Caravanserai (Orenburg)

Photos

  • Караван-сарай (Оренбург). Photo 1
  • Караван-сарай (Оренбург). Photo 2
  • Караван-сарай (Оренбург). Photo 3
  • Караван-сарай (Оренбург). Photo 4

Description

The caravanserai in Orenburg is a historical and architectural complex that was built between 1837 and 1846. It is a significant object both for the city and for the whole of Russia. Initially, this complex was created with voluntary donations to house the office of the commander of the Bashkir-Meshcheryak army, as well as to provide hotel and educational services to the Bashkirs and Mishars.

The complex includes the Bashkir People's House and a mosque. Initially, the project was developed by the architect Alexander Bryullov, taking into account the stylization of a traditional Bashkir village. The central element of the complex is the octagonal mosque.

The history of the Caravanserai notes that after the liquidation of the control of the Bashkir army in 1865, this object was illegally taken from the Bashkir people. Since then, the building has housed various provincial institutions, which caused discontent among the Bashkir public.

Subsequently, the Caravanserai was used for various purposes: the Bashkir Institute of Public Education and the Bashkir Pedagogical College were established here, and the bodies of the Bashkir government were temporarily located here.

It is important to note that in 1936-1991 a planetarium functioned in the mosque building, and in 1960 the Caravanserai was recognized as an architectural monument of national importance.

Since the late 1980s, Bashkir society began to demand the return of the Caravanserai to the Bashkir people. During this period, the idea arose of turning the complex into a cultural center of the Bashkirs in the Orenburg region.

The caravanserai and its surrounding park today are important cultural heritage sites and symbols of the rich history of Orenburg and Bashkortostan.

This historical and architectural complex is of great importance for understanding the history and culture of the region. Originating from voluntary donations, the Caravanserai initially served an important social and cultural role for the Bashkir people, providing space for an office, a hotel and educational institutions.

However, after changes in management, the complex was illegally taken away from the Bashkir people, causing significant discontent. The subsequent use of the building for provincial needs only strengthened demands for the return of the Caravanserai to its rightful owners.

Today, the Caravanserai has become the object of a fierce struggle for the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage. Various initiatives and demands for the return of the complex to the Bashkir people testify to the significance of this place for collective memory and cultural identity.

It is also an interesting architectural object, stylized as a traditional Bashkir village, which makes it not only a historical, but also a cultural symbol of the region.

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