A documentary filmed in the Pamirs during a Soviet-German scientific expedition in 1928, later banned under Joseph Stalin and long considered lost, has become available online thanks to a surviving German copy. The film was discussed by Abdusattor Sayedov, a corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan (NAST), at a scientific conference in Dushanbe on October 16.
Sayedov spoke at the conference “Fauna and Ecology of Animals of Tajikistan: Key Achievements and Research Prospects,” highlighting the historical value of the nearly century-old footage.
The black-and-white documentary captures the mountain landscapes and glaciers of the Pamirs, Lake Karakul, and the lives and customs of local residents. It offers a rare glimpse into how Tajiks in Gorno-Badakhshan and Pamir Kyrgyz lived nearly 100 years ago, including differences in their traditions and everyday lives.
According to the film’s subtitles, it was directed by Vladimir Shneyderov, with Ilya Dreyer as cameraman. The documentary was screened in German cinemas in the early 1930s but was later banned under Stalin and eventually came to be regarded as lost.
According to Sayedov, screenings ceased after the outbreak of World War II. However, a copy survived in Germany, allowing the film to be restored and made available to audiences decades later.
A six-month expedition into the Pamirs
The documentary chronicles the joint Soviet-German scientific expedition of 1928, led by Soviet scientist Nikolai Gorbunov and German explorer Willi Rickmer Rickmers.
The expedition brought together glaciologists, botanists, zoologists, geographers, astronomers and other specialists to study the region’s glaciers, geology, flora and fauna, as well as gather information about its population.
The film states that 11 German scientists and mountaineers travelled from Berlin to join their Soviet counterparts.
The expedition began in Osh. For the six-month journey, the researchers assembled a caravan carrying more than eight tons of food, tents, scientific instruments, medical supplies and mountaineering equipment.
More than 100 people took part in the expedition, with hundreds of horses and camels transporting supplies. The caravan was expected to cover at least 25 kilometers a day.
Lake Karakul was one of the expedition’s key research sites. Scientists studied its depth, salinity, flora and fauna, using a folding boat for their investigations.
The film also documents efforts to explore glaciers in the Western Pamirs. During one journey, a group of researchers failed to return to camp on time. According to the documentary, they spent seven days on the trail, including two days without food. A rescue operation was launched, and the scientists were eventually found.
The expedition’s achievements included research on the Fedchenko Glacier, which extends for more than 70 kilometers.
In September 1928, expedition members Erwin Schneider, Eugen Allwein and Karl Wien also made the first ascent of Lenin Peak, which stands at 7,130 meters.
From a German copy to online access
Although the documentary was screened in Germany in the early 1930s, it was subsequently banned under Stalin and long considered lost.
A surviving German copy was later restored. In 2012, an adapted version with Russian subtitles appeared online, making the historical footage accessible to a wider audience.
At the Dushanbe conference, Sayedov also recalled the fate of expedition leader Nikolai Gorbunov, who was executed in 1937 during political repression in the Soviet Union.
He encouraged Tajikistan’s residents to watch the documentary, noting that it offers valuable historical insight into the natural environment of the Pamirs and the lives of its inhabitants nearly a century ago.
The film can be watched on YouTube at this link.