On August 29, the center of Dushanbe turned into an open–air museum for several hours. The annual Retro took place on the square of the 800th anniversary of Moscow. & New Cars Fest from Asia–Plus, which has become one of the brightest summer events in the capital. The festival is held with the support of the Dushanbe City Hall and invariably gathers those who love cars not only as a means of transportation, but also as art.
From 1936 to 2024: Legendary cars
The festival started at 4 p.m. and lasted until late in the evening. From the very first minutes, the attention of the public was attracted by the exhibition of retro cars. Under the gleam of chrome and the smell of old metal, the guests examined the rarities, carefully restored and kept in private collections.
The oldest car at the festival turned out to be a copy of 1936, a car that has survived decades and eras. Next to the legends of the past are the sparkling novelties of the global automotive industry, symbolizing the "today and tomorrow" of the automotive industry. Right-hand drive cars, rare for Dushanbe, could also be seen at the festival.
There weren't many of them, but they were the ones that aroused particular interest among the public: the guests looked inside, tried on what it was like to drive "from the other side."
Car owners willingly told the stories of their "iron pets." For most of them, it's not just technology, but almost family members – cars that they've been taking care of for years and that they've been protecting from time. Many admitted that they had been offered fabulous sums more than once. One of the collectors casually mentioned an offer of 600 thousand dollars, but even that kind of money did not force him to part with his car.
"Every car has its own story, you look at them and it's like you're going back in time," said one of the festival guests.
Entertainment for all generations
Retro & New Cars Fest is not just about cars. The organizers made sure that the holiday became a family one. There were drawing areas, sports exercises, photo zones and even an unusual playground where anyone could paint a real car.
A special atmosphere was created by people in retro outfits. There weren't many of them, but they added the charm of the old cinema to the festival.
The evening on the square was held in the spirit of not only aesthetics, but also fun. Contests followed each other, and the winners took home a variety of prizes – from chocolate-covered strawberries to annual parking tickets and modern smartphones.
Music under the stars
When the sun went down, the festival switched to an evening format. Music started playing on the stage, and the square was filled with songs that intertwined the past and the present: from soulful old compositions to modern hits. Everyone's favorite "Man yeri tuyam" and "I met a Girl" were also performed on stage – real pearls of Tajik retro music.
The support of our partners played a major role in the festival. Vector international auto holding became the general partner of the festival, Neru project became the official partner, ECOIL and NitroEnergie are also among the partners.
The Retro Finale & The smiles of the guests, the shining of the headlights and the applause after the concert became New Cars Fest – all this proved once again that the festival has long outgrown the framework of a simple exhibition and has become a real cultural tradition of Dushanbe.
