Any attempts to demolish building No. 7 will be stopped — the Cultural Heritage Agency
Any attempts to demolish Building No. 7 on Babur Street in Tashkent will be stopped, stated Elmurod Najimov, First Deputy Director of the Agency for Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan. A court hearing is scheduled for September 4th to evict one of the residents, following a complaint filed by a construction company. The dispute over the building has been ongoing for many years.
Cultural Heritage Agency: Any attempts to demolish Building No. 7 will be stopped
Elmurod Najimov, First Deputy Director of the Cultural Heritage Agency of Uzbekistan, stated that any attempts to illegally demolish, destroy, or alter the historic Building No. 7 on Babur Street in Tashkent will be stopped in accordance with established law.
This statement was made following reports of a court hearing scheduled for September 4 in the case of the eviction of a resident, following a lawsuit filed by Jemchug House.
"The agency's position is clear: the status of this building as a cultural heritage site is preserved. It is under state protection... We are obliged to preserve the country's historical heritage and pass it on to future generations," Najimov emphasized.
The agency noted that proposals to remove the building from the National List of Material Cultural Heritage Properties (where it is listed under number 332-1) had previously been "considered and rejected."
"The last request on this issue, received on August 5, 2026, was also reviewed by the agency. By letter dated August 19, 2026, the agency officially notified the illegality and lack of legal grounds for removing this property from the National List of Cultural Heritage Sites. The property retains its legal status and is under state protection," the agency added.
The controversy surrounding Building No. 7 has been ongoing for many years, and Gazeta has covered these events.
The 1936 building was removed from the national list by former Tashkent Mayor Abdukakhar Tukhtayev in August 2007 (at that time, 303 buildings were removed). In October 2018, then-mayor of Tashkent, Jahongir Artykhodjaev, transferred the land under Building No. 7 to Universal Packing Masters for demolition and construction of a new residential building, with residents relocated and compensated. The construction rights were later transferred to Jemchug House. Most residents were relocated, but some sought to have the building's protected status reinstated.
In early 2021, the Tashkent Interdistrict Administrative Court invalidated Abdukakhhor Tukhtayev's decision. Soon after, the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan reinstated the building on the national list. This summer, a plaque was installed on Building No. 7 stating that it is under state protection.