The Museum of Memory of Victims of Repression

In the Yunusabad district of Tashkent, on the shore of the Bozsu canal, there is a memorial complex opened in the years of independence, a unique object of cultural heritage, “Shahidlar Khotirasi”, which means “Memory of the Shahids", erected in memory of the victims of repressions.

The complex was opened on August 31, 2002, according to the Presidential Decree “On the establishment of the Day of Commemoration of Victims of Repressions”

The complex occupies an area of 17 hectares, and includes a park, a rotunda and a museum.

The place for the construction of the complex was not chosen by chance. It was here in the 20s-30s of the XX century that artists, scientists, literature, politicians and public figures were subjected to repression, among whom were such outstanding educators as Abdurauf Fitrat, Abdullah Kadiri and Chulpon. In total, 100 thousand people fell under repressions at that time, of which 13 thousand were repressed.

The Museum of Memory of Victims of Repression is one of the main decorations of the memorial complex. Made in the classical oriental style, it was originally single-domed and occupied an area of 400m2, and its exposition consisted of 6 sections. After its reconstruction and opening on May 5, 2008, the museum area has increased more than 2 times, its building is crowned by 2 domes of the color of the sky, and the museum itself is decorated with wooden carvings. In addition, a terrace and a basement were added, and the exposition consists of 10 sections. Also, the museum is constantly conducting research and its exposition is regularly updated.

To date, the exhibition includes unique documents and photographs from the times of bloody terror, the struggle for independence, about the GULAG camps, the Jadids and the achievements of independent Uzbekistan. 

The 10 sections of the museum reflect the gradual changes that took place on the territory of Uzbekistan from the conquest of Central Asia by tsarist Russia to the present day.

The first section tells about the struggle of the population of Central Asia against colonization by tsarist Russia. The second section presents an exposition about the movement of national spiritual and cultural revival and enlightenment, which was called “Jadidism". The third section tells about the beginning of repression by the Soviet state and the liquidation of Turkestan autonomy. Opposition to oppression and armed demonstrations of the population of Central Asia are described in section four. The fifth section contains information about the grave consequences of the policy of “dispossession” and “collectivization". From the sixth to the ninth section of the museum, the repressions from the 30s of the XX century and up to 1980 are described in stages. The tenth section is devoted to the restoration of Uzbekistan and the achievements of the Uzbek people during the period of independence.

There is a beautiful and peaceful park area around the museum, the main decoration of which is a rotunda mounted on 8 columns. The rotunda is crowned with a blue dome, from the inside it is decorated with patterns in the national style and an inscription in three languages, Uzbek, Arabic and English – “The memory of those who died fighting for their Homeland lives forever.” Fountains are located on both sides of the rotunda and a picturesque bridge over the Bozsu Canal is between them.

The park is especially beautiful in the evening, when it is decorated with lighting, citizens sit on numerous benches, children ride bicycles, and teenagers sit by the canal. And this is another proof that the memory of the dead is always sacred, and their lives were given for the peaceful Homeland in which we now live.