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Caspian-Uncharted Waters

Fog from the sea blanketing Aktau at the dawn.

Fog from the sea blanketing Aktau at the dawn.

KAZAKHSTAN-AKTAU

For most of its history the territory of modern-day Kazakhstan has been inhabited by nomadic tribes.The Russians began advancing into the Kazakh steppe in the 18th century, and by the mid-19th century all of Kazakhstan was part of the Russian Empire. Following the 1917 Russian Revolution, and subsequent civil war, the territory of Kazakhstan was reorganized several times before becoming the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic in 1936, a part of the USSR.

Kazakhstan declared itself an independent country on December 16, 1991, the last Soviet republic to do so. Its communist-era leader, Nursultan Nazarbayev, became the country's new president and remain in office till today.

Aktau is country's only seaport on the Caspian Sea.Aktau has a block system - streets of the city have no names and all addresses in Aktau consist of three numbers: the micro district (block) number, the building number and the apartment number.

Aktau was built in 1961in the middle of step as a small village after large amounts of crude oil was discovered in the region. In 1963 Aktau gained status of city.

On September 11, 2007 President Nursultan Nazarbayev gave a start to the project Aktau city in order to develop tourism and attract investments .Totally new city will be built to the northwest of the current city. with 4 millions sq. meters of residential and business buildings .

Youth from Derbent at the Seaside. Students from Islamic University in Makhachkala arrived for a pray at the mosque in Izberbash . View for the wall coming from Derbet citadel to the sea. Potato seller drinking his tea at Xazar settlement by Derbent. Skeletons in the garbage bins at the Makhachkala main bazaar. Man looking at the sea from Derbet. Lesson at the Jewish school in Derbent. Derbet used to have one of the biggest and oldest Jewish community in the Caucasus .Out of 40 thousands people only about 3 thousand is left .In the school 30 children are learning Hebrew and Jewish traditions and history. Young couple meeting by the sea in Machachkala-capitol of Dagestan. Mamedov Gadhin Nekhmiedin-formet head of muslim society in Derbent at the funeral of his friend at the Azeri cemetery in Derbent. Habibat Jarokhmedova resting at the sea side under watchful eye of her husband.Couple used to live in Moscow but after Habibat had heart attack they moved back to Dagestan .Each day her husband comes with her to the beach so Habibat can recover from her illness breathing fresh air from the sea. Fog from the sea blanketing Aktau at the dawn. View for Aktau center. Woman putting her makeup on at the devastated area by the sea side. Father with child at the Carrousel by the seaside. Roma in the bus with his dog is on the way to Dog Exhibition. Family at the makeshift boardwalk. Girl in the bus going to new settlement Kuzultebe in Aktau outskirts. Newly constructed Buddhist Temple in Artesian at the border with Dagestan. Man on the road between Lagan and Artesian. Man fishing from rusted boats at Olya at the Volga Delta. Pensioner's Goods for sale in Astrakhan Bazaar. Workers of Olya Kolkhoz on their way back home. Astrakhan residents walking under central heating pipes. Policeman by the road to Makhachkala. View for ruins of former hotel Karabakh from train at Baku Railway station. Group of young Azeri on Nizami Street in Baku. People living at Bibi-Heybat oil-field on Baku outskirts walking towards the main road . School teacher and pupil talking at the seaside in port of Bandar-e Anzali. They came from Astana-city which one half is in Azerbaijan and other in Iran. Last day of election campaign. Boy taking photo of window display of shop with man clothes. Iranian girls walking under election posters. Sailor looking at books at the book store located in the former cinema.