Memorial of mass graves

In the Yakkasaray district of the capital there is a memorial of mass graves, known far beyond the borders of Uzbekistan as a symbol of military valor and courage. 

The history of the memorial, which was originally a soldier's cemetery, begins in 1941. During the war years, Central Asia, and in particular Uzbekistan, were far from the front line, so hospitals for wounded soldiers were organized on the territories of Central Asian states, and Uzbekistan became one of the most important medical centers in Central Asia. A hospital was organized in the building of a one-story school, where seriously wounded soldiers were brought, and a cemetery was organized behind the building. Initially, the hospital management tried to avoid the formation of a mass grave on the territory of the cemetery by all means. So, the names of all the soldiers who died on the way to the hospital and those who died in the hospital were recorded in the archives in duplicate, so that the data could survive at least in one of them, in case of unforeseen circumstances. A plaque with information was placed on the grave of each soldier. However, due to the fact that many soldiers arrived without documents and died without regaining consciousness, nevertheless, fraternal burials were organized on the territory of the cemetery. The hospital functioned until 1949, and then its building was returned to the school. The cemetery at that time included 1,332 burials, among which were graves with commemorative plaques, as well as 4 mass graves.

After the war, Heroes of the Soviet Union, Knights of the Order of Glory and war veterans who died in peacetime were buried in this cemetery.

In 1975, the leadership of Tashkent decided to erect a memorial on the territory of mass graves. The best craftsmen were involved in the work on the memorial under the guidance of architects L.Adanev and Y.Afanasyev and sculptors V.Lunev and L.Ryabtsev. According to the developed project, the territory of the cemetery was significantly enlarged and a square decorated with bas-reliefs was erected at its central entrance. A wide staircase, flanked by granite slabs with the names of all the hero cities. All burials with marble slabs and names printed on them were preserved.

The center of the memorial was a high mound, with a sculpture of a “Grieving Mother”, which is depicted in national clothes and mourns all the sons who did not return from the front. The sculpture is made of pink stone with shimmering inclusions. On the sides of it are the graves of the Heroes of the Soviet Union – D. Usmanov and V. Malasov, with their busts. There is also an Eternal Flame and the Alley of Heroes, where a bust of the hero is displayed in front of each grave.

On one of the bas-reliefs depicting soldiers fighting on the front line, the inscription: “Sizning jasoratingiz vatanni sharafladi, bu jasorat asrlar osha mangu yashaidi”, which translates as: “Your bravery has glorified the Motherland for centuries.”

In 2004, the memorial and the surrounding area were reconstructed and improved. A large number of trees and flowers were planted.

Every holiday on May 9, the memorial is full of citizens, and on weekdays and weekends, the laughter of children playing and the conversations of adults walking does not subside here. The memory of the fallen heroes lives on in today's peaceful day.