1913 Pirogovsky Map of Tashkent, Uzbekistan (printed in Tashkent)

This is a rare 1913 map of Tashkent (Toshkent), the capital of today's Uzbekistan and a former Silk Road city, then the capital of Russian Turkestan and a major hub on the Trans-Caspian Railway. The map, likely administrative, was issued to illustrate Tashkent's electric tram system, launched in 1913.

A Closer Look

The map is centered on Amir Temur Square, at the time the heart of 'Russian Tashkent' - this being the well-laid out circum-radial city built by Russians after Tashkent's conquest in 1865. Coverage extends west to include Chorsu Bazaar, south as far as the important Tashkent Railways Station (a hub on the critical Trans-Caspain Railroad), and east to include the sprawling dacha (country home) of the prominent Russian merchant Ivan Pervushin (a significant figure who might be considered the father of the industrial revolution in Tashkent).

In the well-organized Russian part of the city, the map names streets, blocks, and, in some cases, house numbers. The important Voskresensky Bazaar (Воскр. базарь) is featured prominently. Just southwest of the bazaar is the imposing Tashkent Fortress, from 1865, the epicenter of regional Russian power. The Russian part of the city is distinctly separated from pre-Russian Tasheknt, the Old City, by the Akhor Canal (Ар. Ахоръ), here represented as a blue line running north-south through the city. The narrow alleyways and haphazard construction of this large district underscore the city's long history of organic growth.

Trams of Tashkent

The map pays special attention to electric tramways, both working and proposed, which are highlighted in red. These are certainly the raison d'être for this map. Trams were first proposed for Tashkent in 1901, but construction did not begin until 1912 and was not complete until 1913 - the year of this work. The tram network transformed Tashkent, already a populous city of some 250,000, by providing easy access to outlying regions, leading to urban expansion, a prolonged economic boom, and ever-increasing Russian influence.

Tashkent in 1913

In 1913, Tashkent was a rapidly growing city and the administrative center of Russian Turkestan. Its urban panorama, as seen here, reflected a blend of Russian colonial modernization and traditional Central Asian heritage. The city was divided into two distinct parts: the Old City, home to Uzbek, Sart, Kazakh, and Tajik communities with traditional bazaars, mosques, and mahallas; and the centrally-planned circum-radial 'European district,' characterized by Russian-style buildings, wide boulevards, government offices, and military installations. The Orenburg-Tashkent Railway, completed in 1906, made Tashkent a major transport and military hub - the key to Russian expansion in Central Asia. In 1913, the city saw further infrastructure expansion, including the introduction of electric tramways.

Publication History and Census

This map was compiled by Vladimir Pirogovsky (Вл. Пироговскаго) and printed in Tashkent in 1913. This is the only known surviving example.