Seeing Suzani Embroidery In Tashkent

Suzani is a traditional Uzbek style of embroidery that's been practiced for generations. It's done by hand, by women, frequently as part of a bride's dowry. There was a nice show in Tashkent recently, showing off the fine work and process of the artist Madina Kasimbaeva.

Glorious stuff. Some beautiful examples.

Where to begin? The exhibition had a nice section, detailing the steps from drawn design on blank fabric to finished, color piece. Once you're done drawing the pattern, it's all embroider by color.

Seeing the progression, a march of more color and more decoration.

Getting close to the final example. Bam, going all in. A detail of a finished piece.

An overview of a large throw. Trippy.

Modern Milliy Stadium In Tashkent

Milliy means national in Uzbek and it's a fitting title for the largest, most impressive stadium in the country. The stadium was built in 2012 and it can seat you and 33,999 of your closest friends. And it looks cool.

Exterior view, all white sail cloth in a triangle pattern. Whispy.

Interior details. The locker room. Clean. The press conference dais. Quiet.

Ahh, where the action happens. Nice seats in Uzbek flag colors and a good overhang to shield folks from the sun.

There's a bit of winning history on the site for various football clubs. The current stadium replaced an old structure, built in 1986. Glory lives on in the trophy room.

A closer look at the signature exterior decoration.  

Great Patriotic War Memorial In Tashkent

Every former Soviet city has a sobering Great Patriotic War Memorial. That's WWII for you Westerners. The memorials are unique and still share similar design elements. Some sandstone colored marble, bronze sculptures and friezes. Heroic soldiers, styled in a generic, graphic, socialist design. Time to pay some respect.

The impressive, double wall bronze frieze at the entrance. The struggle and fight have been posted.

Some of the humble graves. A bit like Arlington Cemetery near Washington DC. A detail of the bronze frieze. GI Vladimir.

The main part of the memorial, an eternal flame. And the current symbol of reverence in a post-Soviet world, a Weeping Mother statue.

More details. A tribute to the homefront production for the war effort. Flower boxes, needing a little growth.

Back to the bronze frieze, depicting war as heroic. And hell.

Tashkent Japanese Garden

The cleanest, greenest, most lovely park in Tashkent is the Japanese garden. Of course it is, it's modeled after Japan. And it charges admission.

Ahh, lush lawn, meandering walk, stone lantern. Relaxing.

A little brook with arched wood bridge. Plenty of shaded meadow for a Sunday picnic.

Water features are important.

More little architectural elements that evoke Japan.

A nod to summer programming, an outdoor screening area. Gotta have something for the peeps bored by nature.

Getting Local History At The Almaty Museum

Almaty has a cute museum, dedicated to a somewhat random mix of local history, culture, cool things. It's worth a visit to get a small idea of what was happening in the Almaty area way back and not so far back when.

Fittingly, the museum is housed in a vernacular, rural, folk-like wood building.

Let's start a while ago, when men wore big hats and women showed off their embroidery work. Jumping forward in time, a view of a typical Tsar, Soviet-era urban apartment of a family with a bit of money.

Honoring the backbone of the village, the women busy spinning and sewing all day.

Twentieth century objects. Sewing machine with pattern book. Make your child dapper. Post office cancellation stamps.

Fun stuff. An exhibition on the Kazakh film industry. Lots of objects on display related to the Central Asia equivalent of the Sword and Sandal movie genre. Think Silk and Yurt epics.

Looking At The Kamenskoe Plateau Observatory In Almaty

Sometimes the Soviets were interested in more than staring at the West. Way up on a hill (of course) sits a cute series of small observatories. The complex was founded in 1947, as part of the Fesenkov Astrophysical Institute.

One of the domed observatories. There are more observatories dotting the hill. Sprouting watchers.

Stepping inside. The base of a telescope is anchored through the floor. Up a flight, the Big Boy presents itself. Let's get cranking.

OK, just a minute to hand crank the old school, classic, wood slat dome.

In the base of one of the observatories is a makeshift gallery with a display of cool, old instruments. Looking a little Soviet 70's retro. Tuning into VOA when the boss isn't looking, no doubt.

Winter bliss on top of the mountain. A painting in the lobby of the institute.

Constructing A fantasy In Almaty

Plain, old construction fences in Almaty have sprouted fantastical scenes of verdant nature, epic landscapes, thick forests, anything to disguise the hum drum, dusty, dirty building projects that lie within. One is transported, maybe for a few seconds.

Typical construction project wrapping. While not fooling anybody, at least better than old style "Post No Bills" signage.

Mountain peaks and lush meadows. The pixelation of the people is drifting into the movie, Blow-Up, territory.

Real foreground, fake background. Not quite a seamless segue.

Kazakhstan highlights. Bursting blooms somewhere and endless wheat.

Quick hits. Real green again in the foreground, a sort of View-Master run through of breath-taking Kazakh scenery running along the background.

Details Of Almaty

Another town, another set of interesting things to record. At least to us. Maybe you also?

Some sort of "solarium" on the top floor of the Academy of Sciences building. Kind of a jungle vibe. It gets cold in the winter in Almaty. You do what you can to bring the tropics to you when you need them.

Floating things in a kiddie pool. Apparently, a fun game. Inflatable restaurant sign. Uninviting.

Back at the Academy of Sciences, the grand staircase to the Important Bust.

Unrelated images in the stairwell of the Military museum. Blue basement corridor at the Green Market.

Drained pool.

Formal wear dreams at a stall in the central market. Sneaking sculpture in late afternoon light.

Asleep amusement park ride. Waiting for opening, once dark arrives.