Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, will build a large, modern, interactive library in each of the city’s 12 districts, with construction sites already selected for all of them, Mayor Shavkat Umurzakov announced in an interview with the state news agency UzA.
The centrepiece of the initiative is the redevelopment of Blue Domes, a garden area on SharofRashidov Avenue in Yakkasaray district. Officials plan to convert the site into a public space centred on reading culture.
Umurzakov said the effort, announced in July, will restore the complex’s historic character and move forward with input from readers and public discussion.
The initiative follows a presidential decree signed on July 29, ordering the creation of a round-the-clock Book Street in the Blue Domes garden. The decree calls for regulating commercial activity in the area, carrying out beautification work, and hosting public events in the open square.
According to Umurzakov, the decree positions books and reading as a fundamental part of city life. “Think of it this way: someone leaves their home and finds a reading corner right in their own neighbourhood,” he said, adding that such spaces are being rolled out across all 585 mahallas in the capital. Residents heading to their district centre, he said, will also find a modern library there.
The mayor also announced the launch of a citywide Best Reader contest, continuing an initiative first introduced by the president.