Polytechnic Museum

The Polytechnic Museum is located in the very center of Tashkent, just a 5-minute walk from Amir Timur Square. This is a unique museum for Uzbekistan, and besides, one of the newest – it was opened in November 2015. Its exposition can be divided into two parts: automotive and natural sciences.

Automotive industry

The first floor of the Polytechnic Museum is a collection of many exhibits that tell the whole story from the invention of the wheel to modern automotive industry, particularly in Uzbekistan. First you will see the simplest wheeled carts, then carriages, and then a curious collection of retro cars from all over the world.

Retro cars are few in number, but even a dozen cars are enough to see the history of technology development. The first model, as it should be, represents the creation of Wilhelm Maybach – the first car in the world, which began the history of the famous Mercedes company. This is followed by the Model T, created by Henry Ford, the founder of mass production.

Continuing the tour, you can see one of the most famous cars in the world – the legendary Volkswagen Beetle. Next to it, the Moskvich-400 is the first mass-produced car in the USSR. A number of Soviet cars, both budget and luxury, complete the collection of retro equipment. In addition, several tractors can also be seen in this part of the museum: two retro models and two modern tractors produced in Uzbekistan.

Another part of the ground floor is dedicated to the automotive industry in Uzbekistan. Car production in Uzbekistan began in 1994, thanks to cooperation with the Korean company Daewoo. Then other factories began to open – for the production of buses and trucks. You can find out more about the history of the Uzbek automobile industry here. The exhibition is a collection of the model range of the Uzbek automobile industry, detailed miniature replicas of factories, as well as various installations created by students of the Turin Polytechnic Institute (Tashkent). One of the most interesting exhibits in this part of the museum is a completely disassembled Spark car, which clearly shows the complexity of modern cars.

Interactive Physics workshop

The Polytechnic Museum in Tashkent is not only about cars, but also a delightful physics room located on the second floor of the building. This is no longer a museum, but a real amusement park where adults can return to childhood, and children can get acquainted with the laws of physics in a playful way. In the part dedicated to electricity, you can learn about the effects of electric current, ride a bicycle generating electrical energy, and also see a real Tesla coil. In the mechanics area, you can try to ride a bicycle with square wheels, get acquainted with models of a perpetual motion machine, and much more.

However, perhaps the most interesting part of this interactive workshop is the topic of optical illusions. First, you can try to go through a small mirror maze, then have fun with curved mirrors, and then go into the Ames room, a special–shaped room where you can become a giant or a dwarf to an outsider.

It is worth noting that the Polytechnic Museum also hosts show sessions that begin at 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00. If you need to pass the time before starting an exciting tour, there is also a small buffet, and a small playground for preschool children.

Visiting the Polytechnic Museum in Tashkent is a great opportunity to have fun with family or friends, and at the same time get not only a lot of fun, but also a lot of knowledge. However, it is worth knowing that filming on the ground floor of the museum (with cars) is paid. On the second floor, dedicated to an interactive introduction to science, filming is free.