I continue to savor the sights of the city of Tashkent. On my Saturday morning run with Obi near the Russian Orthodox Diocese (territorial jurisdiction) Headquarters in Tashkent. In Orthodox Christianity, a synod, a formal council of clergy (a new word for me), runs the various dioceses. The Patriarch reorganized the Orthodox Churches in 2011 for all of the Central Asian former Soviet Republics to be one diocese. The building used to be the residence of the ruling bishops of the Tashkent Diocese back when there were many more ethnic Russians here. I read it also used to be a hospital and I saw a group of nurses cleaning the pathways around the property while I was running by so there probably is a Russian hospital on the property. Byzantine Orthodox mosaics are beautiful, and the onion domes are distinctive. I am heartened by the Orthodox Christian Church to still be present in the ever-increasing Muslim majority post-independence Uzbekistan. As an American, I value religious freedom and a secular government.
The city improved the pathways along a canal that runs between the Ring Road and the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, also in the area. I noticed city officials are creating nicer walking paths along the various canals that run through the city. The next step would be to try to connect the pathways to create longer routes and loops. They could also publish route maps and promote Tashkent as a city great for walking. I also took a cool photo of four classic early 1980s Soviet apartment complexes. The four 19-story apartment blocks form a half circle around Hamid Olimjon (Uzbek poet) Square, named after the train station underneath. Some people think they are an eyesore, but I like them.
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