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00:01I'm embarking on a thrilling new railway adventure in Central Asia.
00:06Exploring the ancient Silk Road.
00:08This really is, for me, a dream come true.
00:11At a crossroads of civilizations.
00:13Amazing aromas.
00:15Where East met West.
00:17It is extraordinarily beautiful.
00:21I'll explore ancient cities.
00:23What splendor.
00:26Encounter breathtaking Islamic art.
00:29Brutalist Soviet architecture.
00:32And the doors begin to open.
00:35And magnificent railways.
00:37A legendary city deserves a great railway station.
00:41On my journey, I'll see how, since independence, Uzbekistan is shaping a modern identity.
00:48What a pleasure to meet you.
01:11I've been exploring Samarkand in Uzbekistan, one of the most ancient cities of Central Asia.
01:18I've visited its stunning madrasas and the awe-inspiring tomb of Timur, or Tamerlane, the 14th century emperor still revered
01:28here.
01:32This morning, I've left Samarkand for the agricultural district of Jomboy, and accepted a lift to my next destination.
01:42My rail adventure across Uzbekistan continues zestily in the fertile heart of Central Asia, whose bounteous harvest of fruit used
01:55to nourish the Soviet Union.
01:56I'll look back in time to pre-Soviet times, when Russia occupied the region and built the Trans-Caspian Railway.
02:06And I'll learn how, in the 19th century, Russia and Britain vied for dominance in Central Asia in what was
02:13known as the Great Game.
02:15I've been down some rocky roads in my time. I didn't know they'd lead to Central Asia.
02:25I began in the capital, Tashkent, before taking the high-speed train to Samarkand.
02:31After enjoying fertile valleys, I'll move on to Bukhara, whose medieval Islamic centre is superbly conserved,
02:39before ending my trek in Navoy, one of the country's youngest cities.
02:5540 kilometres north-east of Samarkand, in the fertile plains of the Jomboy region, stretch thousands of hectares of orchards.
03:04Agriculture employs nearly a quarter of Uzbekistan's workforce, with apple production at its core.
03:131.3 million tonnes, according to recent statistics.
03:19Agromir, a family-run business, is one of the largest growers.
03:23I'm with the son of the chief executive, project manager Jahangir Jalalov.
03:33Zheongir, it's clear that you produce beautiful apples here, but what is the secret? Why is this such a good
03:40growing area?
03:41Well, first of all, we have a great climate to grow sweet and delicious apples. We get a lot of
03:50sun, so that helps to get the nice sweet taste.
03:55And the soil? Yeah, the soil is quite fertile, certainly good to grow apples.
04:01And what about water, though? Do you have much water here?
04:05No. Water is a scarce resource, so we try to be as efficient as possible, and we implement drip irrigation
04:12to use the water as efficiently as we can.
04:15During the time of the Soviet Union, was there a policy of boosting fruit production in Central Asia?
04:21No. Back then, the main focus was on growing cotton.
04:27With the cotton, you had this great problem of over-irrigation, and that led to a massive reduction in the
04:34level of the Aral Sea.
04:35Are things getting better?
04:37Yeah. With rotating from cotton to fruit, now we're able to use water much more efficiently,
04:44and at the end of the day, we get a produce that we can export at a higher price compared
04:49to cotton.
04:52So, do you want to talk me through the virtues of your apple?
04:55Yeah. The apple you're having right now is a variety called Pink Lady.
05:01It's harvested right about now, up to end of November.
05:04I don't often have the opportunity to eat an apple direct from the tree.
05:08It's absolutely marvellous, isn't it, having that fresh, that juicy and that sweet.
05:13Yeah.
05:17Wild apples are believed to have originated in the mountains of modern-day Kazakhstan,
05:24before being domesticated some thousands of years ago.
05:27They spread westward, along the Silk Road, to Europe.
05:31Here they're using modern agricultural techniques to maximise production.
05:39We plant a lot of dwarf trees. They don't grow as high, so they grow up to three and a
05:44half full metres,
05:45and they're planted quite close to each other, so that way we have about three and a half thousand trees
05:54per hectare,
05:55whereas conventional orchards have 600 to 800, so that helps us be more productive,
06:01hence saving a lot of water and using the soil most efficiently.
06:06It's a perishable product, so logistics, storage, chilling, these things must be important.
06:12Yes, that is a key component of our business, and we have a large logistical complex right on the farm
06:21here,
06:22where we store about 20,000 tonnes of apples.
06:2420,000 tonnes?
06:26Yeah.
06:30Uzbekistan's apple exports were valued at almost US$10 million in 2023,
06:37with Kazakhstan and Russia being the largest importers.
06:42Apples are also a staple fruit in Uzbek households.
06:47Such a contrast, we've only come a short distance, but from that rural idyll of the orchard,
06:53here we are in this immense factory.
06:57Absolutely huge, isn't it?
06:58What goes on here?
06:59Yeah, so this is a sorting and packaging line.
07:03So, if I put one on here, for example?
07:07Yeah, the belt will take it right up to the line.
07:10It goes through initial washing, and then through the sensors and calibration,
07:15where it separates apples according to shape, size and colour.
07:19This is computerised?
07:21Yes, this is fully automated, where you have these little scanners that will sort the apples for you,
07:29and it sorts out about 200 tonnes per day.
07:34This begins to look a little bit like a supermarket checkout,
07:37but what goes on here? This is packaging now.
07:40Yeah, the apples that were pre-sorted through the line go here for packaging,
07:45and they go down the belt to the market.
07:57It's great to have escaped the city, to feel remoteness in the Earth's largest continent,
08:04and it's getting a bit chilly.
08:07The climate here is continental, so extremes of temperature.
08:13Uzbekistan is landlocked, and the countries that surround it are landlocked too.
08:20So I'm very distant from the sea, very far from home, and enjoying it.
08:36The nearest coastline is the Caspian Sea, around 1,500 kilometres west of Samarkand.
08:43I return to the beautiful station, a domestic and international hub to catch a westbound train.
08:50Around 6.5 million people visited Uzbekistan in 2023, and tourism is growing.
08:58Hello.
08:59Hello.
09:00May I join you in a moment?
09:01Please.
09:02Where are you from?
09:03Italy.
09:04Italy?
09:05Italy.
09:05You've been visiting Samarkand?
09:07Yes.
09:08Did you enjoy it?
09:09Yes, it was wonderful, beautiful.
09:12Really?
09:12Yes.
09:13Why did you come to Uzbekistan?
09:15What made you think of visiting Uzbekistan?
09:19Because in Italy, there is a singer, Roberto Vecchioni.
09:27He sings a song.
09:30The name of this song is Samarkand.
09:33Oh, yes.
09:34So that's why you're here, because of the song.
09:37Have a wonderful trip.
09:40So nice to talk to you.
09:41Bye-bye now.
09:42Bye.
09:42Bye-bye.
09:43Bye-bye.
09:51I leave Samarkand for Bukhara, using an historic railway line which shadows the ancient Silk Road.
10:02At the end of the 19th century, the Russian Empire covered one-sixth of the land mass of the world.
10:09It was the third largest empire in human history, after the British and the Mongol.
10:15And even after Russia had sold Alaska to the United States, the empire was difficult to govern.
10:20And so Russia built railways, partly to link the empire together and partly to be able to move troops quickly
10:27to trouble spots.
10:29The Trans-Caspian Railway from the Caspian Sea to Tashkent was one of its most spectacular projects.
11:02As the train reaches the outskirts of Samarkand, the landscape changes dramatically.
11:07As the train reaches the outskirts of Samarkand, the landscape changes dramatically.
11:18We're passing through Steppe, this scrubby wasteland.
11:24You can imagine that it stretches for hundreds and possibly thousands of kilometres across Central Asia.
11:30And I can imagine, in days gone by, the caravans moving along the Silk Road.
11:37And then in the 19th century, the Russian railway builders trying to cope with this fairly hostile landscape.
11:48To learn about the construction of the Trans-Caspian Railway, I've arranged a rendezvous on board with railway enthusiast Dmitry
11:57Kostushkin.
11:59Hello, Dmitry.
12:00Hello, Michael.
12:02It's great to see you.
12:03Nice to see you, Claire.
12:05So, we're now travelling, I think, on part of the route of the Trans-Caspian Railway.
12:11Was it difficult to build the railway?
12:12Actually, it was complicated because of nature, especially in the dune sand.
12:18Shifting sand.
12:19Shifting sand, you're right.
12:20Did the Russians realise quite early on that they would need railways to connect their expanding empire?
12:27Yes.
12:27Actually, it was important for military reasons.
12:30Yeah.
12:31Just as for logistic.
12:33For example, from Ardenburg to Tashkent or to the Caspian Sea, it was, like, 2,000 kilometres.
12:40Yeah.
12:41When the railway reached cities like Samarkand, what was the reaction of the local people?
12:47From the beginning, it was such a surprise and shock situation, of course.
12:53You can imagine people who used camels, horses and donkeys.
12:57At the same time, such an iron horse or an iron elephant, even.
13:02So, it was...
13:03And also, it was the problem with invasion by infidels, where they seemed to be as Russians.
13:09They were not Muslims.
13:11That was the main problem.
13:13So, a fair amount of hostility.
13:15Right.
13:15And then, once the railway was built, did people come to accept it?
13:19Not from the beginning, but as soon as they realised the profitability of the railway lines.
13:24Because Ken mentioned that in the past, it took, for example, three months to come from Tashkent to Ardenburg.
13:30And with the railway line, it took only three days.
13:33So, just like a smooth way to sell their goods and receive also the foreign goods.
13:43After a 270-kilometre journey across steppe and desert, we arrive at Bukhara.
13:51The station was built 12 kilometres outside the city's ancient and holy centre, as the railway was viewed with suspicion.
14:00Shortly after the station's inauguration in 1888, a striking building of regal aspect sprang up next to it.
14:10Dimitri, a rather large and imposing palace, a little bit dilapidated.
14:15Who was responsible for commissioning this palace?
14:19Actually, this was a project by the Emir of Bukhara, Abdullahat Khan.
14:26The style, what would you call it?
14:28It's imperial, I suppose.
14:30Then we've got Moorish arches, and it feels a bit Italian as well.
14:34Exactly.
14:35A mixture of European and Oriental styles.
14:39The seventh Emir of Bukhara's last dynasty ruled over a state established in 1785, which covered most of modern-day
14:49Uzbekistan and parts of its neighbours.
14:52When the railway and palace were built, the Emirate had been defeated and had become a protectorate of the Russian
15:00Empire.
15:01Why was the palace constructed here, near the railway station, rather than in the city?
15:06The idea was for the Emir of Bukhara to have palace here, to accept and to welcome any foreign or
15:17Russian diplomatics, also traders, also to invite the Russian Tsar Nicholas II.
15:26So, very important people could come from the railway station directly to the palace.
15:32Exactly.
15:33Almost like a VIP waiting room for the railway station.
15:36That's right.
15:37Yes.
15:38Did the Tsar ever come here?
15:40It never happened.
15:42No.
15:42And, honestly speaking, the Emir of Bukhara also did not stay, not a single night, in this palace because it
15:48was not so fashionable for him.
15:50In Soviet times, how was this building used?
15:53In Soviet times, it was used like the club of the railway man.
15:59Because we're right by the railway station.
16:01Yeah, exactly.
16:02Exactly.
16:02It's five minutes to walk to the railway station of Bukhara.
16:06Very interesting.
16:08Dimitri, what a pleasure it's been to meet you.
16:10That's my pleasure.
16:11I'm going to go and take a little look inside.
16:13Take a look.
16:14Bye-bye.
16:15Enjoy.
16:29Wow.
16:32Faded grandeur.
16:35Imperial pump with a little dust on it.
16:50What a magnificent room.
16:53It feels as though the Emir may just have left.
17:17What a superb townscape.
17:20I'm lucky to visit in autumn and this low light presents one of the most beautiful city silhouettes that I've
17:27ever seen.
17:34The holy centre of Bukhara is impressively well preserved and is a popular tourist destination.
17:41It has the feel of a living museum with its maze of narrow streets and exquisitely decorated mosques and madrasas.
18:01In the ninth century, it became an important centre of Islamic scholarship and was the capital of the Samanid dynasty.
18:23The king's famous shriks of the Bahrainian
18:33In one of the city's madrasas, the Bukharà State Philharmonie is performing actionable Greater
18:40is a traditional Uzbek dance, distinctive of this region.
18:53I'm told that these costumes of the women are particular to Bukhara
18:59and their movements too.
19:02There's a stately grace to them, an elegance.
19:14What I find impressive is that these young women dancers
19:20are so committed to their tradition,
19:23so enthusiastic about maintaining it.
19:30I feel immensely privileged to be able to witness this dance
19:34in this marvellous setting. It's so colourful.
19:36I am in love with the colours of Uzbekistan.
19:47Thank you, Sam. That was fantastic. Thank you.
20:11The centre of Bukhara is dominated by the Ark,
20:15a huge citadel dating to the fourth century BC,
20:19which served as the political and military heart of the region.
20:23The Ark, the wonderful fortress of Bukhara.
20:29I've never seen towers like them.
20:32It's as though they'd sagged.
20:34It's so beautiful.
20:37Throughout its history, the Ark was a symbol of royal power,
20:41home to the Khans and emirs of Bukhara.
20:45It became the grim stage for a bloody drama
20:49in the struggle between two great empires competing for dominance
20:54in Central Asia.
20:56Throughout much of the 19th century, Britain feared that Russia intended to attack India.
21:05And Russia became very suspicious of Britain when it fought two wars to control Afghanistan.
21:12The immense rivalry between the two imperial powers was played out across the chessboard of Central Asian states.
21:23And the British ruling class, trained on the playing fields of their public schools,
21:30referred to it as the great game.
21:32But for an unlucky few, it proved deadly.
21:52In the heart of the Ark, I meet local academic Jamshed Safarov.
21:59Jamshed.
22:00Michael.
22:01What a pleasure to see you.
22:02And in such surroundings, this is a magnificent hall.
22:06What used to happen here?
22:08Yes, indeed.
22:08It's the heart of Ark of Bukhara.
22:11It is called the coronational throne hall,
22:14where rulers would sit on their thrones,
22:17holding the meetings with the administration and during the festivities.
22:22Bukhara was a holy city.
22:23Yes, of course.
22:24We should emphasize that from the ancient times,
22:28Bukhara was always perceived and it was the center of religion.
22:33People would say that if the whole earth receives the rays from sun down,
22:40Bukhara radiates the light towards the sky.
22:44In the middle of the 19th century, what sort of a place was Bukhara?
22:50Bukhara was the capital of the vast Bukhara emirate.
22:55One of the three monarchies, Uzbek monarchies, who ruled the territory of Central Asia.
22:59Bukhara was in the middle, squeezed between Khivar and Khokhandhanet.
23:05But Bukhara, at that time, was the most powerful power broker in the region.
23:10Did Britain make direct contact with the emir?
23:13There were always attempts, but in my opinion, they were a little bit late
23:18because there were already quite established contacts between Bukhara and Russia.
23:22The emirate was in danger of becoming a Russian pawn in this game of global chess.
23:30And Afghanistan was the only buffer between the Russian Empire and British-ruled India.
23:36Britain dispatched an emissary to secure an alliance.
23:40But the fifth emir of Bukhara was ruthless and unpredictable.
23:46Britain was trying to deliver the message of assurance that the interest of Britain is limited with Afghanistan itself, not
23:54further north.
23:56One of the stories related to these attempts was, of course, the tragic story of Colonel Charles Stoddart.
24:03Very proud young officer from the army who arrived in Bukhara with a lack of knowledge or arrogance.
24:11He rode on horse without any gift to emir, which was totally unacceptable against any tradition.
24:20Emir was offended.
24:22And he was immediately arrested and put in prison just behind of this fortress in Zindan.
24:29And later on, some stories tell that he was kept in the so-called bug pit.
24:34The deep hole in the ground where presumably the prisoners were kept in the total darkness and the scorpions, insects
24:45and the rats were thrown on their heads.
24:48With Colonel Stoddart imprisoned, a diplomatic rescue mission was mounted by another British officer, Captain Arthur Connolly.
24:57He had first coined the phrase, the great game.
25:01He was much more knowledgeable about the traditions and the languages, but he also failed.
25:06So he was also arrested and kept at the same prison.
25:10And after one year, they both were executed just in front of fortress in Registan Square.
25:17They were beheaded.
25:19Extraordinary.
25:20Did the emir of Bukhara not fear retaliation by the British?
25:24Of course, by that time, emir knew that Britain is losing the war in Afghanistan.
25:31So that's where the level of challenge or fear was quite low.
25:37Yes.
25:38I would say.
25:38So as British prestige rose and fell, so the emir could calculate his response.
25:44Yes.
25:44But also, another, I think, more important factor in this was the internal feudal strife within Bukhara.
25:54Emir could not show his weakness.
25:58Yeah.
25:58He should be always a strong man.
26:00Yeah.
26:01And of course, the execution of Stoddart and his colleague Arthur Connolly was one of the attempts to present this
26:09power.
26:10Temte, when do you think the great game comes to an end?
26:14I would say by the late 19th century when Central Asia basically become part of the Russian Empire.
26:21And Britain failed twice to conquer and pacify Afghanistan.
26:27But that time, both Britain and Russia were understanding that they are approaching for some greater war.
26:34The World War I was approaching.
26:36They come to the understanding to conclude this competition on influence and power in Central Asia.
27:07The glory days of Tamerlane's great realm are long ago.
27:11The Russian Empire has come and gone.
27:15Even the Soviet Union has collapsed.
27:18History mocks empires because no matter how solid they appear, however violent they may be, they are not forever.
27:28What endure are the passions of the people for their families, their connection to the land that brings them food.
27:36As I journey along the ancient Silk Road, I am learning to distinguish between the transitory and the everlasting.
27:52Next time...
27:54Oh, what a beautiful Europe!
28:03Michael, you see?
28:05You're basically going to boil it in a sort of sock.
28:08Yeah.
28:09Okay.
28:13Bravo.
28:15You do me a great honor.
28:16A great honor.
28:17Thank you so much.
28:19That's perfect.
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