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@ellamaillart.bsky.socialOct 10, 2026, 9:05 AM

"Ahead, the south is barred by the white line of the Ak Chiriak range where our eyes again and again admire a most tempting summit. As for the rivulet trickling out of our glacier, it is the source of the great Syr Daria ..."

#EllaMaillart #Photography #Kyrgyzstan #China #TerskeyAlatau

A rider on horseback travels alongside a vast glacier and lake at 4,800 metres near the Kashka-Suu Pass in the Terskey Alatau mountain chain, Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (modern-day Kyrgyzstan), Ella Maillart, 1932 The Kashka-Suu Pass is an ancient highland route traditionally navigated by nomadic caravans moving between Central Asia and China.
@ellamaillart.bsky.socialOct 9, 2026, 4:58 AM

"Squatting in front of a neighbouring yurt, four workers, with all their might and with wands that whistle in their hands, beat smartly on some camel-wool scattered over a sheet. Rhythmically the arms rise and fall, the elbows are pulled back sharply ..."

#EllaMaillart #Photography #Kyrgyzstan

'Natives Beating Felt', Kyrgyzstan, Ella Maillart, 1932 Workers lean over a striped reed mat containing wet, layered wool fibres, pressing and kneading them to bind the fibres into a solid piece of felt. A bucket and a tool handle stand beside the mat on the ground. Practiced mainly by nomadic tribes, this laborious process of wet felting involves raw wool being moistened with water or an alkaline solution, wrapped tightly in a woven reed mat and repeatedly beaten, kneaded and rolled by a synchronised row of workers using their hands, forearms or feet. This mechanical pressure causes the microscopic scales of the wool fibers to permanently interlock, creating durable, water-resistant sheets used for carpets, tents, clothing and blankets.
@ellamaillart.bsky.socialOct 8, 2026, 7:00 AM

"On their visits to one another, the women of the aul are continually spinning; or one of them, squatting on the ground may be weaving. ... As usual, every one of them is keen to handle my camera, and finds great pleasure in looking through the view-finder."

#EllaMaillart #Photography #Kyrgyzstan

A smiling Kyrgyz woman spinning wool on a drop spindle with a central whorl and wound wool yarn at Ak-Shyyrak in the Tian Shan mountain system of Kyrgyzstan. The shaft is the straight wooden rod held vertically to spin and twist raw fibres into continuous threads, whilst the whorl is the weighted, rounded disc in the middle which acts as a flywheel to maintain momentum and steady rotation when flicked. The yarn cop is the oval bundle of freshly-spun wool fibres wrapped securely around the shaft just above the whorl.
@ellamaillart.bsky.socialOct 7, 2026, 7:18 AM

"Next morning, I look eagerly at this new world 11,000 feet above the sea. On a sloping glade of short grass six yurts are grouped together. Women milk the mares and tease the mute of the camp who stares at us with mouth agape."

#EllaMaillart #Photography #Kyrgyzstan #Yurt

Wool Felt Making, Kyrgyzstan, Ella Maillart, 1932 Framed by the Tian Shan mountains, a Kyrgyz woman stands by a traditional yurt, a highly versatile, portable structure engineered from a wooden lattice frame covered in thick sheep's wool felt. A samovar and other utensils are placed nearby on the ground. In the background on the right, a group of women are gathered closely on the ground, rolling and pressing wool fibres to create the felt sheets (kiyiz) used to insulate these structures against Central Asia's harsh weather.
@ellamaillart.bsky.socialOct 6, 2026, 7:51 AM

"They all want to know where my husband is. 'In Frunze,' says Mila, before I have time to answer, 'where he is awaiting our return. He was ill and so unable to leave with us.' "'You must remember,' says Mila to me in French ..."

#EllaMaillart #Photography #Kyrgyzstan #Baking #Tokochi #Tandoor

'Baking Flatbreads And Tokochis In A Tandoor', Ella Maillart, Kyrgyzstan, 1932 A Kyrghyz woman seated cross-legged on the floor, wearing traditional headwear and everyday garments, carefully apportions and shapes dough pieces for traditional round flatbreads (tokoč/tokochi). This traditional Central Asian flatbread is a regional variant of naan common across Kyrgyzstan and the wider Silk Road region. In the foreground is the opening to a sunken hearth or clay oven (tonir/tandir/tandyr/tandoor) with several rounds of already baked circular breads stacked on a cloth nearby and inside the rim.
@ellamaillart.bsky.socialOct 5, 2026, 5:43 AM

"'Here money means nothing at all: the only currency is sheep, and it is into sheep that all their savings go. The Kirghiz editor in Kara Kol had told me how in 1918 his first wife had cost him twenty horses ..."

#EllaMaillart #Photography #Kyrgyzstan #TianShan #Nomad #Wife #Sheep #Horses

A young female member of the Komsomol (Communist Youth League) wearing a light headscarf and collared shirt, Karakol, Kyrgyzstan. The first Komsomol cells in Kyrgyzstan emerged in 1918–1919. In 1925, the regional Komsomol organization was formally established, which in 1937 was transformed into the Komsomol of Kyrgyzstan. As of January 1, 1985, its ranks numbered 634,000 Komsomol members.
@ellamaillart.bsky.socialOct 4, 2026, 7:05 AM

"I feel very pleased: I have really been initiated into the daily life of the Kirghiz as I longed to be in my dreams in far-away Paris. How that metropolis would appal my slow-moving neighbours if they could suddenly have a sight of it."

#EllaMaillart #Photography #Kyrgyzstan #Baking #Tokochi

'Kneading Dough For Tokochi', Ella Maillart, Kyrgyzstan, 1932 A Kirghiz woman kneels on the floor of a domestic bakery and kneads dough in a wooden trough for tokochi (a traditional flatbread) to be baked in a tandoor.
@ellamaillart.bsky.socialOct 3, 2026, 8:34 AM

"Then the Chief invites us to enter his yurt after making sure the women are ready for us. The whole family observes us with calm, grave faces. The man of the house has a scanty beard, narrow eyes, a white felt hat and feet in lambskin boots: the wool inside and laced at the ankles."

#EllaMaillart

A nomad family in the Tian Shan (Heavenly Mountains) region, near Karakol, Kyrgyzstan relaxes on woven floor carpets next to a traditional reed screen (chiy) which lines the inner walls of their traditional felt yurt to insulate against harsh mountain weather. The father sits alongside his two children wrapped in winter garments. In the background, stacked geometric felt textiles, woven reed mats (chiy) and personal gear line the curved wooden lattice frame of the yurt. The photograph preserves the memory of the traditional nomadic lifestyle of Central Asian families right before the sweeping geopolitical transformations of Soviet collectivisation in the region.
@pipster18.bsky.socialOct 3, 2026, 1:33 AM

"The sooner we learn to be jointly responsible, the easier the sailing will be." - Ella Maillart #SaturdayMotivation #QuoteOfTheDay #ContinuousImprovement #Coaching #LyonStrategic #EllaMaillart

@ellamaillart.bsky.socialOct 2, 2026, 7:11 AM

"I wish they could tell something of what they saw when the Turco-Mongol nomads were masters of Asia. No doubt the nomads are doomed now that they have been turned into members of a socialised state and their cattle requisitioned for collective farms."

#EllaMaillart #Photography #Yurt #Kyrgyzstan

'An Aul In The High Plateaus, 12,000 Feet Up', Ella Maillart, 1932 Horses stand prominently in the foreground of this nomadic encampment on a summer pasture (jailoo) in the high-altitude Tian Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan. In the background, you can see traditional felt tents known as yurts engineered specifically for seasonal migration and offering excellent insulation against harsh mountain winds. Children and adults are wearing traditional, practical attire suited for high-altitude weather - women, headscarves or structural headpieces like the elechek, men and children, protective wool or felt hats.
@ellamaillart.bsky.socialOct 1, 2026, 6:18 AM

"The nomad's life enthralls me. The Kirghiz are simple, hospitable and, above all, free. It was that quality which made its deepest appeal to me. Wherever I go, it is always the secret of such simple, straightforward races that I seek ..."

#EllaMaillart #Photography #Kyrgyzstan #TianShan #Nomad

A shepherd and his children in a traditional nomadic encampment surrounded by traditional yurts (yurta or ger) at a summer jailoo (high-altitude pasture) in the Juuku Gorge (Djuuku Gorge), Tian Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan. There are horses grazing in the background.
@ellamaillart.bsky.socialSep 30, 2026, 7:48 AM

"At last, senses dulled with fatigue, I hear barking: we are nearing our first aul. As the convention demands, we wait at a distance while our guide palavers with the headman."

#EllaMaillart #Photography

A high-altitude summer pasture (jailoo) with felt tents (yurts), a yak, and travelers on horseback in the Juuku Gorge, Tian Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan. The foreground features two traditional felt yurts engineered by nomads to be entirely portable, weather-resistant and easily assembled or dismantled as seasons shift. A domestic yak (or high-altitude cattle hybrid) grazes on the left side of the frame, alongside several horses mounted by travelers or local herders on the right. The background reveals the dramatic, snow-capped peaks of the Juuku Gorge valley, illustrating the remote and rugged conditions of traditional seasonal migrations.
@ellamaillart.bsky.socialSep 29, 2026, 7:34 AM

"From the crumpets of a pack-horse the stiffened skins of wolves, ibex and marmots hang in quantities. We sight a marmot and track it down. The bird, released from its noose is cast off after it ..."

#Photography #EllaMaillart #TianShan

'Kirghiz With Musket And Support', Tian Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan, Ella Maillart, 1932 A Kyrgyz nomadic hunter wearing a traditional, heavy quilted winter coat (chapan) and a distinctive wide, dark fur hat (telpek or ushanka style). A rifle slung across his back indicates he was hunting wild fowl and larger mammals. Draped over the saddle and the flanks of the horse is a successful haul from the hunt. This includes multiple game birds (likely partridges or snowcocks) hanging by the front, along with the legs and fur of a larger harvested animal (such as a wild mountain sheep or ibex).
@ellamaillart.bsky.socialSep 28, 2026, 4:43 AM

"The leather glove, in order that the reins may be held, is cut for only one finger and a thumb. A slip-knot fastens a long thong to one foot. The man's fist rests on a wooden fork socketed in the saddle ..."

#EllaMaillart #Photography
#Kyrgyzstan #TianShan

'A Karakirghiz with Chinese Glasses', Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Ella Maillart, 1932 A nomadic Karakirghiz hunter on horseback, poses with a large golden eagle (or berkut) used for hunting small game. Berkutchi are Central Asian nomadic hunters who train wild golden eagles (berkut). Rather than treating the bird as a pet, it is considered a sacred life partner. They almost exclusively capture and train female golden eagles because they are significantly larger, stronger, and more aggressive hunters than males. A young eagle is typically taken from its nest and trained intensely for several years. It hunts cooperatively with its owner for about 10 to 15 years before being released back into the wild to find a mate, ensure its bloodline and live out its natural life. This hunter wears traditional thick attire suitable for mountain terrains, protective eyewear, and a specialized gauntlet to shield his arm from the bird's massive talons.
@ellamaillart.bsky.socialSep 27, 2026, 8:25 AM

'Nomad With His Eagle', Soviet Kirghizstan, Ella Maillart, 1932

"The birds of prey are enormous, it is the only possible word for them, so mighty that I cannot imagine what other bird could deserve the title 'king of birds'."

#EllaMaillart #Photography #Kyrgyzstan #TianShan #GoldenEagle #Eagle

A trained hunting eagle on the fist of his master. The leather hood (tomaga) blindfolds the bird to keep it calm and focused, preventing it from being startled by distractions until the hunter spots prey and removes it. The golden eagle is one of the most well-known birds of prey in the accipitridae family, the largest eagle. It is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere,where it inhabits primarily mountains and, to a lesser extent, open and semi-open flatlands. It avoids residential areas and is sensitive to human disturbance. It is sedentary throughout most of its range, staying in pairs near the nest.At the northern edge of its range and in the highlands, some birds migrate to less snowy areas. It hunts a wide variety of game, most commonly hares, rodents, and many bird species. It sometimes attacks sheep, calves,and fawns. It builds its nest in a tree or on an inaccessible rocky ledge. A clutch typically contains two eggs, but most often only one chick survives. In Central Asia, golden eagles are used for commercial hunting of foxes,hares, and sometimes wolves and goitered gazelles.
@ellamaillart.bsky.socialSep 26, 2026, 3:03 AM

"From the jutting shoulder the wings hang, their dark, shining plumes like an armour of overlapping plates. The black talons are enormous, and issue from a grey, scaly sheath of skin to grasp the leather glove."

#EllaMaillart #Photography #Kyrgyzstan #TianShan #Falconry #GoldenEagle #Eagle

A Kyrgyz eagle hunter (berkutchi) wearing a fur hat and holding a tame golden eagle on his arm. Mature female eagles are typically trained because they grow significantly larger, heavier and more aggressive. The hunter wears a thick, reinforced leather gauntlet (biasley) on his right hand to protect his forearm from the eagle's crushing talons, along with a traditional fur cap (tymak) to withstand extreme alpine winter temperatures.
@ellamaillart.bsky.socialSep 25, 2026, 6:51 AM

"We meet four horsemen returning from the hunt who carry eagles on their fists. Black talons grasp a thick leather glove that rests in a wooden fork upon the saddle: the beak is on a level with the rider's forehead."

#Photography #EllaMaillart #USSR #Russia #Turkestan #TianShan #Kyrgzstan #Eagle

Four Kyrgyz men engage in the traditional Central Asian practice of falconry - berkutchi (or berkuti) - where hunters form deep bonds with golden eagles for hunting foxes, hares and sometimes even wolves to provide fur and meat for the community. They are wearing traditional heavy coats and hats, mounted on horseback while carrying the birds of prey.
@ellamaillart.bsky.socialSep 24, 2026, 7:19 AM

"The mountain gently slopes towards a wide moth-eaten plain roughened with clumps of grass or edelweiss. I have always imagined that Greenland must look something like this and have a similarly pure and rarefied atmosphere."

#EllaMaillart #Photography #Syrt #TianShan #Kyrgyzstan #TerskeyAlatau

'In the Dzhuuku Gorge. Terskey Ala-Too Mountains', Ella Maillart, 1932. Ancient stone ruins at the exit of the Dzhuuku Gorge on the northern slopes of the Terskey Alatau mountain range, part of the grand Tian Shan mountain system in Kyrgyzstan. Located south of the village of Saru, 10 km west of the village of Pokrovka, approximately 75 km from the city of Karakol, the Dzhuuku Gorge extends for 50 km. Its length is due to its unusual shape: in its lower part, it runs strictly north to south, turning sharply west at the top. This gives the Djukuchak River, which flows along the gorge, a record length of 55 km, a record for this area.
@ellamaillart.bsky.socialSep 23, 2026, 6:26 AM

"We rise straight out of the gorge through a rock-fall only to climb down vertically into the depth again further on! Our mounts drop from rock to rock at the risk of breaking their legs. Only Jocubai remains in the saddle, his stirrups level with the eyes of his mare."

#EllaMaillart #Photography

On the way to the Dzhangart pass. Terskey Ala-Too Mountains. 1932 Jocubai in a traditional coat and hat leads a horse through a rocky stream in the Terskey Alatau mountain range (part of the Tian Shan system in modern-day Kyrgyzstan), with pack animals and companions visible along the rocky bank in the background.
@ellamaillart.bsky.socialSep 22, 2026, 6:58 AM

'Descending The Gravel Slopes Of Jengart', Tian Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan, 1932

"We begin to descend ourselves. ... My own mount's bumpings has begun to shake loose its load and the saddle and all the rest begins to slip over towards its round barrel."

#EllaMaillart #Photography #Kyrgyzstan

'Descending The Gravel Slopes Of Jengart', Tian Shen Mountains, Kyrgyzstan, 1932 A pack animal train with loaded cargo traverses a steep, barren scree slope with large boulders and rocky terrain in the Tian Shan mountains. One pack horse stands in the foreground facing the camera, while other loaded animals and handlers stretch up the diagonal path of the steep hillside in the background.
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