Overview

Tashkent is one of the most beautiful and ancient cities of Central Asia. It is located in the fertile Fergana Valley on the banks of the Cherchik River. Founded more than two thousand years ago Tashkent developed very rapidly in the Middle Ages due to its advantageous location on the site where trade routes from Easter Europe to India and from Siberia to the Middle East crossed. Tashkent was very important checkpoint for caravans going by the Great Silk Road. In 1865 Tashkent was won over by Russia from the Khanate of Kokand and soon the city became the center of Russian Turkistan. In period of imperialistic rivalry between Russia and the Great Britain for Central Asia (so called Great Game) city was an object of active British espionage. After the end of Civil War in Russia and national delimitation in the USSR Tashkent became the capital of Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. In period of WWII city was one of the largest centers of evacuation from European part of the USSR. In 1966 the main part of Tashkent was destroyed by huge earthquake. Builders and urban planners from all Soviet Republics of the USSR and also from Finland took part in rebuilding of the city. Wide streets, numerous squares, parks, gardens, fountains and multistory apartment houses were created. After disintegration of the USSR (1991) Tashkent became a capital of independent Uzbekistan.