While on the topic of arbitrary executive decisions in Uzbekistan (see New Year’s Resolution #1 below), you may not have noticed that the Tashkent city government has cut down all the trees in the city’s famous Amir Temur square. According to Uznews.net, the contentious but often entertaining opposition site, this one turns out to be a SNAFU . While the BBC reports only that “no reason is given by the authorities for cutting down the 100 year old trees,” Uznews.net contends that the Mayor of Tashkent is now on the outs with President Karimov, who only ordered the city to “thin out” the trees in front of the new congress building. Thin out the trees. Clearly the father of Uzbekistan actually wanted was for all the trees in the park, many of which lived through the entire Soviet era intact, to be cut down to their stumps.
Way to go, Abdukahhar Tuhtayev. People actually came out and protested, and some tried to hold an all-night vigil, but that was pretty much as effective as usual.
Yangi yil bilan, Toshkent. May this one leave you more intact than the last.
UPDATE: To get an idea how people feel about this and see a bunch more pictures, take a look at this slideshow posted on YouTube.
UPDATE 2: Really, someone could argue that this is an improvement?? [More photos from Ferhana.ru]
Ironically, I think the “improvements” actually makes the square look more Soviet and less Uzbek than it did before.
Courtesy Ferghana.ru
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I was kind of surprised to find that Toshkent is in Africa now, too. You’d think that’d be a bigger headline. “Central Asia Misplaces Historic Capital”
At least it’ll be easier to get a picture of both Temur and the Presidential building in one frame. The trees made it rough on us tourists snapping pics.
This reminds me of the Soviets who made a desert out of Afghanistan, and cut down the beautiful gardens of Kabul.
You failed to mention that one of the captions brought up the very important point that the trees provided convenient cover for assassins.
Yeah that one was pretty good–the explanation I’ve been waiting for though is that the trees are obviously “an oppressive relic of colonialism.” The typical richness, besides the assassins, that I have seen is in defense of the stupid decision is that “the trees were incompatible with our national climate.”
Which is why they lived for more than a century.
I’m going to start using that “the (insert noun) is incompatible with (insert some other noun” construction more often.
People are really upset about this–it wasn’t just the trees, either, I’ve seen in comments in a couple of other forums on this that they tore down a lot of the old and interesting buildings that gave the square its character, too– the Hotel Poytakht, the bank that was a converted orthodox church, just about everything on that side of the street. The whole thing is more or less unrecognizable at this point.
“they tore down a lot of the old and interesting buildings”
Let’s see what they’ll put in place. Characterless, badly engineered monstrosities with a lot of glass and aluminium constructed by Zeromax-connected companies of course…
Tashkent is constantly changing, now it is become more and more dynamic and less soviet looking. Amir Temur square changed, I think for better. Driving across the new square, you can notice at least one improvement – you see more open space and better look at the monument of Amir Temur from every sight. When you drive from Yunusabad toward square, you get picturesque view of Monument, 2 Kurants, new white palace and the building of stock exchange. Note, all of them were previously blocked by trees. Moreover, now they’re putting some green on square, which will make it look much cooler.
by the way, from own observation I can say, some (!) older generation people did not like these changes, who say a part of their past and memories has gone with trees. Some ethnic Russians vehemently criticized changes suspecting new government was destroying historic ‘Russian’ Tashkent. But most people simply do not care. Youngsters seem to be indifferent. Most people are busy with real life issues – getting a job, earning money, building house, family, having fun etc.
Tourists will like new square for sure, as someone put earlier you get better shots with Monument -:)
Have a look on some pictures of square on change:
http://www.ferghana.ru/article.php?id=6412
If they’re tearing things down, how about tearing down Hotel Uzbekistan. Perhaps the biggest downside to removing the trees is seeing that Soviet-constructed monstrosity.
you’d better ask them.
Dont tear down the Hotel! It’s an orgy of tackiness that is so ugly that it is beautiful.
I agree about Hotel Uzbekistan, it’s usually empty too, which makes it seriously too much like The Shining.
Metin–Everyone is entitled to their own aesthetic opinion of course, but if it’s true that the clearing of the trees was an overzealous misinterpretation of the original order (and Uznews is not the only place I’ve seen that story) then even if it were an “improvement” then it would be an accidental one.
Clearing out century-old trees is really not the same changing the architecture of a city, either. Buildings come and go in a few months, and can be built and moved and rebuilt as we prefer, but it would take another 125 years to replace those trees. I’m sure you can sympathize that whatever attractive architecture might be around, some people like nature–which doesn’t belong to Russians or Uzbeks or anyone else (the issue of who planted the trees is pretty irrelevant).
And while I would have to defer to your impression of a generational or ethnic difference in the way that people have reacted to the changes, the people that I’ve seen very upset about it so far are an even mix of various ethnicities and are all young. A lot of people like parks to have nice shady trees in them, especially in a country where the summer is extremely hot–I don’t think it’s really fair to ethnicize or politicize that preference.
President Karimov himself is apparently upset with the change–so by your logic, are you saying he’s not a real Uzbek or he’s just old?
Well, that is definitely one way of looking at it. However when I was there I thought the shady Timur square was one of the nicest parts of Tashkent, especially in the hot summertime. I mean there are lots of things that could use improving in Tashkent, why this? Why mess around with something that people really liked as is?
Besides, that’s not really what this story is about. There are lots of places in the world where questionable city planning projects take place. The real issues are that:
1. It happened suddenly without notification.
2. It happened without any input from the public.
2. Even now no one really knows _why_ it was done.
3. The speculated reasons of why it was done are all somewhat ridiculous.
4. And if its true that the mayor of Tashkent went overboard because he thought that this is what Karimov wanted, what does that say about how the country is governed?
as for real issues, get it real – it’s not America!
it’s a transition country trying to build democracy, which won’t happen overnight.
Besides, there was some info in local media about renovations of square (widening traffic road, trees posing threat during strong winds on people and cars). After all, the mayor’s office has not to ask permission from public when building streets or trimming trees.
As for governance in Uzbekistan – it is pretty effective. True, it’s authoritarian. But probably, this is the only option left for poor country like Uzbekistan. Personally, I’d prefer authoritarian, but stable and effective government to democratic, but week and unable government. I think, most rationale people think likewise.
As an Uzbek, I know that Central Asian people value and admire trees no less than modern environmentalists.
I lived in Tashkent more than 10 years and I think I can express my opinion. Yes, the trees in Tashkent are nice, but it gets really ugly starting from mid March until mid May. Spores of these a la Russian trees fly everywhere and creates an endless list of inconveniences!
True, cutting down a few dozen of them in the square does not solve this problem. But those who drive (frequently) in this part of the city know that this place must be improved.
Anyways, I think in this case who made so much hype about this is more interesting than what happened. Those trees were planted during Tsarist Regime in Turkistan and that is why it carried a lot of cymbolic meanings for all the rusophile circles, particularly for Ferghana.ru. They trumpheted about it so much because these trees had symbolic significance for them.
Guys, let’s not rush to judgment here. For all we know, a gang of trees killed Karimov’s parents and kidnapped his sister.
Noah,
I have to agree with you that trees are admirable regardless of ethnicity of those who planted there. However, please accept it, most of those who commented and expressed dislike in media about clearing off are either russophile circles or outsiders, who just make their opinion based on couple of sources in internet. I wish you could come and visit Tashkent someday soon to have your own impression, without any bias imposed by media.
Let me point out few things, one should not be misguided by reports portraying the events, as if Tashkent had few trees only in Amir Timur’s square, and they all (!) cleared off. In reality, Tashkent is pretty green, and not all (!) trees were cut down in square.
I assume you’r american, and you would not like it at all if let’s say White House was blocked by trees from sight (sorry, could not come with any open air symbolic monument in US). Besides, I guess nowhere in the world, the heart of the city is covered by forest, it’s normally open square with a monument in the center.
You pointed out, allegedly Karimov did not like trimming. Personally, I don’t care – regardless of whether Karimov liked it or not, you can’t ignore that the square has more space and monument and surrounding buildings can be seen now much better than in past.
P.S. as the source of information is http://www.ferghana.ru, I suggest you read peoples’ comments on news on these events: it becomes clear how chauvinistic attitudes are prevalent among those who are protesting against remake of Amir Timur square. I had an impression of Americans being free of nationalism what is unfortunately case in Russia; I would feel sorry if you base your judgement based on some biased media, which demonizes everything, practically everything done in Uzbekistan.
Metin–
If you like the square without trees, again you’re entitled to your own opinion, but it’s just a tiny bit presumptuous to assume that “all rational people” agree with you.
I’m also not sure why you seem to think that my own opinion is mindlessly shaped by what I read on the internet and you assume that If I could “visit Tashkent” then somehow I would change my mind about all these things. As it happens, I lived in Tashkent for several years, and not all that long ago. Most of the regular commenters and authors on this blog have a lot of personal experience in the region and care very deeply about it and the people who live there.
I have to say that on this particular issue, I find it awfully ironic that for once in my life I actually agree with Karimov about something, but but people are still arguing with me in his “defense.”
Noah,
I didn’t know you lived in Tashkent for long. Anyway this does not change the point – you are not in Tashkent now, and do not have the chance to see the new square. All what you’ve seen so far is photos on those sarcastic articles.
I thought, seeing the changed square with your eyes in real might have changed your opinion.
Don’t get it wrong, I never meant to represent opinion of “all rational people”; the reference was on governance efficiency, my point being, that others might have had similar opinion.
I really liked your blog, that’s why write here. It’s unquestionable, most people here care about region and people living there. It is just a bit pity, when sometimes point of reference on your articles is biased media, which is critical on anything connected with Uzbekistan. I wish more Americans came to Uzbekistan like you who care about people and country and could provide balanced view on thing happening here.
Marry Christmas to you and all Registan blog!
A somewhat off topic but relevant link in respect to the matter of independent CA media/blogs being too critical/anti-regime (although as Noah points out that is not especially the case in this instance)
http://chrono-tm.org/?id=2335
Trees are trees, and it amuses me how some people reason about poor platans’ political and symbolical meaning now. Their meaning never really bothered anyone in Tashkent until the Padrino of the Uzbek state decided to get rid of them. What a nonsense that is! I’ve heard people refer to platans as non-Uzbek trees, hence they cut them.. Its astonishing how stupid people are. Yet, the most irritating thing about this, is that they expect everyone to be fool enough and believe any kind of crap.. PS. By the way, the pines/x-mas type trees you see at the Square now, are believed to be imported from Belgium.. (so Uzbek!). Let’s see how they manage to grow into tall and nice tress under the hot Uzbek sun…
Trees are trees, and it amuses me how some people reason about poor platans’ political and symbolical meaning now. Their meaning never really bothered anyone in Tashkent until the Padrino of the Uzbek state decided to get rid of them. What a nonsense that is! I’ve heard people refer to platans as non-Uzbek trees, hence they cut them.. Its astonishing how stupid people are. Yet, the most irritating thing about this, is that they expect everyone to be fool enough and believe any kind of crap.. PS. By the way, the pines/x-mas type trees you see at the Square now, are believed to be imported from Belgium.. (so Uzbek!). Let’s see how they manage to grow into tall and nice tress under the hottest Uzbek sun…
“are believed to be imported from Belgium…”
ZZ, Tashkent city administration cuts (and plants) a lot of trees year-round just like they demolish (and build) all kinds of buildings and monuments.
I am sorry that my observation irritated you, but ferghana.ru is only concerned with the cases related to Russia and Russians usually. I am not saying this is good or bad, but they are biased.
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