In Central Asia, situated between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, and flanked by the Aral Sea and the western Tien Shan ranges, lies the vast Kyzylkum Desert—one of the largest deserts in the world. By the late 1930s, it spanned over 325,000 square kilometers. Prior to this era, the desert attracted minimal attention from researchers and little interest in its economic potential. Consequently, it remained one of the least explored regions in Central Asia, largely due to misconceptions about its nature.
The desert's reputation was shaped by the observations of the 19th-century traveler Vamberi. His accounts described fierce winds akin to those of the Sahara, intense heat, saline water, and extensive loose sand that could only be traversed by camels with experienced guides. He particularly highlighted the formidable Adam-Kyrylgan well as a perilous place. Additionally, the desert's influence extended to the Fergana Valley, where the hot western winds from Kyzylkum would scorch vegetation and crops, causing significant damage. The advancing sands threatened the Bukhara and Karakul oases, burying fields, villages, and irrigation ditches.
This daunting image of the Kyzylkum Desert contributed to its neglect in both research and economic development. However, under Soviet rule, interest in the desert began to grow. Soviet expeditions and research revealed new insights, transforming the perception of the desert. By 1931, efforts to understand and utilize the desert had increased significantly.
The Kyzylkum Desert is a plain that slopes from the north and northwest towards the Aral Sea. It is characterized by a diverse surface, divided into distinct areas with varying landscapes and geological structures. The northern region features ancient river sediments from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, with ruins of ancient cities indicating former water sources. Large expanses of sand are found in the north, east, and west, forming elongated ridges stabilized by vegetation. Only around wells do loose sands remain, largely due to human activity, which disrupts the grass cover and leads to the formation of quicksand.
The central Kyzylkum Desert is surrounded by a sea of sand and is marked by a varied topography, including isolated hills and closed depressions. This area is slightly elevated compared to its surroundings. The central Kyzylkum Mountains are remnants of ancient ranges, appearing as individual hills, flat-topped columns, or rugged mountains. Despite their arid surroundings, these remnants are named by the local Kazakh people, such as the Wolf Mountains and the Golden Mountains.
Surrounding these remnants is a steppe characterized by gravel and wormwood, with sparse vegetation and poor pastures. The southwestern part of the central Kyzylkum features wormwood steppes with occasional deep drainage depressions, likely formed by wind erosion.
Geographically, Kyzylkum was divided among three Soviet republics: the Kazakh SSR to the east and north, the Karakalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic to the center and west, and the Uzbek SSR to the southwest.
The climate of Kyzylkum is a true desert climate with minimal rainfall, primarily from January to March. It experiences extreme temperature variations, with summer highs reaching up to 50°C and winter lows dropping to -20°C. Daily temperature fluctuations can be as much as 42°C, and strong winds and whirlwinds are common, often causing damage to structures and scattering debris. Despite these harsh conditions, the Kyzylkum climate is relatively adaptable, not prohibiting the development of productive activities.
The vegetation in Kyzylkum was very unique. The sands were interesting in this regard; saxaul, many species of different shrubs and a variety of herbaceous vegetation grew there. Saxaul is a tree, sometimes reaching 5-6 m in height, with a very bizarre trunk; young shoots replace its leaves. Saxaul is an excellent fuel, not inferior in calorific value to coal. It has the ability to burn when wet. Its wood is so dense that it cannot be cut with an ax. However, if the saxaul trunk is hit, it breaks easily. Vast spaces are covered with saxaul. The forests located near the railway were exploited for fuel. In spring, in April-May, the sands are covered with bright green herbaceous vegetation with numerous flowers. Sparse vegetation covers the steppe part. Gray-green wormwood predominates here, and huge ferules stick out. In the gorges of Aktau you can sometimes find low-growing wild almonds, and near some springs there are lonely willows and apricot trees, which owe their appearance to humans.
The desert was green only in spring, in April-May. With the onset of heat, the vegetation quickly burns out and already in June it turns yellow, giving the desert a dull appearance.
The fauna of the desert was also unique. In the spring, a huge number of turtles appeared. These clumsy animals crawled in all directions; having accidentally turned over on their backs, they could not get up and die. In June, the turtles were already disappearing, hiding in holes to sleep until next spring. Gazelle gazelles lived in the steppe part. These are graceful animals capable of moving at very high speeds. The flat steppe made it possible to organize races for goitered gazelles by car. Only at a speed of 65-70 km the car was on par with gazelles. Goitered gazelles ate grass and could survive for a very long time without water. They obtained it from a kind of vegetation - the so-called solyanka (salt marsh plants), the leaves of which contain a large amount of moisture. Goitered gazelles live in herds, and hunting them was very difficult.
Wild sheep - argali - lived in the gorges of Aktau. These are large animals with large curved horns. They move along steep rocks with extreme ease. There are very few of them left, but once they apparently inhabited a significant area of Central Asia, and now they have found themselves pushed into the least accessible parts of the country, into the inaccessible gorges of the Pamirs and Tien Shan. There are no more than 100-200 of them left in Kyzylkum . Among other representatives of the desert animal world, lizards attract attention. There are many different species found in the sands. They are usually small and very mobile. Some of them, when they feel that they cannot escape the pursuit, quickly bury themselves in the sand. Among the lizards there was one - a monitor lizard - a sand crocodile - about one and a half meters long. The skin of the monitor lizard is used for dressing.
The desert has absolutely no rivers, lakes, or swamps. Vast spaces were completely devoid of water and, if not for the wells, they could be considered waterless. Only in the central part of the Kyzylkum desert , in the outcrops and at their foot, do springs emerge. There is always activity near these springs. There is more vegetation here, many birds fly here, and goitered gazelles often come to drink. Springs usually have a very small influx of water and only a few have an excellent flow rate. The Tamdybulak spring is especially significant. In addition to springs, water is found in numerous wells. Near the remains, the wells have a small depth, but in the sand they reach 50-60 m. The water in wells and a number of springs is usually mineralized, in many cases salty and suitable for drinking only by animals. Only in granites is water distinguished by its high quality.
Man has settled in the desert for a long time. In many parts of it flint tools made by Stone Age man (Neolithic man) are found. In Bukantau there are traces of ancient developments and copper smelting sites. According to some data, it can be assumed that the development of copper took place here at a time when man was just entering the era of using metal. In early times, the desert was apparently crossed more than once by hordes of Huns, Scythians, Mongols and Uzbeks, either moving to the west or, later, heading to conquer the rich Khorezm oasis. The remains of watchtowers have been preserved in the desert. There are ancient written sources that say that in Kyzylkum, fortresses were built on the main caravan routes, which protected the caravans from attacks by bandits hiding in the mountains. The Bukan Mountains were especially famous for this . Near the Kulkuduk spring , on a cliff with steep slopes, the remains of a fortress have been preserved. Remains of material culture are sometimes found. Not so long ago, while cultivating the soil, a coat of mail with a helmet was discovered.
During the years of Soviet power, the desert was mainly inhabited by Kazakhs - nomadic pastoralists. They change their place of residence several times during the year. In winter and early spring, they migrate away from springs and wells, extracting water from snow, accumulating melt water in pools - “ kakah ”; in the hottest time of the year they migrate to wells.
In 1925-1928. The vast expanse had no shops or cooperatives. The Kazakhs were forced to travel for everything they needed either to Bukhara or Turtkul, or even to Tashkent. It was a whole journey: the camels were loaded with wool, carpets, saxaul coal, and the camels were chased by herds of sheep. All this was sold in city markets and the proceeds were used to purchase flour, sugar, textiles, sweets, dishes - everything necessary for food and for the household. Usually such a journey lasted a month, or even two.
A decade later, the picture changed dramatically. In the central part of the desert, near the Tamdybulak spring, the real city of Tamdy grew up , which became the center of the Tamdy region of the Karakalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. There was a park with shady trees around the spring. A hospital was built in the city, there was a telegraph, a post office, a bank, and a two-story seven-year school; there was a broadcast, a nursery was open; streets and a machine and tractor station appeared.
The villages have also changed. In many of them you can find real houses that housed cooperatives, waste collectors, a postal agent, and procurement centers. Schools were built in a number of villages. In cooperatives it was possible to get everything that people had previously gone on a long journey to get. All this changed the way of life of the pastoralist.
Since ancient times, large caravan routes passed through Kyzylkum, connecting Bukhara with the Khiva oasis and the Russian Empire. The camel was the only means of communication between the local population and the oases; caravans crossed the desert in all directions. The movement of the caravan was slow - 25-30 km per day. After 5-6 days the camels had to be given rest days, otherwise the animal would quickly die. At such a speed, to reach the regional center of the Tamdy desert , it was necessary to spend at least 7 days. It was possible to get to Bukantau only after one and a half to two weeks, considering the necessary rest for the camels. Since 1932, cars began to penetrate the desert : they arrived in Tamdy in 8 hours . But they still did not dare to move further from Tamda deeper into the desert. The fact is that beyond Tamdy there was a strip (20 kilometers wide) of sand. They served as an obstacle to further advance deeper into the desert. In 1932, the Fersman expedition made the first attempt to take these sands. The preparation for this is memorable. In Tamdy, at a meeting with local authorities and local residents, members of the expedition met with opposition and doubts. Nobody believed that the sands could be taken by car. On the contrary, everyone was sure that an attempt to cross the sands would end in failure, and they were so convinced of this that not one of the local residents undertook to be a guide, although they had passed them thousands of times. I had to go without guides. The perseverance of the expedition prevailed - these sands were taken, but taken with great difficulty: 9-10 km took over 10 hours to travel. At first we tried to drive along the path, but the sand was too loose, and the wheels sank, then we turned to the side onto sand covered with vegetation, here the wheels were less stuck in the sand, but we had to go around countless holes. Beyond the sands, the car walked along the gravelly steppe, on which cars had never walked before. Within 3 hours the car reached Altyntau (100 km from Tamda ). Local residents, especially women and children, looked in extreme surprise at the “shaitan-arba”, unprecedented in their area.
Traveling by car A.E. Fersman deep into the Kyzylkum desert in 1932 gave a sharp impetus to the introduction of a car for transportation in the Kyzylkum desert . Already in 1933, a road was built through the sands, representing a kind of highway, in which the roadbed was laid with saxaul branches. Thus, the car became the main transport linking Kyzylkum with Turtkul, Bukhara, and Kermen. The collective farms, which saw the car for the first time in 1932, became the owners of the car. And in the villages, among the yurts, one could often find a garage. Particularly remarkable was the establishment of road communication between the capital of Karakalpakstan, Turtkul, and the city of Tamdy . Of the 400 km connecting these points, 200 km are continuous sands. Previously, to get from Turtkul to Tamdy , you had to spend at least 10-15 days on a camel. A saxaul highway was laid along the sands for 120 km, and the car covered the entire 400 km in 24 hours.
The work showed that the Kyzylkum desert cannot be called a desert in the full sense of the word. It had large natural resources that could be used and were used in socialist construction.
The main and main wealth of the Kyzylkum people is livestock farming. Relying on wells and springs, state farms and collective farms quickly developed this branch of the economy: they raised mainly small livestock - rams and goats. The desert was one of the main suppliers of astrakhan fur in the USSR. There were the largest karakul-growing state farms. Kyzylkum was a camel breeding center.
Rainfed farming also appeared - without irrigation. About 3000 hectares of wheat and barley were sown.
Sandy spaces, as mentioned above, are rich in saxaul. From the east, from Kyzylorda, a special railway was built deep into the desert, along which saxaul is exported to the cities of Central Asia.
There were also mountain riches in Kyzylkum . The largest number of them were in central Kyzylkum . This is explained by the fact that they were closely related to ancient rocks, exposed only in the remnants of the central Kyzylkum . The most important were the deposits of corundum and emery. Its numerous deposits were scattered in a number of hills. There were especially many emery outcrops near Tamdy . These deposits were exploited, supplying products and sandpaper and sanding wheels not only to Central Asia, but also to Siberia and even the Far East. In the Altyntau Mountains there was a deposit of rare metals: tin, tungsten, niobium; they were found over a distance of 20 km and were still little studied.
In almost all the remains there were deposits of turquoise. About 20 deposits of turquoise are known. Some of them had an area of several square kilometers. It is interesting to note that all the deposits were opened by ancient workings reaching 20-25 m in depth. Turquoise had no practical significance at that time, but its deposits were of great scientific interest. The fact is that points characterized by increased radioactivity were associated with turquoise deposits.
Within the Kyzylkum desert lies one of the largest deposits of asbestos in the USSR - fibrous stone used for the production of fireproof fabrics, building materials, etc. In addition, in Kyzylkum there are deposits of copper, iron, talc, chromium iron ore, barite, celestine and other minerals.
One of the obstacles to using the natural resources of the Kyzylkum desert was the lack of water. Livestock farming was forced to rely on existing wells. Thanks to this, most of the pastures remained in vain. The lack of water also hampered the exploitation of mountain resources and, finally, hampered the development of cultural centers.
Comparison of the geological history of the Kyzylkum desert with the deserts of Australia and the Sahara allowed us to think that groundwater in sufficient quantities may be found within the Kyzylkum desert . This was just a guess for a long time. As a result of three years of geological survey work carried out by geologist S.A. Kushnar , the existence of powerful aquifers in the central and southwestern parts of the Kyzylkum desert was proven. In October 1938, these waters were reached by a borehole and received in quantities many times greater than the intended needs. Thus, practically underground water was obtained, and the main obstacle to the further development of the Kyzylkum was considered eliminated. The rapid growth of the Kyzylkums, their transformation from a desert into a producing country was especially noticeable in the central and southwestern parts of the Kyzylkums.
However, the knowledge of Soviet geologists of the 1930s about the Kyzylkum was still too small. The Kyzylkum sands in those years were still poorly studied, and their resources had not yet been fully identified. The search parties covered no more than 10% of the Kyzylkum area ; many areas had not yet been visited by a researcher. Judging by the data presented, some of the little-explored places had a geological structure where a number of valuable minerals could be expected. Theoretical premises also supported the fact that many mineral resources would be discovered in Kyzylkum . Particularly interesting is the indication of the possibility of finding large oil-bearing areas lying under the sands of the eastern Kyzylkum and Kyzylkum adjacent to the Amu Dariya.
Taiyr Qasymuly
