Category: Blog

The havoc inflicted on the Uzbek capital forty-four years ago by a devastating earthquake also opened the way for Soviet planners to endow the city with a gem of a transport system. Luke Coffey descends into paradise On 26 April 1966, Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, was changed forever: a major earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale destroyed much of the city. An estimated 300,000 people were killed, and the old quarter of the city virtually ceased to exist. In the eyes of the Soviets, this tragedy turned into an opportunity to create a ‘model Soviet city’. The rebuilding effort was carried out by workers from all over the USSR. Within a couple of years, tens of thousands of new homes and buildings were constructed. In fine Soviet fashion, what were once simple two-lane roads became wide, grand boulevards. Parks and squares large enough for military parades also featured heavily in Tashkent’s new urban design. A major part of this transformation was the Metro, the jewel in the crown of the new Tashkent. Twenty-nine uniquely designed stations spanning 36 km of track offer a stunning example of Soviet architecture at its best. Largely modelled on the Moscow Metro, Tashkent’s underground system is impeccably clean, safe and runs like clockwork. There are three main lines: the Chilanzar Line, opened in 1977; the Uzbekistan Line (1984); and the Yunusabad Line, (2001), for which an additional eight stations are currently being built or planned. The Yunusabad has fewer trains operating, so the average wait between each train outside rush hour can be as long as ten minutes, as opposed to the average of five minutes on the other two lines. Because Tashkent is located in a seismically active zone, the city has been growing outwards instead of upwards. This urban sprawl is