History of Bactria Cultural Centre

(Impressions by Amal-Khonum Gadjieva – first employee of BACTRIA;
Culture coordinator)

Bactria Cultural Centre was created in December 2001 by the French humanitarian and development NGO “ACTED” to address the lack of access to culture, information and vocational training in Tajikistan. Since then, the center has become a focal point in Dushanbe’s cultural life.

Bactria Cultural Centre opened its doors on 14th February 2001 in a location close to the Teachers’ University. This location was ideal, because in the vicinity there was also the Agricultural and the Medical universities, the Art and the Medical colleges allowing the center to attract a large number of students.

In the years of 2001-2002, the country just left a terrible civil war behind. The standard of living was low; members of the intelligentsia were selling their books to buy bread. Professors were working as porters to be able to feed their families. Theatres were emptied and actors and actresses were working as journalists or in business where they could earn some money. 

The establishment of Bactria Cultural Centre in those times was an important and striking event with great significance in the development of culture in Tajikistan. At its opening the Minister of Culture himself gave the first speech. Since its very first day, BACTRIA has been organizing exhibitions of painters and photographers, and concerts of various genres. At the beginning very few people knew about its existence. We had to look for artists and offer them the opportunity to exhibit. However at that time it was not in their interest to exhibit in some unknown place called BACTRIA.

We loved BACTRIA as if it was newborn baby, and we were patent with him, like a mother to her child. The team was so friendly that other organizations employees were all envious… Directors have changed, some were better than other, but in one thing they all agreed: BACTRIA needs to live and develop. And for this goal they did everything.

The first artist who exhibited his paintings in BACTRIA, was a very interesting Tajik artist, Murivat Bekhnazarov; and the first photographer was someone quite well-known both in Tajikistan and abroad, Gennady Ratushenko.

Our long-standing collaboration with the Shash-maqâm Academy, under the management of Abduvali Abdurashitov, has started and continued in a series of concerts including both children and adults, and attracting a large number of visitors, who can truly appreciate national classical music. 

In those days people who were hungry for some spiritual experience had come to us and thanked us with tears in their eyes, for being a small ray of light in the grey ordinariness.

And then the language courses started offering French, English, and German languages. Already after the first semester, hearing about us from our students, even more students came. And the registration day was filled with interested applicants. The students also talked about our cultural events to their friends and relatives and invited them. In this way the number of enthusiasts of our center grew day by day.

We organized festivals of poetry, various seminars, film weeks of different countries, meeting of Central Asian theatres, and master classes on electronic music as well as music festivals with the support of many embassies and international organizations. BACTRIA became a place for dialogue in culture. Along with local artists, French photographers, and artists from Mongolia, Ukraine, USA and Iran have exhibited in the center. Music groups from the USA have also visited BACTRIA.

We no longer had to look for artists. They came and signed up a year ahead of time. They knew that exhibiting in BACTRIA is an excellent opportunity for them to get exposure and to realize their ideas without paying high percentages. Thanks to the exhibition in BACTRIA, Iliyos Mamadjanov’s work became know abroad as well. Other artists also had the chance to have their first personal exhibition, like for example Rafik Minyasarov, who is a talented and well-known caricaturist.

BACTRIA gave the opportunity to everyone who wanted to exhibit as long as their work was worthwhile.

In addition, BACTRIA provided an opportunity for the students of the Art Institute and of the Art College to exhibit their work with huge success. There was also an exhibition of a talented seven year old girl, Jacqueline Gukasovoy.

Pictures of the photo exhibition ‘The Earth from Above”, by French photographer Yann Arthus- Bertrand, were hanging on the fence of Rudaki Park in the middle of Dushanbe and was visited by thousands of people.

BACTRIA closely collaborated with almost all musical schools in town giving a place for children to show their talent. Many musicians and bands have debuted in Bactria Cultural Centre. For example, Azalia Galiahmetova, now a well-know violinist not only in Tajikistan but abroad as well, performed first in public in BACTRIA. Other debut performances included the percussion ensemble “Hunerog”, the quartet Music for the Soul, rock groups and ensembles from different music schools. In BACTRIA all genres of music can be heard, from Shash-maqâm to jazz.

French musician Thomas Charmetant conducted here master classes on improvisational music….

Also French choreographer Laurence Levasseur came and continued her collaboration till this day with the local theatre Padida.

The festival of handicrafts became a regular event, which attracts large number of participants and visitors. Rock festivals and the Day of Music have been organized. 

Bactria Cultural Centre has also contributed to the preservation of cultural heritage of the Tajik nation by participating in the restoration of the Buddha in Nirvana. It also has published a brochure and then catalogue for the Museum of Antiquities.

This year a new team arrived in BACTRIA with the leadership of Georgy Mamedov. The center continues to strive with activities, like the exhibition on contemporary art, the seminar on art criticism, the exhibition titled “April Theses” and the exhibition of young artists….

Today everyone knows us well in the city. Sometimes they don’t even let me be ill:

- When is the next event in BACTRIA? We are bored!
I believe that we working in BACTRIA make an attempt to keep what previous teams were building, improving their accomplishments, correcting the deficits and shortcoming. Only those do not make mistakes who do not work. But above all we love BACTRIA, like our child, like our own home.”