Former presidential palace located in the center of Dushanbe will be demolished and a new building will be constructed in its place, deputy mayor of Dushanbe, Mahmadsaid Zuvaydzoda, told reporters in Dushanbe on February 12.  

The former presidential palace, in the right wing of which the office of Dushanbe Mayor Rustam Emomali is located, will probably be demolished, the deputy mayor noted.

However, it is not known exactly when the authorities will begin the demolition of the building,.

“The municipal redevelopment plan is being implemented step-by-step, but the exact time of demolition of this building is unknown,” Zuvaydzoda said. 

“The municipal redevelopment plan of Dushanbe, which has been approved by the Committee for Construction and Architecture under the Government of Tajikistan, does not provide for demolition of the Rohat Chaikhana (teahouse),” Zuvaydzoda said.  

The former presidential palace, which is the former building of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Tajikistan (CPT), is one of several Soviet-era buildings being considered for demolition in Dushanbe.

Tajik officials  noted in January 2017 that the move of mayor’s office to the former presidential palace is temporary and that a new building to house mayor’s office will be built in central Dushanbe soon.

As far as the Rohat Chaikhana is concerned, CNN in February 2017 listed the Rohat Chaikhana among eleven of the world’s best teahouses.

The ornate Rohat in Dushanbe is one of the finest places to lounge and sip tea while enjoying city views, according to CNN.

Demolition of historical buildings in Dushanbe began several years ago and the first was the building of the Main Post Office.

Plans to demolish some of the most popular landmarks in Dushanbe have sparked outrage.  In a desperate bid to halt the destruction, hundreds of city residents in October 2015 signed an online petition addressed to president and Dushanbe mayor.  

The authorities then demolished the Mayakovsky Russian Drama Theater and Jomi Movie Theater.  Recall, the founding of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic was declared at the Mayakovsky Theater in 1929.