Victory Park, Dushanbe

Victory Park was completed in 1985 to mark the 40th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War. The hillside memorial includes an eternal flame, an Alley of Heroes, and a mother figure shown as a bas-relief rather than a free-standing statue. The park was based on a 1970s plan that was never completed, which originally included a much larger “Motherland” monument and cascading pools up the slope.

At the top, a tiled wall shows the hammer and sickle with the words “No one is forgotten, and nothing is forgotten” in Russian and Tajik. A nearby granite slab lists Tajik soldiers awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.The long stairway is designed as a “field of grief,” reflecting the war in which more than 300,000 people from Tajikistan fought and over 60,000 did not return. The summit can be reached either by climbing the steps or by car or taxi using a winding road.

Today, the park is both a memorial and a place to relax. It is busiest on Victory Day and during Navruz, when flowers are laid at the monuments. Chaikhanas, shaded paths, and benches support everyday use, while higher viewpoints attract visitors in the evening, especially at sunset.