Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

Portraits of crew of the fishing ship Commune seen at the local museum in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

A drawing of Ukrainian famous poet Taras Shevchenko showing life of local community made when he was travelling in Uzbekistan seen in local museum in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018.(Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

A drawing of Ukrainian famous poet Taras Shevchenko showing view of the sea port made when he was travelling in Uzbekistan seen in local museum in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

Local kids visit the museum in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. Today, Aralsk is an impoverished town, with a much reduced population of ca. 35,000 inhabitants. Parallel to Muynak at the sea's southern end in Uzbekistan, Aralsk became the main fishing industry town at the northern end of the Aral Sea. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

A view of the local museum in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. Today, Aralsk is an impoverished town, with a much reduced population of ca. 35,000 inhabitants. Parallel to Muynak at the sea's southern end in Uzbekistan, Aralsk became the main fishing industry town at the northern end of the Aral Sea. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

Portraits of the fishermen seen at the local museum in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

Men pray during Friday prayer at the mosque in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

Men pray during Friday prayer at the mosque in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

People seen inside the waiting hall at the train station in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. A large mosaic depicts how in 1921 Aralsk’s comrades provided fish for people starving in Russia. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

People seen inside the waiting hall at the train station in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. A large mosaic depicts how in 1921 Aralsk’s comrades provided fish for people starving in Russia. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

People seen inside the waiting hall at the train station in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. A large mosaic depicts how in 1921 Aralsk’s comrades provided fish for people starving in Russia. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

Children play at the Aral Sea memorial and a grounded ship in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. Today, Aralsk is an impoverished town, with a much reduced population of ca. 35,000 inhabitants. Parallel to Muynak at the sea's southern end in Uzbekistan, Aralsk became the main fishing industry town at the northern end of the Aral Sea. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

Children play at the Aral Sea memorial and a grounded ship in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. Today, Aralsk is an impoverished town, with a much reduced population of ca. 35,000 inhabitants. Parallel to Muynak at the sea's southern end in Uzbekistan, Aralsk became the main fishing industry town at the northern end of the Aral Sea. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

Salt and garbage seen on the dried seabed at the entrance to the port of Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. The sea now is some 40 kilometres away from the town. The people living on shores of the Aral Sea not only had to face the fact that their livelihood was disappearing. The dried up seabed also posed a direct threat to the local population in its own way too: salt and deposits of the heavily applied chemical fertilizers of the cotton industry further upstream were blown about over the land and now posed a considerable additional health risk.(Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

Salt and garbage seen on the dried seabed at the entrance to the port of Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. The sea now is some 40 kilometres away from the town. The people living on shores of the Aral Sea not only had to face the fact that their livelihood was disappearing. The dried up seabed also posed a direct threat to the local population in its own way too: salt and deposits of the heavily applied chemical fertilizers of the cotton industry further upstream were blown about over the land and now posed a considerable additional health risk.(Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

Ruins of a Soviet military garrison town seen outside Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

Ruins of a Soviet military garrison town seen outside Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

Ruins of a Soviet military garrison town seen outside Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018.(Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

Ruins of a Soviet military garrison town seen outside Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

Ruins of a Soviet military garrison town seen outside Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

Children play football at the Aral Sea memorial and a grounded ship in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 20, 2018. Today, Aralsk is an impoverished town, with a much reduced population of ca. 35,000 inhabitants. Parallel to Muynak at the sea's southern end in Uzbekistan, Aralsk became the main fishing industry town at the northern end of the Aral Sea.(Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

Salty seabed in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, Saturday, April 21, 2018. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Seaara

Karamalan, 82, a local elder, worshiper and herb healer prays surrounded by locals at the local cemetery in the village Amzin-Ata, Kazakhstan, Saturday, April 21, 2018. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Aral Sea

Karamalan, 82, a local elder, worshiper and herb healer speaks to villagers at the local cemetery in the village Amzin-Ata, Kazakhstan, Saturday, April 21, 2018. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)