Youth preserves Soviet mosaics in Tajikistan

Abdourakhmon Karaïev, a 17-year-old high school student from Bokhtar in southwestern Tajikistan, photographs and documents Soviet-era mosaics that are vanishing due to destruction or being covered over. He shares these images on his Instagram account, tajikmosaics, to preserve a record of these artworks.

Interest sparked during a trip to Moscow

Karaïev became interested in mosaics while in Moscow, where he noticed them in metro stations. He was fascinated by the detail and learned they were made of smalt, a type of colored glass. This experience led him to explore mosaics in his own country, where he found a similar heritage rapidly disappearing.

Focus on historical and artistic value

Karaïev is drawn to mosaics for their historical value, artistic complexity, and their organic fusion with architecture. He contrasts them with recent constructions, which he believes do not integrate as naturally with the city's architecture. The destruction of several buildings, including the Rohat tea house and the Avicenna mosaic in Dushanbe, has pushed him to document these works.

Discoveries in Bokhtar and beyond

In Bokhtar, a few mosaics have been preserved, and Karaïev has discovered works unknown even to the inhabitants. He has identified at least eight mosaics, including a work by Sabzali Charipov, which is half-covered by an adjacent shop. Some mosaics still exist but are not visible, having been plastered over or covered with other patterns.

Unexpected finds and shared enthusiasm

Karaïev recalls an unexpected discovery of the Icarus mosaic in a dilapidated house of culture belonging to a transformer factory. He and others were overjoyed upon finding the mosaic and frescoes. He also discovered a room entirely covered in mosaics, which he describes as a dining room with all walls covered in mosaic.

Documenting with limited resources

During the summer of 2025, Karaïev created his Instagram account and regularly posts photos of mosaics he has discovered, focusing particularly on regions. He does not have a professional camera and uses friends' phones or a school camera borrowed from a teacher.

Advocacy for preservation and recognition

Karaïev believes the best decision for the future of mosaics is not to touch them and to grant them the status of cultural heritage. He laments that the fate of mosaics in Tajikistan is one of the saddest in the post-Soviet countries, with destructions occurring discreetly in regions. He believes people do not understand that mosaics represent history, art, architecture, and potential tourism.

Hope for a lasting legacy

Karaïev dreams that his Instagram account could become part of a larger project, such as archives or exhibitions. He is ready to share all the archives and data he has collected over two years. He hopes that in 20 years, his photos may be the only testimony of what Tajik cities looked like.