TASHKENT | Uzbekistan was part of the Soviet Union from 1924 to 1991. It was one of the most populated cities of the Soviet Union, and the largest city in Central Asia. As such, you’ll find several excellent examples of Soviet-era brutalist and modernist architecture across the city.
Examples span municipal, cultural, and residential buildings, many of which are heritage protected and are still in use today. Here’s my favourite examples of Tashkent’s Soviet-era brutalist and modernist architecture, in alphabetical order.
Are there any places that you think should be included in my “Tashkent’s Soviet-Era Brutalist Architecture” list?
Central Exhibition Hall of the Academy of Arts (1974)
This structure is notable for the way that regional Islamic architecture informs the façade of the modernist building. It’s one of the largest exhibition halls in Central Asia, and is worth popping into not just for the modernist interiors, but for the rotating art exhibitions that are held inside with regularity.
Chorsu Market (1980)
Architect, Vladimir Azimov, referenced the historic domed buildings of Tashkent when designing Chorsu Market. It’s a great example of a modern structure fused with traditional Uzbek elements. The main market hall is covered by a large reinforced concrete dome. It’s surrounded by seven smaller domes for other trading functions.
Hotel Uzbekistan (1974)
One of the most striking and famous example of Soviet brutalist architecture in Tashkent is the still operating, Hotel Uzbekistan. Supposedly the hotel itself isn’t the greatest to stay at these days, but to look at, wow. Opened in 1974 to cater to Soviet diplomats, it was the city’s grandest hotel at the time. Stand at the front on a cold, snowy day, and you feel like you’ve been transported into a Cold War-era spy film.
The interiors, from what I was able to see from the lobby, have barley been touched since back in the day. I didn’t take any interior shots, as I wasn’t a hotel guest, and the “vibe” wasn’t right (I got some weird looks from security). If you do visit, be sure to pop inside for a look – some of the interiors appear frozen in time and are amazing.
Metro Stations (1972 to 1991)
Tashkent’s Metro system is famed for it’s ornate and unique metro stations. Like the Moscow Metro, stations from this era were designed to inspire awe. Each station was designed by individual artists, featuring a distinct theme based around Uzbek and Soviet (somewhat retconned post-independence) history and culture. You can find more info, and a whole lot of photos, on my article, A Guide To Tashkent Metro’s Best Stations.
Murals (1966 – 1980s)
When a major earthquake in 1966 destroyed much of Tashkent, artists and architects from across the Soviet Union and beyond came to the city to create giant ceramic mosaics that covered the facades of many of the new buildings that went up.
Many have been dismantled or damaged over the years, especially in the period post independence. These days, around 330 remain – mostly ones that weren’t directly related to the old regime, or ones that were covered by advertising billboards, which unintentionally protected them. In 2024, 160 of these mosaics were designated a part of Uzbekistan’s cultural heritage, and are now officially protected.
Tashkent Tower (1985)
Still operating as Tashkent’s primary television today, Tashkent Tower is the 12th tallest tower in the world, and a beautiful structure to admire. Designed by architects N.G. Terziev-Tsarukov, Y.P. Semashko, and engineers E.P. Morozov and M.D. Musheev, it merges functional Soviet Modernism with traditional Uzbek decorative elements. The lattice-styled steel frame serves a dual purpose as an example of the latter, and also protection from earthquakes.
Tashkent State Circus (Tashgostsirk) (1976)
Built in 1976, and restored in 1999, the Tashkent State Circus is a striking example of what’s come to be known as “Soviet cosmic architecture”. The UFO-shaped modernist structure is covered in ceramic white-and-blue patterns that reflect traditional Uzbek aesthetics. It also resembles a piala (traditional Uzbek teapot).
The circus is a great example of Soviet-era buildings that were built in Tashkent after the devastating 1966 earthquake, which merge brutalist structural principles with decorative local motifs. It’s one of my favourite structures in the city, and still operates as a functional circus today.
Uzbek History Museum (1970)
One of my favourite museums in Tashkent, from an architectural standpoint, is the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan. While the museum itself was founded in 1876, as the National Museum of Turkestan, its home since 1992 has been this building.
The building was completed in 1970, as a branch of the Central Lenin Museum in Moscow. A rare example of Soviet architecture influenced by local culture, the building’s concrete decorative grilles are based on traditional Uzbek sunscreen, Panzhara.
Zemchug (1985)
Proposed in 1973 by architect, Ophelia Aidynova, but not completed until 1985, “Zemchug” is one of Tashkent’s most interesting Soviet-era buildings. It’s a residential tower, inspired by modernism, traditional Persian residential philosophy, and Japanese architect Kiyonori Kikutake, who sought to create high-rise buildings that compensated residents for being cut off from street-level life.
It’s designed as a “village in the sky”, with 15 floors of dwellings are grouped in section into five environmental units. Each group is arranged around a communal plaza, featuring suspended gardens to accommodate the social interaction of residents. Each area opens onto the city, providing natural light and ventilation. On the roof, is pool, turned decorative pond, garden, and events space, for residents to use.
You can visit today (alas I didn’t know until after I left) if you pay a small entrance fee.
Have you been to Tashkent before? What are your favourite examples of Tashkent’s Soviet-Era Brutalist Architecture?