Palace of Grand Duke Romanov, Tashkent

Born in St Petersburg in the middle of the nineteenth century into the House of Romanov, he had a very privileged childhood. Most royal children were brought up by nannies and servants so by the time Nikolai had grown up he lived a very independent life having become a gifted military officer and an incorrigible womanizer. He had an affair with a notorious American woman Fanny Lear. In a scandal related to this affair, he stole three valuable diamonds from the revetment of one of the most valuable family icons. He was declared insane and he was banished to Tashkent.

He lived for many years under constant supervision in the area around Tashkent in the southeastern Russian Empire (now Uzbekistan) and made a great contribution to the city by using his personal fortune to help improve the local area. He was also famous in Tashkent as a competent engineer and irrigator, constructing two large canals, the Bukhar-aryk (which was poorly aligned and soon silted up) and the much more successful Khiva-Aryk, later extended to form the Emperor Nicholas I Canal, irrigating 12,000 desyatinas, 33,000 acres (134 km2) of land in the Hungry Steppe between Djizak and Tashkent. Most of this was then settled with Slavic peasant colonisers.

In 1890 he ordered the building of his own palace in Tashkent to house and show his large and very valuable collection of works of art and the collection is now the center of the state Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.

Sight description based on Wikipedia.

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Sight Name: Palace of Grand Duke Romanov
Sight Location: Tashkent, Uzbekistan (See walking tours in Tashkent)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Tashkent Introduction Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Create Your Own Walk in Tashkent

Creating your own self-guided walk in Tashkent is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Tashkent Introduction Walking Tour

The capital city of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, also historically known as Chach, is the country's cultural, industrial and administrative hub. First settled some time between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC, throughout its long history the city has had various changes in political and religious affiliations. The name Tashkent comes from the Turkic tash and kent, which literally means "Stone... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.0 Km or 2.5 Miles

Islamic Architecture Walking Tour

A visit to Uzbekistan is like leafing through the charred chapters of the Silk Road. Nowhere is this ambiance more exemplified than within the Islamic architecture adorning the streets of Tashkent.

One such architectural jewel is the Kukeldash Madrasah, dating back to the late 16th century. There is talk of making it into a museum, but it is currently still being used as a religious school.
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles

Shopping in Tashkent

In the East they say, "A guest on your doorstep is happiness in your home!". Indeed, the Uzbeks, like no other people, are happy to welcome foreigners to their exotic world of aromas, tastes and cordial relationships manifested in authentic local food and products. In Tashkent you can find both of these, and in a great variety, on the street markets (bazaars), in smaller shops and big... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 6.0 Km or 3.7 Miles

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