Our Spring Break 2026 ended this past weekend. The weather was just divine, with signs of spring and new growth everywhere around the city. We had a relaxing time in the city, although I did do a bit of work every day. On this last weekend, we spent most of it supporting Ocean for her IB Diploma Programme Visual Arts Exhibition. We drove around Tashkent with Ocean, taking photos so she could complete a photography work in her exhibition. We took photos of architecture, people and street scenes.
One of my favorite buildings in the city is the Romanov Palace. The Russian Emperor Nicolas I exiled his grandson, Grand Duke Nikolai Konstantinovich Romanov, to Tashkent for stealing his mother’s diamonds to give to his mistress. Nikolai lived here from 1890 until his death in 1918. He was an avid hunter, and you can see the statues of hunting dogs on the balcony above the main entrance. The Grand Duke did a lot to spur the development of the city, including using his fortune to build several canals. He was buried at St. George’s Cathedral, which was destroyed by the Soviet government. A monument was recently restored there, and I will need to check it out before I leave Tashkent. Nikolai’s palace was a museum for many years and most recently a reception gathering place for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I have never seen it open in my seven years in the city.
The other building of note is the nearby State Museum of History of Uzbekistan, formerly the Lenin Museum. It was built in 1970 and according to UNESCO, “The building’s monumental façade blends modular modernity with Islamic-inspired decoration, featuring pandjara-like sunscreens and honeycomb elements that recall the Islamic muqarnas, while the extensive use of prefabricated concrete and glazing speaks to its modernist roots.” I love the building and the neighborhood around it. It is one of my favorite localities in the city.
We went out to dinner a few times towards the end of break. We had a fantastic dinner at La Mer Restaurant on the recently renovated Shota Rusevelti Street. I did a lot of cycling over the break, including doing a few laps inside the Yangi Uzbekistan Park (below).
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