The history of national constructions of 1940 (by the example of the Ferghana Valley)

Based on scientific, historical and archival sources the author of the paper analyzes the history of developing plans aimed at irrigation of virgin lands in the central part of the Ferghana Valley in the first half of the 20th century by large Russian scientists and specialists. The author also shows a historical picture of the construction of the irrigation facilities of the Ferghana Valley using the high-speed «hashar» folk method in 1940. With the construction of hydraulic structures such as the northern and southern Ferghana canals, a new stage began in the development of irrigated agriculture in the Ferghana Valley, since the water of these hydraulic structures made it possible to irrigate new virgin lands in the central part and foothill areas of the Ferghana Valley. But it should be noted that these large and complex irrigation canals were constructed by the peoples of Uzbekistan mainly with the use of primitive tools such as a hoe, a crow, a shovel, a stretcher and pickaxes. For nearly 80 years, these hydraulic structures have provided agricultural areas with life-giving water. The author of the paper also summarizes the essence of economic measures carried out by the Soviet government on the development of irrigated agriculture in the valley.