Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin is an outstanding Russian poet born on June 6, 1799. "The first Russian poet," "poet-genius," "national wealth" – Pushkin was called during his lifetime and is called until now, 181 years after his death. His works have become classics and a model for the whole literary world: Ruslan and Lyudmila, Eugene Onegin, Mozart and Salieri, The Captain's Daughter, a lot of poems and fairy tales. Studying Pushkin's work has always been and will be in demand. We all love Pushkin, we all grew up on his tales and poems, he became for many people a true writer of the people, sharing his talent with all nations of the world.
The memory of the great poet lives in us until now, for it is not without reason that various monuments began to be erected around the world after his death. They exist in more than 40 countries: in Russia, Austria, Armenia, Belgium, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and, of course, in sunny Uzbekistan. For the first time a monument to Pushkin in our country was erected on June 6, 1974 in honor of the 175th anniversary of the birth of a great poet. It was made of bronze and towered on a high pedestal, and Mikhail Konstantinovich Anikushin was the sculptor. Originally it was installed in a small park on the same street named after Pushkin, and 41 years later, in 2015, in connection with the redevelopment of the city, it was restored and moved to one of the central city squares - the area in front of the Ministry of Light Industry of Uzbekistan. The opening took place on August 14, 2015, and the square was renamed as "Pushkin Square". Around the new monument, a green park of the "Pushkin times" was formed. It is beautifully decorated with antique benches, night lights, green flower beds, and if you look closely, you can see a bronze figure from the famous Pushkin fragment "There’s a green oak by the bay, on the oak a chain of gold…" walking along the chain that gives the park an atmosphere of fairy-tale and magic. In the center of the new square is a large fountain, where many townspeople gather, appoint meetings, walk, rest or escape from the summer heat.
In total in Uzbekistan there are 3 monuments to the great poet: in Tashkent, Gulistan and Fergana. All of them talk about the significant role of an outstanding writer in literary life, about memory and love for his work. Another proof of that are annual events that are held in his honor by the youth movement Kamolot. Poems are read in squares, dance performances are shown, and talented actors dressed as Alexander Pushkin, amuse passersby. In addition to events devoted to the poet, the square in Tashkent is a favorite place for entertainment programs, timed to other public holidays. For example, "Mustakillik" (Independence Day) is widely celebrated here, the main spring festival "Navruz", as well as "Maslenitsa" (pancake week). All holidays are accompanied by fun, music, folk dances, performances of rope walkers and clowns and of course, festive fireworks. They give joy and boundless cheerful mood to all the guests.