Tashkent Modernism XX/XXI

Given its geographical location, developed resources and multicultural history, Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, continues to be one of the most important centers of Central Asia. Since the Soviet era, numerous efforts were made to conserve and restore architectural monuments that speak to the rich ancient and medieval history of the region. By contrast, the modernist architecture of the 1960s–1980s, which articulated the idea of a modern, forward-looking society, was never perceived as heritage. With the arrival of the market economy and after the independence of Uzbekistan in 1991, the architecture of the previous three decades, which focused on social issues and economy of means, lost relevance. Today, this modernist layer of Tashkent is gaining recognition as a unique artistic, cultural and social phenomenon that is best equipped to reveal the specific character of the modernization of Soviet Central Asia. More than just another “peripheral case” of multiple modernities or a point on the global map of twentieth-century architectural modernism, this architecture is relevant to the global cultural scene, reflecting the radical aspects of the Soviet social and cultural experiment.

This publication combines the materials of the Tashkent Modernism XX/XXI project, for which an international team of architects, historians and restoration experts joined forces on recording and restoring the city’s modernist legacy. This comprehensive book presents research results alongside insights that contextualize the work in a broader framework of Soviet and Uzbekistan history. It provides a strategic plan for conservation and adaptation of this important architectural heritage which resonates with preservation ambitions of modernist architectures on a global scale.

The publication consists of two parts. The first part contains a series of written and visual essays, while the second encompasses twelve building monographs that present histories, protection inventories and intervention strategies for the selected buildings.

Initiated and commissioned by the Art and Culture Development Foundation of Uzbekistan.