State Museum of History of Uzbekistan (formerly The Tashkent affiliate of the Central Museum of Lenin)

We stand before a monumental cubic building. Today it is the State Museum of the History of Uzbekistan, but originally it was built as the Tashkent branch of the Lenin Museum. Erected by 1970, this structure became a crucial link between Lenin Square and Navoi Square. Architects Evgeny Rozanov, Vladimir Shestopalov, and Yuri Boldychev created here a unique synthesis of Soviet modernism and national architecture. They consciously rejected direct historical citations like arches or stalactites. The building is simply raised on columns in the spirit of Le Corbusier's ideas. This allowed visitors to freely pass directly under the main volumes of the museum. The most expressive detail of its appearance lies in the facade. All four sides of the static cube are covered with monumental sun-protection grilles. This is the Tashkent pandjara. The grille pattern associatively refers to Kufic script and the strict geometry of ancient Samarkand madrasahs. The grilles themselves are made of reinforced concrete and faced with white marble. They created a visual connection between the street and the interior, while simultaneously protecting the halls from direct sunlight. For additional cooling, the architects applied another interesting technique. On the flat roof, they designed a unique “bath” with a flowing water feature. Inside, the space was conceived as maximally open and versatile. In Soviet times, visitors in the main hall were greeted by a six-meter statue of Lenin by sculptor Nikolai Tomsky against the backdrop of a large-scale mosaic panel. Above the suspended ceilings, a true rarity for the Soviet Union of those years was hidden. There, an automatic air conditioning and distribution system operated. After gaining independence, the building's function changed. The ideological Soviet mosaic was replaced with a realistic landscape. New solid exhibition walls blocked the access of external natural light. Because of this, the interior lost its original transparency and lightness. Despite these alterations, the marble museum legitimized the use of ornamental pandjara throughout the city. The building set the tone for Tashkent architecture throughout the seventies. In 2024, it was officially included in the National List of Cultural Heritage Monuments. Currently, specialists are developing projects for its scientific restoration to one day restore its historical openness to the facades and interiors.