A journey through Kyrgyzstan, where past and present clash

A Shaded Path — Photographer Elliott Verdier explores the battle for cultural hegemony in the fledgling state, capturing the generational gap between the country’s youth and its elderly.

Elliott Verdier stumbled upon Kyrgyzstan by chance, noticing it for the first time while staring at an old map.

Somewhat thrown by the fact that he hadn’t been aware of the country’s existence until that very moment, he thought it only right to research its history. However, the more he learned, the more mysterious Kyrgyzstan served to become: a fledgling state of sublime natural beauty, where post-soviet history found itself entangled with a fluctuating national identity in the present day. Quickly, the French photographer became fascinated.

So, last year, Verdier decided to fly out and make the trip for himself. Spending four months travelling through the country, he made his way through bustling cities, secret towns in the shadow of mountains and then out to great mines, which seemed to exist miles and miles away from anything else.

“I think I will always remember the first time I arrived in Kyrgyzstan,” he tells Huck. “It was dawn. The soft pink light of the rising sun was touching the wall of mountains in the south of Bishkek. It was all quiet. Everything there seemed eternal.”

During his journey, Verdier quickly began to notice the generational gap that existed between the country’s youth and its elderly population. Whereas the latter were still very much enamoured with Kyrgyzstan’s Soviet past, its young people were, in contrast, pushing for a distinctly more modern collective national consciousness.

During the time he spent with them, elders would warmly recall an easier, “more organised” time prior to sovereignty in 1991, while the new generation of Kyrgyz spoke of their ambitious determination to truly “put Kyrgyzstan on the map”.

The photos that Verdier took during his journey come together to form A Shaded Path, a series that tracks his movements through the young state and the interactions with the people he met there. As a collection of images, they portray a country in a state of cultural flux, where different factions – old and young, East and West – can be seen battling it out for the national hegemony.

“The people in the pictures are very diverse. I’ve spent hours with veterans, nights with young people; men and women in coal mines; fishers, hunters,” he recalls.

“But the more I met young people, the more I saw the growing dynamic, the pure envy and motivation to make their country rise. Dreamers, but connected to reality, too.”

See more of Elliott Verdier’s work on his official website

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter


Ad

Latest on Huck

Focus on humanising people. Text over a bright green background with a faint image of a person's face.
Activism

Plestia Alaqad: “Journalists should focus on humanising people”

Huck’s April interview — Having become one of the most crucial and followed voices from inside Gaza in the aftermath of October 7, the award-winning author and journalist is releasing a new memoir, ‘The Eyes of Gaza’, collating diary entries made over the past 18 months. We caught up with her to hear more about it.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Vans

The instrument makers taking DIY music to a whole new level

What does it take to construct a modular synth? How do you turn a block of wood into a double bass? Here, four craftspeople explain why they chose to rip up the rulebooks and build their own music-making machines.

Written by: Daniel Dylan Wray

Energetic music performance on stage with colourful lighting, smoke and audience.
Culture

Southbank Centre reveals new series dedicated to East and Southeast Asian arts

ESEA Encounters — Taking place between 17-20 July, there will be a live concert from YMO’s Haruomi Hosono, as well as discussions around Asian literature, stage productions, and a pop-up Japanese Yokimono summer market.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Two people in colourful costume against a vibrant pink background.
Culture

In 1971, Pink Narcissus redefined queer eroticism

Camp classic — A new restoration of James Bidgood’s cult film is showing in US theatres this spring. We revisit its boundary pushing aesthetics, as well as its enduring legacy.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Crowd gathered around outdoor fire on night, silhouetted figures, flaming objects visible.
Music

As amapiano goes global, where does it leave its roots?

Rainbow grooves — Over the past decade, the house music subgenre has exploded into a worldwide phenomenon. Jak Hutchcraft went to its birthplace of Mamelodi, South Africa, to explore its still-thriving local scene.

Written by: Jak Hutchcraft

Crowd of silhouetted people at a nighttime event with colourful lighting and a bright spotlight on stage.
Music

Clubbing is good for your health, according to neuroscientists

We Become One — A new documentary explores the positive effects that dance music and shared musical experiences can have on the human brain.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to stay informed from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, with personal takes on the state of media and pop culture in your inbox every month from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.