Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
Theself-madeApaches
ofKyrgyzstan
PHOTOSANDTEXT:MAGDALENABOROWIEC
InthesouthofKyrgyzstan,localsworkinoldSoviet-eracoal
mineswithhorrificconditionsandlittlehopeofimprovement.
WiththecollapseoftheSovietUnion,theeconomiesofmanystatesofthefor-
merEasternblocfoundthemselvesinshatters.Soaringunemploymentandpov-
ertyengulfedallthecountriesofCentralAsia.InKyrgyzstan,peoplelosttheir
jobsovernight,whileRussianshastilyabandonedtheformerSovietrepublicsto
returntothefallenmotherRussia.Astheyfled,theyleftbehindtheirhomes,jobs
andfactories.Whatremainedwassoonlooted,includingtherailwaytrackswhich
weresoldtoChinesescrapmetaldealers.
Telocalpeople,leftontheirown,didnotpossesstheadequateskillsandtech-
nicalknow-howinordertocontinueoperatingtheabandonedfactories.Helpless
inthefaceofthesuddengiftofregainedfreedomandindependence,theyfollowed
theRussiansthroughthegatewaytoMoscow.Butinsteadofstrikingitrich,what
awaitedtheminRussiawerelowsalaries,highlivingcostsandracism.Teywere
theuOther”
,disdainedbyMuscovites;manyacceptedthemosthumiliatingwork,
andlivedinappallingconditions,farawayfromtheircommunities.Assoonasthey
earnedenoughmoney,manyCentralAsiansreturnedhome.Someofthemmanaged
torenovatetheoldSovietmachineryandrecreatepastskillstobecomeminersagain.
Homemademines
Teminesarebeingworkedinamanneronedoesnotnormallyassociatewith
modernmining.Anunsophisticatednetworkofundergroundcorridorsisfound
