Uzbekistan • 23 May, 2025
Secrets and Stories of the City: What Does Tashkent Tell Us?
“Tashkent Speaks” is an audio promenade performance that immerses the audience in a story woven from numerous elements, revealing the hidden treasures of the city. Personal accounts from residents, fragments from Dina Rubina’s novel “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” excerpts from documentaries about Tamara Khanum, quotes from interviews with Mark Weil, Elyor Ishmukhamedov, Ali Khamrayev, and material from television archives – all of this and more awaits you on a walk through Tashkent’s collective memory.
Beyond its unique format, the “Tashkent Speaks” tour is distinguished by its professional and attentive approach to every stage – from purchasing a ticket to the completion of the journey. Tickets are easy to purchase online through the project’s intuitive website or via the iTicket.uz system. During the tour, participants are provided with headphones playing a pre-recorded audio guide. Accompanied by a tour assistant ready to answer any questions, visitors embark on a journey through the city's hidden corners. The tour lasts 100 minutes, covers a distance of 3.5 kilometers (about 6,000 steps), and reveals mysterious and overlooked stories behind familiar landmarks, turning the city into a living stage set.
We spoke with the project’s executive producer, Fatima Arifjanova, about how the idea came to life and what lies ahead for the team that’s offering a fresh perspective on the city:
“Having worked for many years in tourism, creating both individual and group tours, I always noticed that visitors either arriving in or planning to visit Uzbekistan often requested to spend as little time in Tashkent as possible. Tourists preferred to focus on Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva, believing the capital had little to offer. The more I heard this, the more I wanted to prove the opposite – to show how many worthwhile places Tashkent has. While developing ‘Tashkent Speaks’, we carefully designed the routes to make the walk as convenient and comfortable as possible. One creative challenge we addressed was this: it’s often hard to find a tour guide whose personality matches the mood and expectations of a group. We eliminated all personal factors that could interfere with the city experience and created a story without the physical presence of a guide – but with their voice in the headphones. Years ago, when I was a child, every morning would start with the radio, and every hour a jingle would play, announcing the time with the phrase ‘Tashkent speaks.’ While working on the project and writing the script, we considered several potential titles, thinking we might find something better. But then something remarkable and meaningful happened. After another long planning session, my friend Oleg Nesterov – a musician from the band Megapolis and a truly amazing person – flew in. I picked him up at the airport, and the first thing he said was: ‘Friends, we’ve arrived – this is Radio Tashkent Speaks.’ He had no idea about our project, yet he said the exact same phrase. It was like a bolt from the blue – a sign. That’s when I knew the title had to stay. It took over six months from conception to realization. The process was intense and multi-faceted: we held numerous meetings and discussions with friends, colleagues, experts, historians, and ethnographers. Constant information gathering was essential to make the project complete and heartfelt. I even asked people on social media: “What is Tashkent to you? What would you recall if asked to describe the city? How would you characterize it?”” The voices of the project are its soul, and they deserve special mention. Actors from the Ilkhom Theatre, honored artists of Uzbekistan, singers, and ordinary residents of the city gave the tour emotional depth and offered stories that fully immerse the listener. Among them are: Seidulla Moldakhanov, Anton Pakhomov, Boris Gafurov, Yulia Plakida, Alexander Levchenkov, Alexander Borisov, Marina Turpishcheva, Gleb Golender, Vladimir Yudin, Vitaly Aminov, Oskar Jalilov, Yulia Usadova, Ali Khamrayev, Igor Lipkin, Soti Kamalov, Nastya Sergeeva, Vladimir Egorov, Klara Nafikova, Arina Marakulina, and Alisher Kanaev. Like a radio, the city speaks with many voices, blending different moods and eras: the audio includes real city sounds – birdsong, street noise, and the laughter of children playing in the mahalla.
“After gathering a huge amount of material, we began writing the script, composing music, recording voiceovers, and translating it all into Uzbek and English. The entire creation process involved many steps, including designing the ideal route with its twists and stops. Every element had to function in sync, which is why the time from idea to execution was so intense. We set the launch date in advance to be ready for the tourist season, to test everything and identify areas for improvement. Additional time was also needed to train the staff who would conduct the tours.
What does someone miss by not experiencing our performance? First and foremost – positive emotions. We’ve been operating for a year now, with two performances daily and three on weekends. Visitors consistently say the experience is not only high-quality but also emotionally resonant. The show is designed as if you're flipping through radio stations, landing on your favorite music and announcer’s voice, staying with what brings you joy.
I’m happy that our product appeals to both tourists and locals. Many come back, bringing their parents, children, and friends. To date, a huge number of people have experienced the show two, three, or even more times. They’re waiting for new episodes, new performances – and we’re planning exactly that. We’ll soon be announcing a new production. Our audience is very diverse in age: young people, adults, and even mothers with strollers. What unites them is a love for walking.”