Dushanbe in three days

For many years, living in Tajikistan, I have always been amazed how youngerly covered his life foreign media, and often Russian. Pages of newspapers, TV screens and radio ester have been filled with materials, which represented the road to my heart only as a country of beggars, drug addicts, thieves and prostitutes, where he does not pass without killings and explosions. Only in the last two or three years dried flow "Chernukhi", But with him and interest in the former Soviet Republic. Meanwhile, after the end of the civil war and signing in 1997, the peace agreement between official Dushanbe and the opposition of Tajikistan became a completely safe and stable country.

Not in vain in the next five years, Russia is ready to invest about 2 billion dollars in the economy of Tajikistan. Unique Space Station will be restored "Nurek", Made investments in the aluminum industry and hydropower of this mountainous country. Dushanbe deployed in Dushanbe 201th, the Russian motorized rifle division changed its status and became the largest Russian military base abroad.

But the topic of my article is not economic and not political. I want to invite our readers to go with me in this hospitable edge just to relax, for the beginning, the day three. So, buy a ticket for a plane, which fly from Moscow in Dushanbe every day (ticket price 180.E.). Three and a half hours on the road and you are in sunny tajikistan. Immediately from the airport, head to one of the capital’s hotels "Tajikistan", "Dushanbe", "Vakhsh". If you want to save, you can settle in a private house, I assure – you will not take a lot with you. And as soon as settle, immediately start to rest.

But what a rest on the hungry stomach? Going to the Central City Park on Rudaka Avenue and right in the fresh air, we order a kebab, a richly sprinkled onion, pilaf, lavash and green tea. Friendly tea maker will give you all this in a couple of minutes, wishes a pleasant appetite and will surely offer something hot (in Dushanbe makes their own vats and brandies, the benefit of their raw materials is plenty). In summer, under the rays of the hot Tajik Sun is not recommended. In winter, it is possible, and you can walk along the central avenue to the Opera and Ballet Theater. Sadreddin Ainy, where all the most important political events are held, the local ballet troupe acts. Once here, the All-Union Star of Ballet Ballet Malik Sobyrov danced, and now, even though there are no stars of this scale, but in the theater there are still laying of ballets, which create a surprisingly festive atmosphere in the Soul.

Not far from the theater in a small cafe, located in a shady alley, twenty years have been served by a delightful sauce. This is not what we are accustomed. Rather, this is not a sauce in our understanding of the word, but a delicious, moderately acute chowder from lamb, onion, Bulgarian pepper and potatoes in tomato broth. Under it you can miss grams of fifty "Dushanbinsk vodka" presidential filling. But no more. After that, it’s good to sit with a chamber of green tea and a pile, looking out of a slightly sleepy age on how life flows in the center of the capital.

In recent years, she has been very transformed. There are many beautiful foreign cars on the streets, the steering of which is seated by hot Tajik men with combatants back (like Sicilians) dense black hair. It should be noted not to note that Tajiks love to dress beautifully. Even on a hot day, they can wear an expensive suit with a tie and no dessend to put a gold ring with a diamond or other precious stone. From the Moscow point of view, this may be too much, but this is also the East, it’s not customary to hide your prosperity.

Of course, most beautiful Tajik women prefer to sit in their homes, do household and children. However, both the streets come across the streets, even on Moscow standards, expensive dressed beautiful girls are, mainly a student of the Russian-Tajik Slavic University. This is now the most prestigious university in Dushanbe, which is funded on parity principles. In it, the teaching staff represents the color of Tajik science and culture. Among the students of this university and Tajiks, and Uzbeks, Russians, and Tatars and even ethnic Germans (we will return to them).All of them are a class of enviable grooms and brides. But it is so, by the way.

A little rested, you have to walk. You can walk along the Dushanbinka River, which, in fact, is called a warzob, but when it flows through the capital, immediately turns into Dushanin. It is always cool here, the mountain streams with noise are broken by numerous granite boulders, boys catch fish. Water is so cold that even on the hottest day you can stand in it no longer than a few seconds, then drives legs. And wash the mountain water – one pleasure, you immediately feel the joy of existence on the ground-Mother. You can go to the zoo. It’s still standing here, having worried a trunk, the very elephant who once missed himself, he drew from his stall and went to the society of two monkeys to wander around Dushanbe, blowing the way to buses and cars. His then with the help of firefighters with difficulty was cast into place.

On the destructive roads

You can go to a concert hall "Borbad", who love Moscow celebrities. After the concerts of the mayor of Dushanbe, Makhmadsaid Ubaidullayev gives them tubets and luxurious pary bathrobes shied with golden threads. Such bathrobes have Luzhkov, Gazmanova, Kobzon and a few more dozen Russian pop politicians and stars. But to the fillet Kirkorov, although there are admirers of his talent, the attitude in Dushanbe is special. And not because it swirls a mat at press conferences, and because the local population can not hear his last name without laughter, which in Tajik consists of two roots: "Cyrus" and "corner". The last word means "Work", But the first is nothing but that, and, by the way, too, of three letters. That’s why I will never see the Kolata from the Dushanbine Mayor, as his ears.

On the second day, going to go to the Haji Obi Garm, for what will have to go along the mountain serpentine. This is the name of the place where the former health resort of the All-Union scale is being restored. Everybody loved to rest here: from politburo members to astronauts and writers. The most interesting is hot sulfur-hydrogen baths that function at the expense of underground sources. Stone benches are in the foundation. It is only worth entering and sit down on a warm stone, as literally a few seconds begins abundant sweating. Fifteen minutes and you looked for a couple of kilograms. The bathhouse will paint on you a clean bathrobe and suggest tea insoluned on mountain herbs. After two cups you will fall onto the topchany and wipe off the minimum of 20–30, and even an hour. But when you go outside, the world around you will transform – the sky will shine blue, grass and foliage on the trees will become emerald, and the mountain air will join the lungs by a lively balsam. It seems that they got up for ten years – this is the wonderful impact of local sources.

Having descended a few kilometers on the mountain serpentine, returning to Dushanbe. In the evening you can visit the Russian Dramatic Theater. Mayakovsky. The team here is interesting, distinctive, performances are put by the most modern, and the foyer serves beer and sandwiches with smoked fish and sausage. Just like in the old days. For the second day enough. At night looking Look Russian television programs and relaxing you!

In the morning, early you can organize fishing on one of the lakes, which are a lot around the capital. On bread and worm without any of the sizes, carp, crucian, crucible, and a higratory fish, which is called here "White". Because she has white and fat. In diameter it is up to half a meter, in the boiled and smoked form is extremely tasty. What is characteristic, for some reason, near a few ponds, for some reason, there are small wine collectors, where you will be offered and a free tour of the workshops and a cheap cold wine from which the appetite is terribly played. So, again there should be a snack. On the way to Dushanbe, we will mark on one of the markets and buy a shelter "Tanundori" — Paired lamb cooked in Tandoore (a kind of large jug without a bottom that performs the function of the furnace). The taste of this meat is not comparable with anything, it melts in the mouth and leaves a slight aftertaste of smoke from a fire mixed with mountain air. Accompanying this dish of greens, pellet and tea, you will provide yourself with calories until the evening. Having litters in a hotel, we continue to rest.

Shopping in Tajik

And what kind of rest without shopping? Stupid word? Let’s call it a shop store. Food products are not interesting to us, here is the same as in Moscow. But visiting art and jewelry salons will deliver joy. Cheap clothes stylized under national motifs: pure cotton, flax, wool. Knitting, embroidery, macrame. Large selection of products from carved wood and onyx, these are chess, backgammon, original figures, massagers. A huge number of silver products and semi-precious stones, which are cheaper here than in Russia. Still, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, where all this is extracted from the depths of the earth, – closer. Yes, and at the Tajik Pamir of such stones a lot. Inexpensive (Moscow standards) is painting. From some paintings written by oil just eye do not tear off. So their paints are colorful and at the same time gentle. And Tajik Neckak?! These are small (no more than five centimeters height) figures of people and animals, fashioned from clay, painted and lacquered. The charm of them is that the artists invest in their creation not only their talent, but also elements of Eastern philosophy, good irony, and sometimes sarcasm.

Well, as the east without a bazaar? Immediately it is necessary to understand that the eastern bazaar and the Moscow market, even if Eastern people trade is traded – this "Two big differences". Bazaars are in every district of Dushanbe, but we will focus on the two largest – Sakhovat (abundance) and the barocate (goodness). Sakhovat is located in the very center of the capital and takes several hectares. Approaching in the morning to this place, you immediately feel the unusual smell of freshness and hot bread. Here we trade with nuts of all existing varieties, dozens of honey grades, dried fruits (dried apricots, raisins, apples, prunes), freshest cottage cheese, sour cream, kaymak, fruits and vegetables. By the way, I will share a recipe for a very tasty and healthy breakfast, if you try – remember for life! Fresh cottage cheese is poured by Kaimak, cuts up with pieces covered by boiling water with boiling water (dried apricots), and then a pair of mountain honey spoons is added and Tajik lemon is squeezed. This citrus is derived by one of the breeders in the Vakhsh valley, it is very thin-dimensional and has an extraordinary aroma, whose taste is not to convey (the Moscow authorities loves to receive him in gifts).

And the barocate is quite another, here the kingdom of Lukulla. Meat (lamb and beef prevail), bird, eggs. All Fresh, the choice is huge. Prices are quite acceptable, but they can be reduced, desperately fighting for each Tajik "Kopeika". The more you select the seller – the topics with great respect he will treat you. But there is a whole shopping row here, which vividly indicates that Tajikistan is a secular country. Germans trade here, the ancestors of which were resettled here under Stalin, and so and stuck in this sunny country. They specialize in selling pork (fat, core, buuchin, carbonate, ham) and horse sausage. All this is amazing quality and absolutely fresh. There are always buyers here, and among them and Tajiks who are not averse to pampering their stomach in that it seems to be not very welcomed by Allah. Well, it is impossible to describe the atmosphere of the bazaar, you must come and see. The main thing is that the buyer is always right here.

"Lady Lama" On Varzobe

The last evening is recommended to spend on the Varzobe, the suburb of Dushanbe, where the mountain river the same name flows. It is only worth getting into this part of the neighborhoods of the capital, as the whole world retreats to the background, because the noise of the mountain river overlaps all the sounds, and you feel yourself isolated from barrage thoughts, worries and burden. It is best to descend to the river and settled on large wooden leaves covered with carpets and pillows. It makes sense, thoughtfully looking at the water rods rushing in front of you, drink chairs with green tea – this soul calms down and appetite raises. Then you can order sophisticated dishes – Ryabchikov and Trout, baked on coals. All this is found and caught in the next water and nearby mountain forests, so it is not very expensive. It is very tasty, especially if you come with ice vodka, the bottle of which the tea bag, like a wizard, will pull out on your eyes on a long line of razor.

And you can order something more exquisite. For example, dish called "Lady Lama". Prepare it will be next to you. First, they divor the fire between the stones and put Kazan on it. When it is glowing, there will throw chopped into pieces of Kurdnyny fat. As soon as it turns into golden crawls, it will be removed by Svimovka, put on the dish, cover the rings of the onion bow, they will quit and sprinkle with a slightly red pepper. This first dish queue is called "Gushti Mulla" — Mullah meat, t.E. Food well-willed person.

We observe further for the actions of the cook. It gives into a cauldron with boiling fat slices of lamb on the bones, adds large pieces of carrots, potatoes (all this is thoroughly clean, but not cleaner, otherwise taste is lost), turnip, zucchini, eggplants, onions, garlic, dill and a huge amount of cabbage leaves and Green. After that, the cauldron closes with a lid, and the gaps are embarrassed by raw dough. On small fire, the dish is preparing for about an hour. When the cover is removed from the cauldron, then the breathtaking smell deprives you of mind. Over the waters of Varzoba all freezes, even the noise of the river seems to be quieter. The cook brings you a piece of lamb, wrapped in a cabbage leaf from which spicy sauce dripping. Having experienced a terrific bouquet of smells, then bliss in the mouth and sacred warmth in the stomach, you understand that real food is not so much body appreciation, how much joy for soul and heart.

After a dense dinner, the innkeeper will cover you with the smell smoke and mountain water with a cotton blanket and you will leave to the blissful sleep. And waking up, you will feel that they have rested, as never rest. Which is typical, at night on this day you will sleep especially hard, and in the morning you will wait for surprise cheerful and happy.

Here, just three days we spent in Dushanbe and its surroundings, and such a feeling that two weeks rested, no less. Believe me, Tajikistan is a truly fabulous country to relax from everyday worries. Do not believe – check! But after all, Dushanbe is not all Tajikistan. We have not visited the north of the country where the Kairakum reservoir, whose shores are not visible in binoculars, and fish there is caught in size from whales. Beach there is no worse than in Turkey and on the azure coast. And the prices are so funny, which without a smile and wallet will not get. And the Pamir with his seven-fat peaks (the dream of all climbers), the freshest mountain air and the smell of snow. Yes you never know what’s wonderful can still be found in Tajikistan. I just need to come here.

As you, the dear reader, guess, I described you the best side of Dushanbe, how can it open up by the usual flight tourist. We do not apply for any qualified description of the socio-economic situation in these notes at all. Any Muscovite or a resident of another major Russian city is judging by him, facing Tajik "Gostarbaite" or poor families on sidewalks. This is also true, but, as you can see, not all.