KHUJAND, November 10, 2011, Asia-Plus — Major repairs have been launched at the Arbob Cultural Palace in the Bobojonghafurov district, Sughd province.
The Arbob deputy director Hakim Dadaboyev told Asia-Plus Thursday afternoon that two construction companies – Eurostroy Service and Rahmoniyon – are carrying out major repairs to the palace’s building. According to him, upgrading roof alone has come to more than 500,000 somoni. “They are currently repairing facade, fountains, assembly hall and internal premises,” Dadaboyev said.
According to him, the repairs works that are paid from the budget are expected to be completed by November 2012.
We will recall that in Aril this year, the Arbob Cultural Palace that had previously been property of Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) named after Saidkhoja Urunkhojayev was handed over to the Sughd culture directorate. Sughd governor reportedly passed an appropriate resolution on this subject on January 20 this year. According to local authorities, such a decision was made because the Urunkhojayev OJSC does not have enough funds to maintain the facility and pay wages to 40 people working with the Arbob Cultural Place.
The Arbob Cultural Palace is a building in Bobojonghafurov district, the former headquarters of a Soviet collective farm, built in the 1950s and modeled on the winter gardens of Peterhof, St. Petersburg.
The main building consists of three wings – with an ornate theatre seating 800 people in the main wing. The South wing currently houses a museum which tells the history of Arbob and of collectivization in Tajikistan. Outside the building is a procession of fountains and rose gardens. The center was built under the leadership of Saidkhoja Urunkhojayev, the head of the collective farm.
