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Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
 Valley of the Winds

Valley of the Winds © Danil Usmanov

In the quiet Batken region of Kyrgyzstan, young lives unfold in spaces defined by absence. Valley of the Winds offers a rare glimpse into their world, captured through the lens of documentary photographer Danil Usmanov and seen through the eyes of the children themselves. What does it mean to grow up in the shadow of migration? Step into a story of distance, memory, and the quiet power of everyday life.
 

Valley of the Winds is a deeply personal photographic narrative that invites you into the lives of children in Kyrgyzstan’s remote Batken region – a place where labor migration is not just an economic reality but a defining force of everyday life. With many parents working abroad, children here grow up in the care of grandparents, siblings, and neighbors.

This project blends intimate documentary photography with a rare perspective: images taken by the children themselves using disposable cameras. Through their eyes, we explore the rhythms of their daily life – and together, they reveal a world shaped by absence, but held together by care, routine, and resilience.

Set against Batken’s vast, windswept isolated landscapes, the story echoes the emotional distances created by physical separation. These open spaces become metaphors for what’s left behind and what endures when people leave.
The Gaparov family performing the “Beshik Toi” ceremony, a Central Asian tradition celebrating the placing of a baby in the cradle, in their newly-built home in Maksat village, Kyrgyzstan.

The Gaparov family performing the “Beshik Toi” ceremony, a Central Asian tradition celebrating the placing of a baby in the cradle, in their newly-built home in Maksat village, Kyrgyzstan. | © Danil Usmanov

Newlyweds take part in the local tradition of having photos taken on the banks of the Tortkul Reservoir, Kyrgyzstan.

Newlyweds take part in the local tradition of having photos taken on the banks of the Tortkul Reservoir, Kyrgyzstan. | © Danil Usmanov

Children help themselves to the last pieces of sumolok at the stadium during the Nooruz celebration in Batken city, Kyrgyzstan.

Children help themselves to the last pieces of sumolok at the stadium during the Nooruz celebration in Batken city, Kyrgyzstan. | © Danil Usmanov

A teenage shepherd herds sheep near the village of Kök-Tash, Kyrgyzstan.

A teenage shepherd herds sheep near the village of Kök-Tash, Kyrgyzstan. | © Danil Usmanov

A man walks with a girl through Kök-Tash village, Kyrgyzstan. A donkey carries bags filled with dry dung.

A man walks with a girl through Kök-Tash village, Kyrgyzstan. A donkey carries bags filled with dry dung. | © Danil Usmanov

Residents of Kök-Tash village, Kyrgyzstan, digging an irrigation canal to water their gardens. Due to shortages, they are only allowed to water their fruit and vegetable gardens once a year.

Residents of Kök-Tash village, Kyrgyzstan, digging an irrigation canal to water their gardens. Due to shortages, they are only allowed to water their fruit and vegetable gardens once a year. | © Danil Usmanov

Children play volleyball in the village of Kök-Tash, Kyrgyzstan.

Children play volleyball in the village of Kök-Tash, Kyrgyzstan. | © Danil Usmanov

Two brothers cut up a goat carcass in a field near Kök-Tash village, Kyrgyzstan. Local farmers rely on rainwater to irrigate these fields. In the last harvesting season, it rained only once.

Two brothers cut up a goat carcass in a field near Kök-Tash village, Kyrgyzstan. Local farmers rely on rainwater to irrigate these fields. In the last harvesting season, it rained only once. | © Danil Usmanov

A boy rides a bicycle in front of a mosaic at the center of Sülüktü city, Kyrgyzstan.

A boy rides a bicycle in front of a mosaic at the center of Sülüktü city, Kyrgyzstan. | © Danil Usmanov

Children play on a hill near Sülüktü city, Kyrgyzstan.

Children play on a hill near Sülüktü city, Kyrgyzstan. | © Danil Usmanov

Collaborator:

 
Danil Usmanov

Documentary Photographer