Dushanbe I

On the outskirts of Dushanbe stands a huge cement factory. All the walls have been painted with propaganda staff.

This is a cheap and good place to eat. It's called "Soviet bistro" and is decorated with Soviet memorabilia.

In Dushanbe some sort of wedding dress cult has spread all over the city.

A wedding dress can be found even outside the main department store...

..and inside it.

The store hasn't changed that much for the past 30 years.

And this place is called "salesman's corner" and has a quote of Maxim Gorky - "just in the work and only in the work a man's great".

The main park in the centre and the president's palace in the middle.

The alternative to begging is to make business with offering people to weight them. Very popular all over ex-USSR.

And people also make money by working as telephone attendands.

Another optimistic propaganda poster of the president.

The main post office.

Events list of the local opera. Look at the hours when the plays take place - it's only mornings. Opera in Dushanbe is for kids only.
Photos by (c) Arnis Balcus