Posts in category: Urban

Welcome to the third and final post in my Tashkent Metro feature. You can catch up from Part One here.

I came back to this station more than once. This one was just that great.

Kosmonavtlar is dedicated to the history of space exploration, and every surface shows it. The walls are lined with circular mosaic medallions depicting cosmonauts, the columns are wrapped in deep green glass tile, and the ceiling runs the length of the platform in overlapping glass scales that catch the light like something living. It is a blend of science and art, history and future, and it’s inspiring in the way that makes you want to do some watercolors, get a tattoo, or learn ballet.

Someday I would love to return (on my way to checking out the other ‘stans!) and possibly do some portraits in this station.

One of my greatest joys of 2025 was a solo trip to Uzbekistan. No real agenda, just explore, take in the culture, and take photos that interested me. Trips like this are something I try to prioritize every few years, because spending time alone in a new place with just my camera expands my creativity, improves my skills and exploring new locations influences the work I do for clients.

I hadn’t been researching long before I discovered that Tashkent has one of the most remarkable metro systems in the world. Each station was built during the Soviet era as both a public transit hub and a potential nuclear shelter, and each one was designed with its own distinct art and architecture. Photography in the metro stations was prohibited until 2019, because the transit system was classified as a military installation for decades after Uzbekistan declared independence in 1991. That explained why I could find very little online when I was researching.

That was all I needed to hear. Flights booked.

The metro system was a bit daunting at first, but folks were super helpful and once I figured out the system, it was super easy to navigate. Entry turned out to be surprisingly modern, just tap your credit card and walk through the gates. Each ride costs $0.14usd and as long as you stayed underground within the system you can ride as far as you want for that single fare.

The Tashkent Metro has three lines and around 30 stations spread across the city. I made it my mission to ride to every single one and take photos at every station that caught my eye. Some days I would surface, explore the neighborhood above ground for a while, then descend back into the next station. Every platform felt like stepping into a different world, each one with its own color palette, materials, and story told through the art on the walls.

Every station is still fairly heavily guarded and a few times a guard came over to question what I was doing. I don’t speak Uzbek or Russian, but showing them the back of my camera and flipping through the photos was enough and they left me to it.

I’m thrilled I went and excited to share some of my photos with you all. Over a few blog posts I’ll share a selection of images from some of my favorite Tashkent Stations.