Tashkent Metro in Uzbekistan - an art experience

The metro in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, is one of the main sights of the city. The metro system was built during the Soviet era and is richly decorated with mosaics, murals and chandeliers. Quite simply, a major attraction!

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Tashkent metro in Uzbekistan

We wrote some time ago about art in the Stockholm metro, which is well worth checking out. Another fascinating metro is the one in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.

The Tashkent Metro was built in the 1970s, during the Soviet era, and has since been supplemented with new stations. All stations are beautifully decorated with materials such as glass, marble and granite, and each station has its own theme.

Until 2018, it was forbidden to take photographs in the metro, which was explained by security concerns as the place also serves as a shelter. However, Uzbekistan has modernised and opened up, and today you are welcome to bring your camera.

We visited the Tashkent metro during a recent press trip to Uzbekistan. Below are two amazing photos by Finnish travel blogger and photographer Veera Papinoja, from Veera Bianca.

Visiting the metro in Tashkent

So, what is it like to visit the metro in Tashkent? We had a guide with us, so we didn't have to think too much. What is required in any case is to buy a ticket, which you can do at a ticket booth.

Then just get on the metro and travel to the stations of your choice. One tip is to avoid rush hour traffic, as there are a lot of people in the crowded stations.

Tourism is becoming more and more common in Uzbekistan, but it is still a bit "in its infancy", which makes it possible to arouse interest as a tourist. A young Uzbek woman came up to us in the metro and saw the chance to practice her English, and have interesting exchanges with people from other parts of the world.

Kosmonavtlar station

Our guide took us to five of the 50 stations in the metro system. The first station was Cosmonavtlar, which has a space theme.

This station honours Soviet cosmonauts, such as Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova, the first man and the first woman in space.

Uzbekistanskaya stations

The second station we visited is called Uzbekistanskaya, which simply means Uzbekistan. This station has a slightly cleaner design, with big beautiful lights on the ceiling.

Alisher Navoi stations

Stations Alisher Navoi is named after a famous 15th-century Uzbek writer. Navoi is considered the founder of Uzbek literature and also had a great influence on art and architecture. The turquoise paintings on the walls of the station depict his stories, while the domed roof reflects the style of the buildings erected during his time.

Pakthakor stations

The next station we visited was Pakthakor. This station is themed "cotton pickers", referring to the fact that Uzbekistan has one of the largest cotton industries in the world. Cotton is nicknamed 'white gold' in Uzbekistan and the station is decorated in blue, white and gold.

Mustaqillik Maydoni stations

Stations Mustaquillik Maydoni - Independence Square - is one of the most magnificent stations.

The design, with tall marble columns and beautiful chandeliers, is more reminiscent of a ballroom than a metro station.

The name of the station has an interesting story to tell. When the station first opened in 1977, it was called Lenin Maydoni (Lenin Square), which was also the name of the square above it. When Uzbekistan gained independence, both the square and the station changed names, to Independence Square.

In this impressive setting, we took the opportunity to take a photo of the whole gang, i.e. our group of journalists and travel bloggers from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.

More to see and do in Tashkent and Uzbekistan

The Tashkent Metro is one of the main attractions in Uzbekistan's capital city, but there is of course more to do What to see and do in Tashkent. You can see impressive buildings, visit markets and eat the national dish plov.

You can also shopping in Uzbekistan and experience nature in Uzbekistan. In addition, you can take the Afrosiyob high-speed train to amazing historic cities such as Samarkand and Bukhara.

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