Old Fortress - Kala

The Kala fortress, located in the Dukchi Eshan mahalla, was built in 1880-1881 by order of the military of Tsarist Russia as a key defensive point. Its construction became part of a strategy to strengthen the Russian presence in the Ferghana Valley. The imposing walls with a height of more than 10 meters really made it the dominant structure, providing full control over Andijan.

Inside the fortress there was not only an infrastructure for accommodating more than 250 soldiers of two companies of the Turkestan regular battalion (barracks, kitchen, armory, artillery base), but also a defensive mound, which probably served as an observation post and an additional element of protection.

The main historical event related to the fortress is the Andijan Uprising of 1898, led by the people's leader Dukchi Eshan (Mukhammadali Madaminov). It was this fortress that became the target of the rebels, symbolizing the power of the empire. The uprising, although brutally suppressed, is an important milestone in the history of the liberation struggle in Central Asia.

Current status:

Currently, the Kala Fortress continues to serve social and cultural purposes. The State Museum of History and Culture of the Andijan region is located inside the historical complex. In particular, within its walls there is a department of manuscripts of the Museum of Literature and Art and a department of fine arts, which presents works by Uzbek artists of the 20th century, including such masters as Malik Nabiyev and Obid Bakirov.

It is important to note that the building underwent a complete reconstruction in the 70s of the XX century, which allowed to preserve this unique example of military architecture of the XIX century and transform it into a significant cultural center of the region. The Kala fortress is one of the few surviving evidences of the era of Russian Turkestan in Andijan.