Planting Flowers For May Day In Dushanbe

May Day (May 1), now Labor Day, is one of the biggest public holidays in Tajikistan and a key component of the celebration is beautiful beds of blooming flowers in every public space. The holiday is a holdover from Soviet times and the theme of recognizing workers, socialist solidarity, and a brutalist system meant to crush the everyman. OK, maybe that last part was more of a private celebration.

May Day is still celebrated in Tajikistan and they go all in on the flower part. Time to get planting.

"Let's go babushkas, these flowers don't plant themselves." The old women labor seems also to be a Soviet holdover.

Planting is for women, delivering is for the men. Multitasking. Plant a flower, make a Facetime call.

The end product is lovely. Spicing up the monument of Ismail Samani.

It's an impressive task, many boxes, many beds to fill. The planting areas are everywhere. More to do in Victory Park.

Another flower victory, around the Independence monument.

Taking A Look Around Dushanbe, Part Two

Horses, guns and paintings, Dushanbe has it all. Time to look at it.

White plus black equals black and white. Interesting. Sure.

Mini amusement. Small pleasures. Apartment construction with lifestyle dream on the front fence. Somehow, skiing and a nice parking garage are big selling points. Might have to tweak the focus group.

Golden parking spot.

Intimidating. Detail of a sculpture at Sadriddin Aini square. Splicing power.

Art for sale in a pedestrian street underpass. "Whadya looking for? Flowers? A horse? Some fruit? How about an old mill or some guns?"