Tashkent, Uzbekistan - June 2026
The Tashkent Metro opened on November 6, 1977 with nine stations and has since grown to about fifty across four lines: the Chilonzor Line (1977), the Oʻzbekiston Line (1984), the Yunusobod Line (2001) and the Circle Line (2020). Each station has its own theme, often tied to its name, and is finished in marble, granite, ceramics and glass. After independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, many stations lost their Soviet-era names; Mustaqillik Maydoni, for example, was Lenin Square until November 1, 1991. For decades, the system was also treated as a nuclear shelter, and photographing inside was prohibited by law until 2018. The Tashkent Metro was a part of a broader Soviet project to rebuild the city after an earthquake in 1966 and turn the city into a showcase of Soviet art, infrastructure, and modernism. Tashkent’s metro also demonstrates the Soviet and communist emphasis on public infrastructure and goods (along with the famously ornate bus stops found throughout Central Asia).
Highlights of the Tashkent Metro
Select a station to see my photos and some background
Positions are approximate. Streets, canals and metro lines: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Photography inside the metro was banned by law until 31 May 2018.
I first met the Tashkent Metro in 2024, when I was still working out how the former Soviet city fit together. Among the legacies of that era, it was the one that stood out most: a massive public transit project whose stations are fitted out in ornate marble and mosaics, built when the USSR treated top-notch government services, and transportation above all, as a point of pride. Like the mosque complex and the bazaar, it was almost entirely free of tourists, which made riding it feel like slipping into everyday life instead of visiting an attraction.
When I came back in 2026, the city felt routine instead of foreign, so I took the time to explore most of the stops, and the metro became one of my highlights of the trip. Many stations date from the Soviet period and carry themes of technology, literature and national pride. Kosmonavtlar was the most beautiful, honoring Yuri Gagarin and other pioneers of the space age and space race. The metro also turned out to be the practical way around town, taking me to Chorsu Bazaar and on to Yangiobod Market for Soviet antique hunting.
If you go…
Paying: You can buy a paper QR ticket with cash or card for single rides. For several rides, buy an ATTO transport card at a station ticket office or a post office, and a bank card or phone wallet can work as a backup. Check current fares at tashmetro.uz.
Photos: Photography was banned until 2018 and is now allowed, so bring your camera. The stations are the main attraction and taking a long ride from one side of town to another and stepping out to see each stop of interest is a good way to plan it.
Which stations: Alisher Navoiy, Paxtakor, Oʻzbekiston, Kosmonavtlar and Mustaqillik Maydoni are all close together and easy to combine in one afternoon. Alisher Navoiy and Paxtakor are the same transfer, so you can see both without leaving the system. Alisher Navoiy and Kosmonavtlar are the most essential.
The metro itself is a good way to get around Tashkent in a utilitarian sense, using it for transportation can save time and money.
Pay attention to norms on the metro and be respectful. Avoid eating, littering, or being loud and disruptive.
