Museum of the Victims of Repression

The Museum of the Victims of Repression, also known as the Memorial Museum to the Victims of Repression, is a history museum in the Yunusobod District of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Xiyobontepa Street. It was established in the early 2000s after independence to document political repression in the territory of Uzbekistan during the Russian imperial conquest of Turkestan in the 19th century and under Soviet rule. Its creation reflects the broader effort after 1991 to reassess the Soviet past and to honour people who were silenced or killed.

The exhibition covers several linked themes. It begins with resistance to the Russian conquest and colonial rule in the 1860s to 1910s, then turns to the Jadids, the reformist intellectuals of the early 20th century who promoted modern education and national culture. Writers and thinkers such as Mahmudkhoja Behbudiy, Abdulla Qodiriy, Abdurauf Fitrat and Cholpon are commemorated as victims of Soviet persecution. A central part of the museum deals with the Great Terror of 1937-1938 and later campaigns, including collectivisation, forced deportations, the persecution of religious leaders and the suppression of private property owners. Documents, photographs, personal belongings, books and reproductions of arrest and trial records illustrate individual fates.

The curatorial approach is thematic and chronological, combining documents, portraits and memorial elements designed to be sober and reflective rather than dramatic. The architecture is monumental and modern in character, and parts of the display are arranged to give a commemorative atmosphere. Labels are mostly in Uzbek, with some Russian and limited English.

The building and displays are in generally good condition as a relatively recent institution, though some materials have been updated over time as research has progressed. The museum is less visited by tourists than Tashkent's main sights, so the experience is quiet and focused. Visitors seeking context for the Soviet period in Central Asia often find it a useful complement to the State Museum of History. Because the subject is sensitive, visitors are expected to behave respectfully, and a local guide or translator is helpful for understanding the documents.