USSR HERITAGE ALONG THE ANCIENT SILK ROAD
APRIL 01 ⇾ APRIL 11
DAY 1 | APRIL 01 | WELCOME TO CENTRAL ASIA
Meet-and-greet at Tashkent International Airport according to your flight schedule and transfer to our hotel of choice in central Tashkent.
Free time at your own leisure in Tashkent and late-afternoon welcome drink with Roberto Conte for a theoretical introduction to Soviet architecture in Central Asia and short evening walk in Tashkent crowned by a traditional Uzbek dinner.
Overnight in Tashkent.
DAY 2 | APRIL 02 | SEISMIC TASHKENT
Full-day architectural photo tour in and around Tashkent: kaleidoscopic socialist-era mosaics, imposing monuments and memorials, modernist concrete patterns, richly decorated metro stations, and many other Soviet-era gems in what was once the fourth-largest city in the entire USSR.
During your time in Tashkent you'll also explore the true local face of the city losing yourself in the scents of tentacular food bazaars and improvised street markets.
Overnight in Tashkent.
DAY 3 | APRIL 03 | INTO SOVIET TURKESTAN
In the morning we’ll continue our gallivanting and photographing around Tashkent with Roberto Conte to discover more hidden jewels of this amazing [post] Soviet metropolis.
After lunch we’ll then transfer to northern Tajikistan driving across the heartland of (former) Soviet Turkestan.
After completing the relatively straightforward border formalities, we’ll head straight for Khujand, a quintessentially Central Asian city that once bore the exquisitely Soviet toponym of Leninabad.
We’ll devote the rest of the day to a slow-paced USSR-heritage focussed leisurely walk around downtown and then enjoy a traditional Tajik dinner with a view over the Syr Darya, one of the two – together with Amu Darya – most symbolic rivers of Central Asia.
Overnight in Khujand.
DAY 4 | APRIL 04 | LENINABAD
The first half of the day will be dedicated to the architectural and cultural heritage of Khujand: concrete apartment blocks, WWII memorials, mosaics and bass-reliefs, Stalinist grandeur, photogenic bazaars, and the largest Lenin statue in Central Asia.
In the afternoon we will then explore the formerly Soviet closed towns of Buston and Ghafurov (once known as Chkalovsk and Sovietabad).
Overnight in Khujand.
DAY 5 | APRIL 05 | SOVIET MONUMENTALISM
After breakfast, we’ll drive to Istaravshan, where a larger-than-life Lenin statue gazes out across a municipal reservoir.
After a traditional street food lunch stop along the route we’ll then reach Penjikent, once a thriving settlement of the ancient Sogdiana Empire.
Here, we’ll spend the rest of the day enjoying the lively atmosphere of the city’s streets while hunting for the mesmerising Soviet-era mosaics this place is famous for.
Overnight in Penjikent.
DAY 6 | APRIL 06 | LAKES OF MANY HUES
Today we’ll take a break from the main focus of our tour – architecture and monumentalism – and venture instead into the breathtaking wilderness of the Fann Mountains for a glimpse of the majestic Seven Lakes.
Surrounded by jagged peaks, the glittering glacial lakes we’ll encounter are known for their unusual—and breathtaking—hues, ranging from bright turquoise to black. As we traipse through the valley, we’ll stop to visit a local village in the midst of the mountains. The region is particularly conducive to growing apricots, so we’ll keep our eyes peeled for orchards as we travel.
In the late afternoon, we’ll head back for Penjikent for our final night in Tajikistan.
Overnight in Penjikent.
DAY 7 | APRIL 07 | THE DUSTY ROAD TO SAMARKAND
Early in the morning we’ll re-enter Uzbekistan and transfer to Samarkand, a world-famous Silk Road city that really needs no introduction.
Our first day we’ll be entirely devoted to the classic heritage of Samarkand: believed to be over 2,700 years old, Samarkand was once a diverse trading center along the Silk Road connecting the East to the West.
At the epicenter of it all was the Registan: comprised of arching, beige madrasas covered in bright blue mosaics, sparkling golden mosques, and sprawling courtyards, the Registan is believed to have been the pulsing heart of the commercial Silk Road city throughout the Medieval Era.
Overnight in Samarkand.
DAY 8 | APRIL 08 | TSARIST DOMINION AND SOVIET RENAISSANCE
Beyond its Silk Road wonders, Samarkand it’s also known for its cornucopia of Tsarist-era mansions and palaces and Soviet-era modernist architectural forms and public artworks: sgraffiti, bass-reliefs, monuments, memorials, and – of course – mosaics.
Today we’ll indeed inspect the lesser known and never advertised face of Samarkand, a cosmopolitan [post] Soviet city where a plethora of diverse cultures (Uzbek, Russian, Tajik, Jew, Ukrainian, Tatar, Turkmen and even Korean) blend together to form a compelling mixture of languages and culinary traditions.
Overnight Samarkand.
DAY 9 | APRIL 09 | KHANS, MERCHANTS AND REVOLUTIONARIES
Morning speed train to the ancient city of Bukhara, home of legendary khans, crafty merchants and red revolutionaries.
Full day devoted to Bukhara and its many wonders: spectacular ancient mosques, mausoleums, and synagogues, antique necropolis, dusty backstreets, crumbling houses and – needless to say – Soviet art and architecture.
Overnight Bukhara.
DAY 10 | APRIL 10 | BACK TO TASHKENT
After a leisurely lazy morning in Bukhara, we’ll transfer back to Tashkent for a final photographic tour of the city by night.
Our Soviet Asia journey thus comes to an end and we’ll celebrate it properly hunting down the best plov – the archetypical Central Asian rice-and-lamb dish – in Tashkent.
Overnight Tashkent.
DAY 11 | APRIL 11| FAREWELL TO SOVIET ASIA
After sharing a last Uzbek breakfast together, we'll take care of your transfer to Tashkent International Airport.
Possible tour extensions to this itinerary include: Kyrgyzstan and/or Kazakhstan.
End of the tour.
2250 €
INCLUSIONS
Double/twin-room accommodation (breakfast included), private transport in Central Asia (car/minivan), train tickets, all entrance fees, English-speaking guiding service, Roberto Conte’s additional tour leading service, Roberto Conte’s evening lectures on architecture and photography, 24/7 on-site and remote assistance.
EXCLUSIONS
Single supplement (295 €), international flights, main meals (lunches and dinners), extra drinks, visa fees (if required), tips, travel insurance.
© Roberto Conte