Third Teaching Day in Tashkent and ‘Doing’ the Sights

Thursday, April 25, 2019

Tashkent

 Third Teaching  Day in Tashkent and ‘Doing’ the Sights

    

   Salaam Aleikum from Tashkent!

         I awoke after a very restless night—I literally kept waking up every hour...but then I had fallen asleep at 7.30 without even brushing my teeth. When I did finally wake up, it was 5.30 am—which means I had been sleeping albeit wakefully, for 10 straight hours! This was something of a record for me. 

     I had enough time to blog and prepare for my Workshop session as I had no Twitter or newspaper to distract me. I do not have WiFi in my lodging and this is mildly annoying. I put out my clothes for the day and had a shower and ate half of the wheel of bread that we picked up yesterday at Chorsu Bazaar. I spread some jam over it and devoured it with a cup of decaf coffee that I brewed in my room, thanks to the kettle that’s been provided.  Then I put my backpack together with the papers I would need for my class and my flash drive and I was out of my room.

     I arrived at Nozilya’s office at about 8.35 for my 9.00 am class.  She had not arrived and neither had her assistant. When she arrived, she got annoyed that a guest had been left waiting outside her office and she ticked the office staff off. About twenty minutes later, we went down to class and I got started.

     During this session, I focused on the ‘How’ of Writing: Style and Expression—and talked about the difference between personal choices and adherence to the rules of grammar and composition. The students were happy to have stints of free writing and an opportunity to discuss their work with their peers. So it went off quite well with some lecturing, some writing and some peer-critiquing. 

     At 10.30, the first class left and the second batch took its place. This kept me on my toes till 12 noon as I followed the same pattern of the morning’s class.  I gave my students some homework and told them I would see them tomorrow. When they left, I adjourned to Nozilya’s office where I was told that lunch was awaiting me. I have to say that I am deeply impressed by the fabled hospitality of the Uzbeks—I am being extremely well cared for and every detail in being looked after so graciously. 

Lunch in Nozilya’s Office:

     And indeed lunch was all laid out by her assistant—meat samosas, salad of tomatoes, barbecued beef kebabs, raita and the interesting Uzbek bread which is becoming very familiar to me. I ate well and really enjoyed the meal.

     Meanwhile, Dinara at the Travel Desk at the US Embassy was working on my trip along the fabled Silk Route to Samarkhand and Bukhara and she kept consulting with me through email that I was able to pick up in Nozilya’s office through WiFi. The only lap that was troublesome was the one from Samarkhand to Bukhara as train tickets were all booked and taxi offered an expensive alternative—she hoped to find me a train ticket at the last minute—perhaps a cancellation. Confident that it would work out, I set my mind to my next stint of sightseeing in Tashkent. This time, Nozilya set me up with two different young men—Mohammed and Abdullah—and, believe me, they could not feel prouder at being chosen for the assignment.

Second Day of Sight Seeing in Tashkent:

     My escorts asked me where I wanted to go today and I named two places that Lonely Planet lists as highlights of Tashkent: A Visit to Assumption Cathedral (a Russian Orthodox Church) and a Visit to the Museum of the History of the People of Uzbekistan. With that agenda in mind, the guys and I set out. Except that I also wanted to see the Cosmonauts Metro Station—this, of course, had been built by the Soviets to celebrate the achievements of their most accomplished cosmonauts. 

The Cosmonauts Metro Station:

     We took a taxi from right outside the side entrance of the Alisher Navoiy University and arrived at the Cosmonauts Metro Station about ten minutes later. The great thing about the location of this university is that it is right in the middle of the city—hence, all places of tourist interest are within a stone’s throw of it. 

     After I bought a ticket for 1200 som, we went down a shallow escalator that reminded me again of the metro stations we had seen in St. Petersburg in Russia, and arrived at the platform level. And the station was truly stunning. You can just imagine how special a city must be if it’s metro stations are interesting enough to be seen by tourists. 

     Well, the walls of this one were entirely lined with tiles in various shades of blue (to resemble the heavens). Set into these walls were large rondels, also in ceramic, featuring the most important scientists and cosmonauts of the Soviet space race—yes, there was Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space.  The main source of light for the platform was a series of pretty glass lamps set high up in the ceiling which, I suppose was meant to resemble clouds. Clearly, when the Tashkent subway system was set up in 1977 (the oldest, I was told among the contemporary former Republics), it is clear that the Soviets were very proud of their space program and glorified their cosmonauts for their achievements in ways that granted them honor for posterity. It was quite wonderful indeed to take in the glory of this station. 

On to Assumption Cathedral:

     I soon learned that although Tashkent might have one of the oldest subway systems in the region, it is certainly not the most extensive. Stations seem few and far between and we often found ourselves taking a taxi from a station to get to our destination or taking a taxi from one of the tourist sights to get to the Metro. I also noticed that taxis are plentiful and are all painted white. I am told that the dust that blows in from the desert shows less noticeably against white than it does darker colors. I also noticed that the taxis do not run by meter and that a price is negotiated with the driver before one enters the cab. My lack of language skills would definitely have made it difficult for me to avail of such transport were I without my handsome and eager escorts. 

  

The Visual Glories of Assumption Cathedral: 

     Assumption Cathedral is stunning in its impact long before one enters it. I realize that I had passed by it in the US Embassy car on my way from the airport to the University on the afternoon that I had arrived in Tashkent. It is a gorgeous confection of multiple gold onion domes that surround a tall, multi-tiered belfry tower in turquoise blue and white. Although the rest of the Christian world celebrated Easter last weekend, the Greek and Russian Orthodox churches always celebrate the big holidays such as Christmas and Easter about two weeks later—this has something to do with a different calendar that they follow. Hence, at the entrance of the church, we saw lines of Russian Christians waiting to buy Easter-themed items: panettone-shaped sponge cakes, Faberge-type Easter eggs, packets of yellow cotton chickens and the like. 

     Pushing past them, we arrived at the interior of the church—and like all the Russian Orthodox churches that I can recall that blew my socks off when I was in St. Petersburg, this one too was jaw-dropping. There was the whole pageant of saints that form the typical altarpiece and loads of icons and framed portraits of saints scattered at multiple altars. Ornate glass chandeliers swung from the ceiling and emphasized the delicacy of the paintings of saints and angels inside the main dome. There were side altars that were equally stunning as well as blue, white and gold ceramic altars that I had never seen before that encased more framed saints. There really was layer upon layer of decoration that truly overwhelmed the eyes—paintings, sculpture, ceramics, wooden and metal accessories, hundreds of candles, the smells of incense and many people praying at altars or in little niches. I was really very happy that I chose to visit this church as it has been a long time since I have entered so grand and opulent an ecclesiastical space.   

   

Visit to an Indoor Bazaar: A Peasant’s Bazaar

     Immediately across the main road that ran right alongside the Cathedral complex was, my students told me, a peasants indoor bazaar. They suggested that we stop briefly and talk a look inside it. I was not too keen, but as they managed to persuade me, I gave in. 

     This bazaar was a smaller version of Chorsu Bazaar that I had toured yesterday—much smaller. It was also much less busy and crowded. The stalls inside were similar and this time, I did succumb and bought some goodies—a packet of vanilla fudge laced with chocolate swirls (to which, I believe, I developed an allergy, as my tongue swelled up with painful sores!) Needless to say, I will not be eating anymore of this sweet. 

     We did not stay long in the bazaar and decided to move on to the next port of call for which we took a taxi. We were at our next stop in about fifteen minutes.

 A Visit to the Museum of the History of the People of Uzbekistan :

     Lonely Planet described this attraction as a must-see destination for anyone who wishes to get a crash course on the history and culture of the people of Uzbekistan.  And the author was right. In a squat, square white cube of a building to which we arrived on an afternoon when it started to rain again, we found two main floors that carried a detailed account of the lives of these people who were once so tied to Russia and are now trying to forge an identity that is entire their own. It is not an easy task as the influence of their giant neighbor is, well, gigantic. But they have decorative Islamic arts and culture that make them unique. And they have focused on those quite effectively. I must state that I was allowed to enter free on the strength of my Metropolitan Museum of Art ID card which saved me 16,000 som (about $2). We did not have the time to linger too long to read everything—and there was loads to read. Indeed, one could spend an entire morning just feasting on the wealth of archeological finds alone. 

      But here are some of the items that caught my eye—although the Museum does not have a brochure or any handout that marks out its Highlights: Fragments of Wall Paintings from Varaksha Palace near Samarkhand; Zoroastrian Burial Chamber with ossuary caskets; Beautiful stone Buddha in small niche. And upstairs, on the top floor, that is devoted to telling the story of the country since its Independence from the former USSR in 1991, there were  chairs and table used by Uzbekistan’s First President, Islam Karimov.

     Yes, I did get a good capsule idea of the country and history from this Museum in the same way that Llew and I had received a capsule idea of the history and culture of Iceland when we had visited its main Museum.

     By the time we wished to leave the Museum, it was coming down really hard and at the suggestion of my student-escorts, we were headed next to the Museum of Amir Timur that they told me was really worth seeing—and they were 100% right. It is stunning to me that Lonely Planet does not list it as one of the highlights of Tashkent for truly it was breath-taking. Abdullah called for a cab on his phone and we ran out of the building to find our driver waiting outside to take us to our next stop.

Stunned by the Museum of Amir Timur:

     The Museum of Amir Timur is located at Timur Square which is a handsome rotary or traffic island surrounded by Soviet-era and new post-Independence buildings.

     The Museum is a new creation—built at the behest of the country’s first President, Islam Karimov who thought it important that the new nation celebrate its most famous hero in a manner that was fitting to his accomplishments. Hence, he spared no pains or expense to create a building which looks like a round domed mausoleum with a bright green onion top—emerald green being the color of Islam,

     And then, once we entered (once again, I saved 16,000 som with my Metropolitan Museum ID card), my jaw just hit the floor. The interior decoration is so opulent that it takes some getting used to. There is a massive round main hall that contains, as its focal point, a huge stand for an open book—this turned out to be a copy of the Osman Koran that I had seen in the Moyie Mohammed Library Museum at Hast Imam Square yesterday. And dominating the space is a fresco depicting Amir Timur seated at court surrounded by his loyal and adoring lieutenants. The domed ceiling, from which a huge chandelier hangs, is decorated lavishly with paint and gilding in the macarabe style that I had seen in the Al-Hambra in Granada. Truly, the grandeur of the space beggars description.

     Once you get over the sheer magnificence of the central hall, you start to focus on the collection of this Museum that is devoted entirely to objects from the time of Timur (who is known to the West as Tamberlane or Tamerlane—a derivation of Timur the Lame). Indeed he was already so renowned in England that Christoper Marlowe, Shakespeare’s contemporary, wrote a play about him called Tamberlaine in the 1500s—about a hundred years after his glorious reign. He is said to have been rendered lame in battle—indeed, he was forever at war—a means by which he expanded his empire that stretched as far West as Germany and as Far East as Delhi which he eventually made his base.

      Timur’s great great great grandson is Babur who made it really big on the Indian sub-continent and begat Humayun who begat Akbar the Great who went on to give birth to Prince Salim (Jehangir) whose son was Shah Jehan (of Taj Mahal fame), whose son, Aurangzeb, the last of the great Mohuls, killed all his siblings—all 13 of them—imprisoned his father and usurped the throne. So you see that the impact of Timur on the Indian sub-continent and the Mogul Empire is vast. He is depicted in all contemporary paintings as a man with a lean and hungry look and neat goatee of a beard as well as a modest crown on his head. 

     There are loads of artifacts from the reign of Timur on the ground floor—sadly, most of the originals (pottery, urns, glass dagger handle, seal-rings from dynastic members, ceramic plates, etc.) are in global museums such as the British Museum, the Met in New York City, the Berlin State Museum, etc. On the second floor, there is clothing of the period, lots of architectural models of famous Samarkand and Bukhara buildings: mosques, mausoleums, etc. even a model of the Taj Mahal which they clearly consider to be the zenith of Islamic architectural achievement. There are also fine examples of grand traditional wooden carvings called Ghanch and a wonderful carved wooden depiction of the entire Temurid dynasty.

     There are also many depictions of Timur on more contemporary works of arts such as ceramic plates, wall plates, etc. Examples of his own personal history of conquest that he wrote himself called the Timur-Nama, are also to be found. Many oil paintings depict his most famous battles as well as scenes of the fabled market places of Samarkand in its Silk Route heyday. There is also a grand oil painting of Samarkand’s most famous square, the Registan (literally meaning desert) that I am looking forward very much to seeing soon.  

 Admiring Timur’s Sculpture in Timur Square:

     We then walked out of the Museum and on to Timur Square.  Thankfully, it had stopped raining and although it was still very cloudy, we were relieved as we could take some pictures besides the towering equestrian sculpture that sits high up on a pedestal. The square is surrounded by famous buildings of which one of the most striking is the Soviet-era hotel called Hotel Uzbekistan which is constructed in a solid Brutalist style with an interesting grid pattern on the facade being its only decoration. The era and the historic association of this hotel with the Soviets reminded me of the Amor Towles’ novel called A Gentleman in Moscow which has become a huge best-seller and which everyone except I seemed to love. Given all these literary connections, I told the guys that I wanted to visit the hotel and see its lobby for myself. They were clearly a bit taken aback by the strangeness of my request , but they complied and we were soon using the underground passage ways to cross the fast-flowing traffic that encircled the square. 

     I was quite enchanted, at this point, to find the square was filled with chestnut trees in full spring bloom. Their candle-like white blossoms were profuse—some rare ones were even blooming in pink. Having seen and loved these trees in the spring time in the UK, I realized how much I am missing spring in the relentless warmth of Bombay and how lucky I am to have a brief taste of it again in these parts. I took many pictures of the chestnuts trees in bloom before we arrived at the main entrance of Hotel Uzbekistan.

   

Inside Hotel Uzbekistan:

     Truly there is nothing to commend this super-plain hotel. There was a Reception counter at the far end with the words Reception printed over it in English. A few tired looking couches dotted the vast lobby that had nothing by way of decoration to write home about. However, having been on our feet for hours, I was relieved to sink into one of the couches and take a much-needed rest. I asked my students if I could treat them to a cup of coffee and cake in the Hotel Cafe but they had just called Nozilya and had been told by her that I would be having dinner with her—they, therefore, suggested that I refrain from eating anything at that point. 

    By the time, we left the hotel and used the underground passages to return to Timur Square, the sun had actually come out and we were delighted to get at least a couple of pictures with a more cheerful background.

Walk along ‘Broadway’ to Independence Park:

     Once again, I placed myself in the hands of my local tour guides who informed me that we were not too far from Independence Square which is another significant tourist attraction. I must admit that by this point, my feet were very tired and I was certainly flagging with fatigue. But with such enthusiastic guides egging me on, I could hardly refuse and we began the long but very pleasant walk along what they called ‘Broadway’ past a number of fancy shopping kiosks selling one-of-a-kind merchandise to arrive at Independence Park.

A Visit to Independence Park:

     Tashkent, like New Delhi, is planned around a series of rotaries or squares that are dedicated to some part of its colorful and erstwhile history. When the former USSR dissolved and the independent Republics were created, Uzbekistan came into its own. In 1991, the country gained its freedom from the Soviet yoke and an opportunity to emerge in its own light as a significant nation. This park was created to commemorate the country’s birth   

     It is arrived at by walking under a handsome series of arches made of 16 pillars that are punctuated by storks in varied poses. In the center is a splendid sculpture of a pair of rising storks—a symbol of freedom. Once you go under the arches, you arrive at the central circle which is marked by a short basalt obelisk that is crowned with a copper globe on which the map of Uzbekistan as the center of the universe is portrayed. Sadly the marble-paved approach to this monument, at whose base sits a maternal figure said to represent a Happy Mother, was closed to the public and we had to content ourselves with taking pictures of it from a distance. Still, I got a very good idea of the national pride that now envelopes this fledging country and I have to say that seeing the utter cleanliness of the roads, the manner in which the many public parks, squares and gardens are tended by an army of maintenance staff who keep everything spotless, it is very clear that these people take pride in their nation and in their surroundings. We have so much to learn from them.

     By this point, I was well and truly tired and ready to drop. I told the guys to find the quickest and least tiring way by which we could return to Campus. Since the Independence Park Metro stop was just steps away, it made sense to use it to get home. This metro station is also quite well known but I have to say that it was not a patch on the ones I have been seeing since yesterday. 

     We took the metro to a stop close to the campus and then took a taxi from there. The end of the rain meant that I could get some pictures of the towering statue of Alisher Navoiy whose sculpture dominates the central square as he is the 15th century writer of the Khamsa (a collection of five books) in Uzbek and this university is named after him. 

Dinner  at Donya with University Faculty:

     No sooner did we reach the campus than I thanked my escorts and was whisked off my Nozilya for dinner. I had no idea that the dinner to which the students had referred earlier in the evening would be a formal affair. Senior administrators and faculty members were hosting me at a formal dinner and when we set off by car, we arrived at a restaurant called Donya Family Restaurant where the Dean Anwar and his wife Shahnoza were already seated. In total, we were: Nozilya, Shahnoza, Dean Anwar, Ahmad and Habibulla. 

     This is a vast and obviously expensive place that offered three dance halls with different kinds of music played at each venue. We chose a quieter place where a live band entertained us with a singer who was able to sing in diverse languages—Uzbek, English, even Spanish (Besame Mucho). Our meal consisted of cold salad starters, a tiered stand of mixed grilled meats and vegetables and chocolate ice-cream for dessert. The mixed grill was very attractively presented in three tiers on large cake stands—very unusual. There were small sauce boats containing a sauce to be poured over lamb chops, beef, quail legs, mince in puff pastry and a variety of vegetables such as mushrooms, mixed peppers and eggplant. Drinks in the form of soft drinks such as Sprite and Coke were drunk. Conversation was fun and very casual and the department seems to get along well with each other. They made me feel very much at home and put me at my ease as they talked about so many aspects of their lives as academics in Uzbekistan as they too attempted to forge a scholarly identity that is conscious of its Russians roots but is keen to break away in creative ways. I find all my conversations with the local people very enlightening indeed. In the course of just three days, I have learned so much about this country and its people and I am just over the moon that I have had this unique opportunity to be here and to be given the chance to interact with students and professors from a culture and linguistic background so different from my own.

     Ahmad dropped me back to campus in his car before heading over to his home. Overall, I’d had an incredibly packed day and I fell asleep whispering a prayer of gratitude for this experience.

     Until tomorrow...