Xudoybergan Devonov

Khudaibergan Devonov, the first Uzbek cinematographer who paved the way for the emergence of Uzbek cinematic art, was born in 1878. As early as 1907-1908, when our people still had no concept of cinema, he brought telescopes, gramophones, photo and film cameras from Moscow and St. Petersburg, and demonstrated them widely to people in the markets of Khiva and Urgench.

It was a miracle for that time. The laboratory established by Kh. Devonov also served as a photo and film studio in Khorezm at the time.

In his film-miniatures such as "Architectural Treasures of Central Asia" (1913) and "Views of Turkestan" and "Khiva and the Khivans" (1916), Kh. Devonov promoted enlightenment ideas. He was also involved in photography, producing more than a thousand photographs in which the author captured the life, labor, customs, and culture of the people of Khorezm, as well as the historical monuments of Khiva.

In the early 1920s, with the help of the government, Kh. Devonov opened schools and boarding schools, where he led film and photography work, organized clubs, and thus engaged in educational activities. In general, he worked very hard during this period. Working as a photojournalist for "Uzbekistanskaya Pravda" and several other newspapers, he prepared many photographs and film footage about the distribution of land to farmers in Khorezm, the appearance of the first tractors in the fields, and mass meetings in the cities of Khiva and Urgench.

With the organization of the Uzbek film studio in Tashkent in 1925, Kh. Devonov was summoned to Tashkent and assigned the task of creating cinematic works about the Khorezm oasis. Later, he was hired as a correspondent for the All-Union Society of Photocinematography ("Sovkino"). He regularly sent footage about the nature of Khorezm and the life and customs of the Khorezm people, such as "Salt Lake" and "Working Women," to Moscow.

The first Uzbek cinematographer, Kh. Devonov, passed away in 1940. He left behind a great spiritual heritage. In 1970, the house where Kh. Devonov lived was turned into a branch of the Khorezm History Museum.

 Khudaibergan Devonov, the first Uzbek cinematographer who laid the foundation for the world-renowned Uzbek cinematic art in the early 20th century, occupies a place of honor in the history of Uzbek cinema.