The Tashkent metro is one of the most ornate in the world (like of those of Saint Petersburg, Moscow or Kiev) Its stations, built in the 70s and 80s are a real journey back in time! After the earthquake of 1966, architects, workers and craftsmen from all over the Soviet Union rebuilt Tashkent with large boulevards, parks and squares that could accommodate large military parades. It was built to be able to resist an earthquake with a magnitude of 9 on the Richter scale. Since June 2018, it is possible to take photos of the stations. It used to be illegal because the statuions were considered military installations due to their secondary role as bomb shelters.
The blue and red lines, built in the 70s and 80s are the most interesting. Many stations, whose names had a Communist reference, were renamed after independence in 1991 and the decorations evoking the Soviet past were replaced.
Price
The Tashkent metro uses a “zheton” token system, which must be bought in the machine or at the cash register. A journey costs 1,200 Soms (12 cents), making it the cheapest metro journey in the former USSR!
Don’t hesitate to get on and off the metro to look at the stations. Below, the most interesting:
Kosmonavtlar
The station is famous for its portraits of cosmonauts. The ceramic wall panels mimic the atmosphere of Earth. Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space.
Alisher Navoi
The philosopher and poet gave his name to this magnificent station. The station is adorned with panels representing scenes from his collection of poems “Khamsa”.
Other stations
- Mustaqilliq Maidoni
- Paxtakor
- Gafur Qulom
