Tashkent is witnessing heated debates over the fate of historical buildings. Alisher Kadyrov, leader of the Milliy Tiklanish party, sharply criticized the Cultural Heritage Agency, stating that some buildings in the city center, despite their status as cultural heritage sites, hold no value for society. He cited a certain "house of a Russian artist," whose value, in his opinion, is incomparable to monuments like Shahi Zinda.

Kadyrov stated that the state must take a differentiated approach to cultural heritage sites and not direct equal attention and resources to all buildings. "In the center of Tashkent, some old building that could be demolished is protected as a cultural heritage site: it has been fenced off, there are lawsuits and scandals around it. This is a useless building — some house of a Russian artist. It needs to be removed. Why do we need it? What value does it represent for us as a cultural heritage site? What is its significance? Is its value comparable to even one-thousandth of Shahi Zinda? And it doesn't matter who this artist is," Kadyrov said. However, it remains unclear from his speech which building he was referring to.

Kadyrov also commented on the work of the Cultural Heritage Agency. According to him, the agency should pay more attention to preserving national cultural heritage. "The agency must first and foremost pay attention to our national culture. When we ask for more budget funds to be allocated to you, we ask for them to be allocated to protect our national culture, not everything indiscriminately," he said.

The statement came amid ongoing discussions in Tashkent about the fate of historical buildings. In particular, the situation with house No. 7 on Babur Street, which is under state protection, is being considered separately. On September 8, the Cultural Heritage Agency appealed to the Prosecutor General's Office to provide a legal assessment of the circumstances related to this building. Another building that concerns Tashkent residents is the Sergei Yesenin House-Museum, which was closed for major repairs in autumn 2025. According to official reports, the work was supposed to be completed and the museum reopened on December 31, 2025. However, September 2026 has arrived, and the museum doors remain closed. Citizens have asked Saida Mirziyoyeva to intervene in the situation.

Source: podrobno.uz