Dioramas At The Namangan Museum of Local Lore

Usually, the best parts of a regional museum are the old dioramas. The themes, the patina, the ragged glory of how to best indoctrinate youth so many years ago. The Namangan Museum of Local Lore has a great set of old dioramas, full of grand intentions.

King cotton. Namangan is in the Fergana Valley, a major area for growing the crop. Not sure why they're growing dystopian giant cotton that dwarfs the harvesting machinery.

The local fauna is always a popular subject. Maybe those major horns keep you from seeing birds pluck major prey right behind you? Bored boar.

An elaborate set of a mountain road with military vehicle, representing the 1980s era Soviet war in Afghanistan.

More crop props, now for wheat. Fun with photo blow up backgrounds. Antelope, perhaps saiga.

Frothing wolf. "I need the dentist!"

Visiting The Namangan Museum of Local Lore

Every town in Uzbekistan seems to have a regional museum. There's usually a collection of archeological things, tools, Khan era customs, economic might displays, some leftover Soviet era propaganda. What's important to Namangan?

Grand entrance with gold lions.

Portraits of Soviet officers and more military might in the cases. Tsar era furniture, luggage from the upper class set.

Covering up. A diorama illustrating a typical Muslim home from the 1800s.

More elder honoring, the requisite picture on a vase. Going way back to dino time, looking a little like a homemade Halloween house set. Fun with burlap.

The future is now! Fast train, named the Afrosiyab, coming at you.

A Bee-Utiful US Program Near Andijan, Uzbekistan

Sarah gets to helps all sorts of people. One of the programs she managed in Uzbekistan assisted rural women near Andijan. The program taught beekeeping to local women so they could learn a skill and gain a little financial independence. Time for a visit.

Sarah meets the women. They bought matching beekeeping outfits, adorable.

Some of the colorful hives. Time for a bee peek.

Always good to start the festivities with the National Anthem.

"Ooh, for us?!" Presenting a new extractor. Let the honey start flowing! Random cow portrait. Villages always seem to have a variety of livestock. Are bees livestock?

The other part of any gathering, a good meal. Non bread, iconic.

A Soviet Era School In Andijan

Time to get an an education on what a Cold War period school looks like.

Outside the front entrance, a small group of bird sculptures. Mascot?

Classroom. Auditorium dais.

Chairs and desks.

Sewing shop. Indoor gym.

A little freshen for the next semester. From quill to laptop!

Wandering Around Andijan, Uzbekistan

Ahh, what are some cool things to see in Andijan, a sizable town in the Fergana valley, Uzbekistan?

A man and his bovine.

Outside amphitheater grandstand. Simple village lunch.

Giant eagle sculpture, shading restaurant chairs.

Market meat. Damaged rabbit park ornament.

World War II monument with standard weeping mother statue. Time and city development moves forward.

Everything Is Available At Andijan's Eski Bazaar

In Uzbekistan, the local markets are the best places to shop. Huge, messy, busy, defiantly not just another grocery store chain outlet. Buy like they did on the Silk Road.

Behold big Eski Bazaar in Andijan.

Maybe start with a little spice and a little vegetable. You gotta get some nan bread from the beared bread man.

How are you going to cook your feast? Head to hardware and get a giant plov pot.

Don't forget the high sugar drinks. All sealed and ready for a quick purchase. A choosy shopper.

You need flour? You need flour! See this guy, he's got all the varieties.

Dioramas And Dead Things At The Andijan Museum Of History And Culture

What's a museum in Uzbekistan without a swashbuckling diorama or a parade of taxidermy? A boring museum. Hooray, Andijan's museum is definitely not boring.

Fly like an eagle. Or hawk. Or falcon. Or brown bird. Let's be safe with identifying it as some sort of brown bird.

Starting at the beginning, the Stone Age Man. Check out the mystery animal, monster, thingy that's about to emerge and attack. Rabid wombat? Moving forward in time, a depiction of a Silk Road era walled city. Love how the 2D painting does most of the 3D lifting.

More fun with 2D vs 3D. An Uzbek uprising in 1916. Basically, a mural with some columns and one and a half carts as foreground props.

Bird, perched on a massive stick jutting out of a mountain. Rats. Squeeze too hard and the stuffing pops out. And you might lose your talon. Ouch to everyone.

Shake that tail feather. With a little bush support.

The Andijan Museum Of History And Culture

Or Museum of Local Lore. The repository has several names. It's a typical museum for a small town in Uzbekistan, filled with old and recent history, handicrafts, maybe some paintings, a treasured plate. Time to take a tour.

Impressive outside. Enter now!

Before heading in, be sure to check out the elaborate, raised stone mural on the facade. Uzbek heritage in Soviet, Brutalist style. Inside, re-creating a painter's little studio.

Typical gallery room, filled with artifacts. Nice collection of wood cradles.

More old stuff. A classic, old chapan robe, in ikat style. A grave matter.

More paintings. Camels and fields of cotton, always good, local tropes.