How to spend leisure in Dushanbe.

“Our whole history is a product of the nature of that vast land that we have inherited. It was she who scattered us in all directions and scattered in space from the first days of our existence."

Chaadaev P. Ya.

Excursions across Dushanbe. 

800 Years of Moscow Square is located to the east of Rudaki Avenue, in the triangle of S. Hussein-Zade and Lokhuti streets, to the west of the Opera and Ballet Theatre, to the north of the Vakhsh Hotel and opposite Eskhata Bank.
In the early morning on September, 6th, 1947 Stalinabad has woken up from unusually long and lingering factory hooters. But for the majority of the townspeople they did not become a surprise as already many knew about the beginning of construction of the area of a name of the 800 anniversary of Moscow at theatre of an opera and ballet.
Thousand Stalinabd peoples send in the early morning to arrange well the area before theatre. The area was under construction a method of national construction. This day from all ends of city here send the first builders: students, working, intelligency, employees of state institutions.
Already to eight o'clock in the morning the area has turned to huge building camp. Continuously came and machines left, there were new builders with shovels and picks. Only in the first day on construction has left more than 3000 thousand person.
They have loosened and have taken out more than 1000 cubic metre of a ground. The sensation huge and an important issue on which the townspeople worked, was felt during all construction of the area.
Tadjiks - grateful people, and kind memory of the multilateral help of Moscow in heavy 20 - 30 years of the last century, when thousand muscovites: teachers, doctors, working, experts have arrived to young Soviet republic for rendering the brotherly help, it is alive always.
Construction of factories, hospitals and schools, channels and power stations, echelons with machine tools and the equipment, tractors and cars - all this has allowed to construct and lift economy of the Soviet Tajikistan in short terms.
And within Great Domestic war for Moscow battled and spilled the blood together with others and the best soons Tadjik people. In memory of it and in connection with celebrating of anniversary of city of Moscow, the area before theatre under the decision of the government Tadjik SSR has been named by the area of a name of the 800 anniversary of Moscow.
 On the theatrical area in which accomplishment city dwellers took part all and which in day of eight-hundred-year-old anniversary of Moscow is named suitably, the park with greater pool-fountain in the center and several small decoratively issued fountain has been broken.
Constructed at the same time on the parties from theatre hotel "Stalinabad" ("Vakhsh") and an apartment house, and located a little below, frame the area from the north and the south, successfully giving to theatre a majestic kind.
In the center of the area the fountain of the square form with a water mirror at a rate of 900 square meters is constructed. In the pool it was originally planned to establish gushing sculptures on various plots, but, to a great regret, this plan has not been executed.
In the lowered parts of square, on crossing of radial streets, fountains in height up to five meters, and in corners of square - four more small fountains should be built. It is interesting, that under the project of the device of fountains, in 1947 it was provided, that at night they will be shined from below with the multi-coloured projectors placed in a body of fountains. The square broken into the areas represented an orchestra with wonderful avenues, lawns and flower beds, and the dense crones of trees located on corners of square, alternate with bushes of the Indian lilac.
It is necessary to note separately, that architects Dmitry Bilibin (the head of department on affairs of architecture were engaged in development of the project of the area of a name of the 800 anniversary of Moscow at Ministerial council Tadjik SSR) and its first assistant Hikmat Juldashev.
Geographical coordinates of square 800 years of Moscow in Dushanbe: N38°34'04.73" E68°47'37.68"

Authority and photos by:
Gafur Shermatov, the historian. In a material photos from Central state archive RT and personal photos of the author are used.
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