard Kipling's lines:

OH, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,
Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great Judgment Seat;
But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,
When two strong men stand face to face, tho’ they come from the ends of the earth!

Edit (29.7.2011): Added link to better-quality video.

Found in Finland

The Finnish board of museums (Museovirasto) has an interesting internet exhibition of "A Thousand Unknown People" (Tuhat Tuntematonta) on old photographs. Among these photographs of ordinary and not-so-ordinary Finns through the ages (and their pets) are a few chirayliqs, too.

Tadao Watanabe is one of the "unknowns" who has been identified by attentive visitors. He was a Lutheran missionary who married a Finn, Siiri Pitkänen. I have written about them earlier.

This couple has not been identified, but we know that they are Tatars. The photo was dedicated to "Mrs Aishä Ishakova from Höseyin Abudarov" in March 21, 1913.
So, what did the Finns look like 100-80 years ago? Any blond and blue-eyed chirayliq candidates?


This gentleman looks strikingly similar to the Tatar man above.


I always find that Finns look Scandinavian, but a special kind of Scandinavian, if you know what I mean.


This guy looks like Andy from my comic Goldenbird. After a bourgeois makeover, to be sure.


Finns and Russians just happen to be neighbours, they have nothing else in common... Just coincidence upon coincidence... Let's not jump to conclusions...

Soldier boys trying to look tough. Same as everywhere...

But I think these guys, who were working for the national railways, are my favourites.

Mustafa Shokay

Our reader Netania drew our attention to this video with a song from the soundtrack of a new film about Mustafa Shokay from Kazakhstan.



Mustafa Shokay, born into an aristocratic family in the village Aulie-Tarangyl in the Kyzyl-Orda region and of Kipchak and Kazakh origin, was one of the leaders of a revolt in 1917 against the Bolsheviks . After the revolt was crushed, he fled the country and lived in exile in Europe. During this time, he became one of the leading authorities on the history of Central Asia and was an ardent Turkestani nationalist. He later went on to help form the Turkestan Legion, who allied themselves with Germany during the Second World War, hoping to establish an independent state in Central Asia.


Mustafa is played by Aziz Beyshenaliev.

Anyway, (at least according to this clip) he also had a very dramatic love story with his wife, a Jewish redhead called Maria Yakovlevna ...
The music is by the duo Musicola. The singer, Karina Abdullina, apparently also plays the role of Shokay's wife.

My favourite scene:







*sigh* ...

Here are some more screencaps from this film, and here's a bit more about Musicola.

Apparently, Shokay is buried here in Berlin.

We're in the Red Army now

The Red Army brought together numerous ethnicities of the Soviet Union, sometimes in unexpected ways.

These photos were originally found on various discussion forums about Soviet military life.

Apparently the horse is wearing a traditional Kyrgyz hat...
More pictures of cute soldiers here.

Uralin Perhonen

"The Butterfly of the Urals" is a handmade puppet animation by Finnish artist Katariina Lillqvist. It is based on folk tales about general Mannerheim, told by the working-class inhabitants of old Pispala in Tampere. The folk tales weren't too reverent towards the "Slaughterer-General", whose decisive role in the bloody civil war in 1918 stayed in the memories of the losing "Red" side in old Socialist stronghold Tampere, which was taken after an especially bitter battle. What makes these secret folk tales interesting is the imagination and visual poetry that Lillqvist has interpreted them with. And yes, there's a Chirayliq angle...


Before his career as leader of the Finnish armed forces, before there was an independent Finland, Mannerheim travelled as an "explorer" (in reality, a spy for the Russian military) through Central Asia. The folk tales claim that he brought back a Kyrgyz man who was his servant - and his secret lover. This detail in the animation appears to be tastefully rendered - the Kyrgyz is equipped with handsome cheekbones and giant butterfly wings, and rides side-saddle on Mannerheim through the steppes - no, nothing awful: in this scene, Mannerheim is a centaur.


Uralin Perhonen has shocked so-called patriotic Finns - certain old angry men, I mean politicians, have even demanded, "off with her head!" The same people usually argue that Mannerheim defended Finland's freedom in 1918, 1939 and 1941 - I wonder if their "freedom" is the same as mine. It certainly sounds more like the "freedom" offered by Mannerheim's favourite enemy - shut up and do what you're told.
Because... no matter if you believe the old folktale, is it more important to respect your idol more than other peoples' memories? These folk tales are the silent ones' way of dealing with a painful past. No wonder Lillqvist was praised at Prix Italia in Milan - Italians should know that art is the first thing to be oppressed and abused by the powerful. The power of the image is intimidating. Nobody complained when the same story was aired on public radio in 2004!
Returning to Chirayliq mode, and I know I may get flamed for this, but one cannot blame Mannerheim for hiding in his closet, if the closet contained a handsome Central Asian man like the Butterfly of the Urals.

The Genghis Craze

This 2007 movie, about the early years of Genghis Khan, deserves a much longer post. The director, Sergei Bodrov sr., is Russian. The film is an international co-production between companies in Germany, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia. The lead actor, playing Temujin, is the (very very chirayliq) Tadanobu Asano from Japan. The film was shot in the People's Republic of China, principally Inner Mongolia, and in Kazakhstan. To top it all, the film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film as a submission from Kazakhstan.

(Wait a sec - "Music by Tuomas Kantelinen"? This truly is a pan-Eurasian production... Heart-warming!)

Of course, there's bound to be trouble.

This is not the first movie adaptation of Genghis Khan's life, and I'm sure it won't be the worst (in the fabulous "yellowface" genre, I think John Wayne takes the prize with his incredible line in The Conqueror (1956): "this Tartar woman...is for me...and my blood says...take her!!" Oh my Tengri, there's even one with Omar Sharif), though I understand the Mongolian concerns about historical accuracy and respect for their culture.


Especially the Japanese interest in the ancient warlord has been a bit disturbing. In 2007, a Japanese movie was released under the name Aoki Ookami (The Blue Wolf; a.k.a. Genghis Khan - To the Ends of the Earth and Sea). According to an online review, it was a commercial failure in Japan, and the producers scrapped the plans for a sequel. This film was shot entirely in Mongolia, but the leading actors are all Japanese. Takashi Sorimachi (of GTO o_O and Yamato fame) is kawaii. Check out his pout in the beginning of this video.

Ok, getting off topic there...

If you want to see REAL Mongols dressed up and playing Genghis, check out this gallery by Michel Setboun.

PS: An interesting tidbit of information is the fact that the script writer of Mongol, Arif Aliyev, qualifies as a chirayliq. His name sounds Tatar, but it doesn't really matter as much as his friendly smile.

More about Aliyev

Building the Siberian Railroad, 1895

In a previous blog post, I threatened to include even a Central Asian Italian, just to make sure nobody mistakes this for an exclusive site for Turkoman-worshipping. Of course, we enjoy more than a bit of Pan-Turanic bonding, but Central Asia is a melting-pot. You wouldn't enjoy a nice hot stew as much if you had to eat all the raw ingredients separately, would you? Or a nice minestrone soup?


"Evviva la Siberia!" Even Italians have done their share to connect the far ends of the great Eurasian continent. These Friulians (probably skilled engineers) came to the Russian empire in the 1890's "per un grande e nobil progetto del Zar". Italian engineers participated in the construction of the railroad bridge over Yenisey River, among other projects. The oldest cinema of Irkutsk, Cinema Don Otello, used to belong to an Italian engineer who worked at the Circumbaikal line! Some became very rich on the deal, only to lose it all during the Great War.

Iosif Vissarionovich

Well, we already have a tag called "Stalin", and Stalin used to be quite the babe when he was young, so it was only a question of time until we would get to this. (We have a "Lenin" tag, too, but Lenin wasn't that attractive - he lost his hair very early and was generally rather asexual - as opposed to the womanizer Stalin, who kept the thick hair on his head until his death.)

Stalin in 1902, at age 24:





These are mug shots by the police in Batumi, where he was arrested for organising several large workers’ demonstrations.
(The first photo, according to Wikimedia commons, is from the book "Josef Wissarionowitsch Stalin - Kurze Lebensbeschreibung", Publishing for Russian literature in foreign languages, Moscow 1947", and the second was featured in E. Radziński's "Stalin. Pierwsza pełna biografia oparta na rewelacyjnych dokumentach z tajnych archiwów rosyjskich", Warszawa 1996.)



In 1919, at age 41, with comrades Lenin and Kalinin at the VIII Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Stalin was still kind of good-looking. Or maybe this photo was retouched.

Unfortunately, Stalin suffered many abuses during his childhood and youth, was apparently just generally a bit of an a*****e, and ended up a grown-up with severe psychological problems, which turned out to be lethal for an immense number of people when he gained more and more power in the Soviet Union. (His story is quite typical for many politicians, though maybe a bit extreme.)

Those who in spite of everything would like to feel a bit of sympathy towards him might be interested in Vladimir Sorokin's novel "Blue Lard", where Stalin gets to show a soft spot in his mad love affair with a rather dominant Khruschev.

Vagif Mustafazadeh - the Jazzman!

Our loyal reader Ilshat demands that this week be Azeri week, and he sent us some photos of the Jazzman Vagif Mustafazadeh (1940-1979):





What's the big deal, you might say. Has Ilshat some weird moustache fetish, you might ask. Well, Vagif was Azeri, after all ... and this is what he looked like when he was younger:



I dig that hair.



I bet the lady is blushing (unless she's his mum) ...

These pictures were found at the photoarchive in vagif.musigi-dunya.az, where you can read more about his life and works.