Far Tashkent is not only an important city, historically dating back to antiquity. It is also a centre contemporarily associated with the era of USSR domination. This is particularly evident in the architecture of this centre, rebuilt after the tragic earthquake. It is also a place that, in a peculiar way, is intertwined with the fate of our compatriots from both the Partitions and the Second World War.

Historical outline

Tashkent is a city with a remarkable history, dating back to the beginning of our era. The present capital of Uzbekistan is located at the crossroads of ancient trade routes. Already at the time of the Silk Road, it was an important centre connecting East and West. In its long history, the city has passed through the hands of successive empires: from the Achaemenid Empire, to Arab rule, to the time of the khanates of Central Asia.

The turning point in Tashkent's more recent history came with its incorporation into the Russian Empire in 1865. At that time, the city was divided into two parts: the old, with its maze of narrow streets and traditional architecture, and the new, more European, with wide boulevards and modern buildings.

An important moment in the city's history was the tragic earthquake of 1966, which caused massive damage. Reconstruction, undertaken on a grand scale by the Soviet Union, gave Tashkent its current post-Soviet character, with monumental architecture and sprawling squares.

Despite these changes, the city has retained its unique oriental charm, being a fascinating blend of tradition and modernity. Today, Tashkent is a dynamically developing metropolis, a testament to a rich and turbulent past.

Polish traces

Polish traces in Tashkent are primarily a legacy of the Partitions and World War II. Many Poles were exiled here as part of Tsarist repression, and in the 1940s, the city became one of the main centres for Anders Army soldiers and civilians evacuated from the USSR.

At that time, our language could be heard on the streets of Tashkent. Polish schools and orphanages operated here, and magazines were published. Thousands of refugees, including many artists and intellectuals, found temporary shelter here before continuing their journey to the Middle East and Europe. Their presence left a distinct stamp on the local community and culture.

The material traces include, above all, the architecture. The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, known as the 'Polish Church', which was designed by Polish architect Ludwik Panczakiewicz, remains an important landmark for the local Catholic community and a testimony to the Polish influence.

Polish graves are also extremely important memorials, including those in the Catholic cemetery, where Polish soldiers and civilians who did not survive the hardships of evacuation and life in exile are laid to rest. These are silent but eloquent monuments to the history of our compatriots far from their homeland.

There is no dedicated cemetery in Tashkent itself where our compatriots are buried, but Polish graves of World War II military and civilians can be found in the nearby town of Yangiyoʻl (formerly Yangi-yul), in the Tashkent region. Polish military quarters have also been created in the Olmazor cemetery, where victims of deportations and dead soldiers are buried.