Fun Taxidermy At Khudayar Khan Palace

Many attractions in Uzbekistan have been restored and then left with the quandary of what to put in all the lovely, empty rooms. Some fancy furniture, maybe textiles? Frequently, stuffed animals fill the void. Taxidermy rocks!

The Khudayar Khan Palace in Kokand devotes a little space to some dead creatures. The combination of old, stuffed animals against what looks like extreme blow ups of low-res photographs makes for a bit of a surreal impression.

Display cabinets with additional creatures that didn't make the cut into a case.

Hello eyeless...what? Deranged duck.

Owl, perhaps waiting on a tootsie pop.

Fierce pheasant. Another fuzzy animal. A mini bear with a shag overcoat? Fashionable wolf?

Back in the marsh, this duck did a bit of an over-bleach. Oh, the vanity.

The Palace of Khudáyár Khán in Kokand, Uzbekistan

Khudáyár Khán Palace was built in the 1870s by, well, Khudáyár Khán. You build it, you name it. Tsarist Russia showed up, eventually drove the Khan from his humble home and then the mean Bolsheviks destroyed most of the palace. No taste. Post-independent Uzbekistan has carried out a couple of restorations and today glimpses of old grandeur can be seen, as well as a couple of museums.

Good front on a grey day. A giant platform in the plaza is frequently present for shows, exhibitions.

Babushka and inner courtyard. Colorful column.

Throne room, fancy.

In case one takes the restoration for granted, there's a nice "before" section on display. All cleaned up! When few artifacts remain, you display what you have. Carts and a door.

In the museum for local tools, materials. On display, a funky, curved, semi diorama horse portrait thing. Inventive.