Istiklol Peoples' Friendship Palace

The Istiqlol Palace of Arts in Tashkent, which was called the Peoples' Friendship Palace during the existence of the USSR, is one of the most important concert venues in the country. The architect of the building was Rozanov, according to his design, the palace was built in 1980, and opened in 1981, and was intended for various cultural events. The palace building is also used during the country's visits by various official guests and foreign delegations.

During its existence, the palace has changed its name several times. The original name of the Peoples' Friendship Palace was changed to the Istiqlol Palace of Art in 2008 by decision of the Republican Commission on the Ordering of Names of Toponymic Objects in the Republic of Uzbekistan. Then, in 2018, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the president of Uzbekistan, made a proposal to return the historical name to the palace. In the same year, the Tashkent city Kengash of People's Deputies approved his decision and the name "Friendship of Peoples" was returned to the Istiqlol Palace.

The exterior of the palace was designed under the influence of the famous historical archaeological finds of Varakhsha and Kampir Kala. Therefore, its exterior is an original architectural form — a regular square structure of even shape with exactly the same four walls, decorated in a uniform finish.

The reconstruction of the building now accommodates almost four thousand visitors, and the area of the concert complex is more than ten thousand square meters. This gives Istiklol the first place among all concert venues in Uzbekistan. It is here that all the most important and significant events for the country take place, performances by foreign and Uzbek pop stars are held, concerts and festive events are held, as well as official ceremonies are held during visits by representatives of foreign countries.

The importance of the building is emphasized by its image on the national currency and on national awards. In particular, the image of the Peoples' Friendship Palace in Tashkent is present on the 100 soums bill, which was the largest banknote in the country at the time of the introduction of the national currency souma in 1994. The building of the Istiqlol Palace of Arts is also depicted on the Order of Mehnat Shuhrati, established in 1995.