When Samarkand is mentioned, travelers most often imagine ancient mausoleums and majestic mosques. Against the background of these structures, the bright building of the Russo-Chinese Bank stands out distinctly. I noticed it during my first trip here. Last month I managed to visit Samarkand again, and I decided to explore this building in more detail.
History of the building
As the name suggests, the building, facing the modern University (formerly Abramovsky) Avenue, once belonged to the Russo-Chinese Bank. Its Samarkand branch was opened in 1895. In general, at that time, several Moscow and St. Petersburg credit organizations operated in Central Asia. The largest of them was the Russo-Chinese Bank. I read that the appearance of such a number of banks in the region is connected with the opening of the Trans-Caspian Railway.
The decision to construct the bank building was made in 1896. When exactly the mansion was completed — is unknown to me. On the facade of the structure, you can see the number "1899". However, literature about this building writes that the work was completed a year earlier.
The financial organization was located in the building until 1917. By that time, the Russo-Chinese Bank had merged with the Northern Bank. The new organization was named the Russo-Asiatic Bank. Soon after the merger, it became the leader in the volume of operations throughout the empire.
In different years, the historic bank building housed a military hospital, a generic hospital, and the regional executive committee. After the Great Patriotic War, the structure was transferred to Samarkand State University. Interestingly, a few years ago I might not have noticed the bank building, as it was hidden from the eyes of passers-by by a 4-story building of the Faculty of Physics and Chemistry of the same educational institution. Today, part of this structure has been dismantled, and we can appreciate the architectural monument in all its glory.
Online maps indicate that the Museum of the Great Silk Road is located in the building today. I did not go inside, as I read quite a few negative reviews about this exhibition space: they write on the internet that there are very few exhibits here, and only four halls are available for visiting. I plan to come to Samarkand more than once. Maybe in the future, I will go to see the museum collection and will definitely write about it in one of my articles.
How to get there
Most often, I move around Samarkand on foot or by taxi. Many of the city's attractions, including the former bank building, are concentrated in the city center, so you can easily build an interesting walking route.
As I wrote above, the building faces University Avenue. The address of the structure on online maps is 94 Shakhrukh Mirza Street. Nearby are the Roman Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist and the Gur-Emir Mausoleum.
If you are planning to go to Samarkand and don't know where to stay, I recommend looking at hotels located on the territory of the Silk Road Samarkand complex. I, for example, almost always stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Afrosiyob; it is a modern hotel with an excellent level of service. Despite the fact that Silk Road Samarkand is located at a distance from the city center, you can get here by taxi in 15 minutes. Also here, on the territory of the complex, is the Eternal City. I talked about this attraction in my previous articles.
Happy travels!
