Behold The Museum Of Olympic Glory!

Such a modest museum. Throw a little javelin, jerk a bunch of weights, bring home some bauble made of gold. Tashkent has a museum dedicated to the wonder of the olympics, both for Uzbek achievements and athletes worldwide. Go gaze at the glory.

Cool building. A circular example of classic, midcentury modernist Soviet style architecture.

Inside, a procession of displays and artifacts. Gotta celebrate the construction of the museum. Is building not a sport? Getting closer to athletic achievement, a display of ceremonial torches used for various games. In the middle, Moscow 1980.

Display of general 20th century Olympic games history.

Personal glory. Strongman detail from a heroic mural. "Lift that rock!" A more modern, delicate champion: Nadia Comaneci.

A weightlifting exhibit. Uzbeks are strong (ahem) in the brute competitions of boxing, weightlifting, whatever MMA-like sports are currently included in the games.

All Aboard The Tashkent Railway Museum

Where to park all those old, Soviet era locomotives and trains? How about across the street from the train station? Put a fence around them, charge admission and, Bam!, it's a railway museum. And kind of cool.

Front entrance. Introductory locomotive.

Trains galore. Coal and diesel, green and blue. Climbing aboard encouraged. Definitely the Red Star line.

A coal cab. Heavy metal.

Another Soviet badge, nice detail work. Coal fired, steam powered is not for casual riding. You can never have too many bolts for engineering solidity.

Big wheels, no longer turning. Still, looking good.