Mosaic is an ancient form of cultural expression and narration dating from the 3rd millennium BC. Later, mosaics spread throughout the ancient world: from Persian palaces to Hellenistic villas, from the provinces of the Roman Empire to the houses of Sogdian merchants in the center of Central Asia. The Soviet Union adopted mosaic as a means of disseminating ideas, and since the 1960s they have become a popular way of decorating public buildings. Residential buildings, schools, kindergartens, universities, factories, bus stations, pools, cultural centers and other buildings were decorated with mosaics glorifying the working class and representing a vision of scientific progress and education.
Unfortunately, since their creation in the 1970s and 1980s, few mosaics have been preserved or restored. Moreover, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, many mosaics were partially damaged or destroyed. Severe weather and weather, as well as the lack of proper attention and care led to a further decrease in their number.
In recent years, the mosaic of Soviet times has been of increasing interest, and nowadays, in many other countries of the former Soviet Union, there are sites dedicated to them. These websites serve as a popular resource for tourists who want to learn more about the history and culture of the places they visit. Thus, Dushanbe mosaics that need to be documented and protected to maintain links with the past and to develop tourism can be a valuable resource for attracting tourists to urban areas.
This project fills the gap in Tajikistan, where there is great interest in mosaics. Our approach differs from other projects in the post-Soviet space in that the website will be interactive and provide not only a map, but also high-quality mosaic images and multilingual (Tajik, Russian and English) stories about their origin and significance.