Great Fergana Canal
The Great Fergana Canal was constructed in 1939 by 160,000 prisoners of Gulag system, and is 270 kilometers long. The main purpose of this canal was to irrigate the cotton fields of the Fergana Valley by the waters of Syr-Darya River.
In 1940–41, the Northern and Southern Fergana canals were also constructed. As a result, the water supply to the irrigation systems of the valley increased considerably, as did the area irrigated, and the cotton harvest doubled.[1]
The construction of Fergana Canal was in the focus of many prominent representatives of the Uzbek photography such as Max Penson and other Soviet photographers like Mikhail Grachev.
References
- Official website of Max Penson. The Construction of the Grand Fergana Canal. Retrieved 2010-11-12
- The Construction of the Grand Fergana Canal 1939 Photos by Mikhail Grachev
- ^ Bolschoi Fergana Canal. In: Great Soviet Encyclopedia. A translation of the third edition. Vol. 3. Macmillan Inc. New York, Collier Macmillan Publishers London, 1974–1983, p. 438 (Online version at thefreedictionary.com).
40°12′N 69°54′E / 40.200°N 69.900°E