Khiva. Collection of photos.

Khiva, ca 1920s.
14 photos; 15х10 cm. – 11x19 cm.

Wear to edges, cracks and losses to some photos, light soiled and foxed, owner marks to back sides.

This collection of photos includes depictions of views from Khiva, the capital of the Khanate of Khiva, and the palaces of the Khiva khans, including the alley near Nurullaboy Palace and the pool. Additionally, the collection features images with the traces of what might have been a prison, possibly for women along with their graves, the local people crossing the Shavat canal, musicians at a party, and various other scenes portraying the everyday life of the local population.
At least one of these photos - the wedding palanquin from Yomud nomads in Turkmenistan - was captured by Khudaibergen Devanov (Hudaibergen Divonov; 1879-1940), a pioneering Uzbek photographer, cinematographer, filmmaker, and cameraman. He is highly regarded as a prominent cultural figure in his hometown of Khiva, responsible for documenting his city and its individuals through photography. In 1938, he was sent to a political prisoner camp where he was executed.
It is possible that Devanov also captured three photographs from this collection: two pahlevani (traditional martial art fighters), the gate to Kunya-Ark Fortress (which bore the sign 'The Revolutionary Military Council and Military Nazirat' above the entrance), and the grave of a Turkmen saint (?).
In the 19th century, Russia annexed the Khiva Khanate. A century later, following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Khiva had a revolution too and the last Khan from the ruling dynasty was removed from power. Consequently, Khiva became the capital city of the short-lived (1920-1924) Khorezm People's Soviet Republic, which was established on the territory of the former Khanate of Khiva before eventually being incorporated into the USSR in 1924. As a result, the city of Khiva became a part of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic.