History of Khorugh

established the territory of Russian Pamir around Khorugh. Before 1896, when the Russians arrived and built a fort, the main town in the area was Kala-i Bar Panj (or Bar Panja Qal'a) somewhat downriver on the Afghan side. Following the fall of czarist Russia and the rise of the Soviet Union, Khorugh became the capital of Gorno-Badakhshan in 1925. Soviet leaders encouraged the migration of settlers to the area with promises of pay, medals and automobiles, but with no industry and little arable land, the effort was not successful.

Migration is playing an increasingly important role in the life of Khorugh. Historically, migration was part of Soviet policy for development. In the early 1950s the Soviet government encouraged migration of residents of Rushan district of Gorno Badakhshan to other parts of Tajikistan, especially to the area of Qumsangir, situated in the southern part of today's Khatlon region as the area needed workforce. This policy of migration is still encouraged by the present government of Tajikistan with the hope of creating better environment for the inhabitants and, to some extent, regulates the population density and land use within the country. With regard to Khorugh, migration plays a key role in its expansion and development. Although the youth has a tendency to go to Russia, they do come back or send resources back to build new houses. As a result of remittances and new migration from rural areas, though still tiny, Khorugh is slowly expanding in many directions. One sign of this intense migration is