Mustakillik Square and the Memorial Complexes of Tashkent

Mustakillik Square is more than a large open space in the middle of Tashkent. This is where the main state holidays are celebrated, and it is also home to the monuments through which Uzbeks remember the war, the repressions and the coming of independence. If you have half a day in the capital, this walk will tell you more about the country than most museums.

What Mustakillik Square is

The name means Independence Square. In Soviet times this was Lenin Square; after 1991 it was completely reimagined. Today it is a huge, well-kept park with fountains, alleys, lawns and government buildings around the edges. The square sits right in the city centre next to the Mustaqillik Maydoni and Alisher Navoi metro stations, so the metro is the easiest way to get here.

In the centre stands the Independence Monument: a golden globe showing the outline of Uzbekistan on a tall pedestal, with the Happy Mother statue holding a baby in front of it. It is one of the most recognisable spots in Tashkent and an obvious photo stop.

The Ezgulik Arch and its storks

From the main entrance the square opens through the Ezgulik Arch, the Arch of Good Intentions. It is a tall colonnade topped with figures of storks. In Uzbek tradition the stork stands for peace, prosperity and returning home, so the birds above the gate read as a wish of goodwill to everyone who walks underneath.

Beyond the arch, alleys lined with fountains lead deeper into the square. In summer it feels noticeably cooler here than on the surrounding streets: the trees and water take the edge off the heat, and local families come for evening walks.

The Mourning Mother memorial

One part of the square is a memorial complex to the soldiers of the Second World War. Its centrepiece is the figure of a mother bowing her head over an eternal flame. Along the galleries stand metal Books of Memory listing the names of people from Uzbekistan who died at the front. The country sent hundreds of thousands of people to the war, and almost every family has its own story, so the place feels very personal.

It is especially busy on 9 May, the Day of Remembrance and Honour, when veterans, families and schoolchildren come to lay flowers. On an ordinary day it is quiet, and a good place to stop for a minute.

Shahidlar Khotirasi: memory of the victims of repression

The second important memorial is not on the square itself but in the Yunusabad district, next to the Tashkent TV Tower. The Shahidlar Khotirasi complex, meaning Memory of the Martyrs, is dedicated to the victims of Soviet-era repression. It includes a domed rotunda, a landscaped park above the Bozsu canal and a museum telling the stories of scholars, poets, clergy and farmers who suffered between the 1920s and the 1950s.

The location was not chosen at random: according to the generally accepted account, executions took place on this very spot in the 1930s. The museum is small but the exhibition is powerful, with documents, photographs and personal belongings. Allow about an hour.

The easiest way here is by taxi, or by metro to one of the stations near the TV tower and then on foot. The tower itself stands right next door, so the walk is easy to extend.

Planning a half-day route

The best order if you go on foot and by metro:

1. Morning: the Ezgulik Arch, the Independence Monument and the fountains.
2. The Mourning Mother memorial and the Books of Memory.
3. Metro or taxi to the TV tower.
4. The Shahidlar Khotirasi museum and park.
5. Optionally, the TV tower observation deck if it is open to visitors that day.

At a relaxed pace the whole route takes four to five hours.

Practical tips

• This is government territory, so there is always security around. Parts of the square may be closed during official events and holiday rehearsals, especially in the run-up to 1 September, Independence Day.
• You can photograph the monuments and alleys, but do not take close-ups of guards or government buildings. If an officer asks you to put the camera away, simply do so.
• Modest clothing and quiet behaviour are appropriate at the memorials.
• In summer the best hours are before 11:00 and after 17:00. At midday the open spaces get very hot, so carry water.
• Entry to the square is free. The Shahidlar Khotirasi museum may charge a small fee; check on site.

Where to go after Tashkent

If you want a change of pace after the capital, a good day trip is Bekabad in the south-west of Tashkent Region, right on the Syr Darya. It is about 150 km away, roughly two to two and a half hours by road. The town is known for the Farhad hydroelectric station and dam built back in the 1940s, and for views of the river where it approaches the border with Tajikistan.

You can get there on a shared ride with Yo'ldosh: drivers regularly publish trips Tashkent to Bekabad, leaving from different parts of the city, and you can book a seat in the app in advance. It is usually cheaper than a taxi and more flexible than fitting around a bus timetable. Other destinations are listed on the all routes page.

Mustakillik Square and the memorials around it are a good way to start getting to know Tashkent: in a few hours you see both the ceremonial capital and what the country chooses to remember about its twentieth century.

Cover photo: Nikolai Bulykin, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.