Growing up in the 80’s and 90s in Kolkata had its charm. Relatives and friends from other parts of the country would come to Kolkata for a vacation and one thing that they would always try was the Metro subway trains and the Trams. It was much later that Metro started catching up in other cities. Built during the 1980’s Kolkata Metro has remarkable similarities to that of Tashkent Metro. In fact, if we look at the broader picture, Tashkent Metro was built during the time of the USSR, and the metro stations served two purposes: one was to transport the population within a city, and secondly to act as a bomb shelter.
Unlike the drab copy-paste Metro stations that we see across the world with large advertisement screens and digital displays, the stations inthe Tashkent Metro have unique themes. The interiors of the metro stations have a theme that changes from one to the other. Something very similar was also seen in Kolkata Metro, the train station at Maidan has frescos and installations depicting sports-related activities, whereas the Rabindra Sadan station, as the name suggests, was dedicated to the Nobel-winning poet Rabindranath Tagore. Later on, Bhowanipore station was also renamed Netaji Bhawan and had the theme of Subhas Chandra Bose. I have never been to Moscow, but I have seen videos that show their metro stations also being designed opulently.
What To See At Tashkent Metro
Tashkent Metro has become a tourist attraction, and since 2018 the authorities have allowed videography and photography without any restrictions. Tashkent Metro has four lines. The oldest is the Chilonzor Line, which opened in 1977, followed by the Ozbekiston (Uzbekistan) Line, which opened in 1984, then the Yunusobod Line, which opened after independence in 200,1, and the last one is the Circle (Halqa) Line, which opened in 2020.
I would recommend you check out the Chilonzor Line (Red Line) and the Ozbekiston/Uzbekistan (Orange Line). These are two of the oldest lines and were designed during the USSR era, thus, you can expect the best-designed stations in these sections. Additionally, you can also check out the Yunusobod Line (Green Line) which was opened post the USSR era, thus you can visually see that these have been built with a different approach. The one to avoid is the Circle (Halqa) Line, as this is just like any other modern metro network.
Chilonzor Line (Red Line):-
These three stations are recommended for this line.
Chilonzor – Connects the Chilonzor neighbourhood
Khalkarlar Dustligi – Meaning Friendship of People, this station was briefly renamed as Bunyodkor but now its back to its original name.
Paxtakor Mustaqilliq Maidoni – The central theme of this station is “Cotton,” which was once largely produced in this region. The mural patterns feature cotton flowers.
Paxtakor
Ozbekiston/Uzbekistan (Orange Line):-
These six stations are recommended for this line.
Beruniy – Named after Al-Biruni (Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Biruni). He was a polymath originally from Kath in Uzbekistan.
Tinchlik – Located in the new urban settlement of Tinchlik.
Gofur Gulom – Named after famous Uzbek poet Gʻafur Gʻulom.
Alisher Navoi – Named after Ali-Shir Nava’i (izām-al-Din ʿAli-Shir Herawī), who was a poet, painter, statesman, linguist, etc.
Kosmonavtlar – Dedicated to the space program of the USSR and also showcases the humans history of space exploration.
Toshkent – Connects to the main Tashkent Rail network.
Alisher Navoi
Kosmonavtlar
Toshkent Station
Yunusobod Line (Green Line):-
These three stations are recommended for this line
Yunus Rajabiy – Named after a musician and composer of the USSR era.
Abdulla Qodirii – Named after a famous Uzbek playwright and poet. He was executed under the orders of Joseph Stalin
Bodomzor – Very unique due to its artistic seating arrangements
How To Visit At Tashkent Metro
As a tourist, you can reach any metro station and buy a single ticket. This ticket will be in the form of a small printed QR code which you can buy from the ticket counter at any metro station. Since all the metro lines have some interconnect points so logically you can cover all the metro stations with this single ticket. As long as you do not come out of the metro you can keep riding from one station to the other.
If you are planning to use the Metro extensively for travelling across Tashkent for a few days then you can also buy the Metro Card which can be used multiple times.
The metro stations are less crowded on weekends and during weekdays during off-peak hours. Peak hours would be in the morning and the evening due to office rush. As a tourist, you can take photographs and videos.
Tashkent Metro Map
Click on the image to see the bigger version. Map courtesy Tashkent Metro.
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Tashkent Metro Vlog
