Currently, the building is almost completely destroyed, as reported by the source turkmen.news. Workers are dismantling the walls and clearing construction debris, and the area is cordoned off. According to some reports, the foundation began to sink, which could have led to the demolition.
Historically, the building at the corner of Lenin Avenue (now Saparmurat Turkmenbashi) and Engels Street (now Azadi) was used as a judicial institution. Its exact date of construction is unknown. Engels/Lenin Avenue is one of the central arteries of Ashgabat, and the buildings along it were designed with special attention both after the devastating earthquake of 1948 and during the era of independence. In Soviet times, the neoclassical style predominated here, which was later replaced by modernism.
The first president of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov, decided that the building would be dedicated to the cultural heritage of the country and his work "Rukhnama." The reconstruction was carried out by Turkish companies led by Polimeks, during which the neoclassical style was preserved, a dome was added to the third floor, and exhibition and conference halls were created inside. The facades of the building were faced with white marble, requiring 12,000 square meters of this material.
In 2002, the Center for Cultural Heritage (Medeni Miras Merkezi) was opened here, which later replaced the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography after the restoration of the Academy of Sciences. In 2019, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov merged it with the Institute of History, and the new institution, the Institute of History and Archaeology, is now located at Saparmurat Turkmenbashi Avenue, 18, about a hundred meters from the demolished building.
The foundation of the old structure likely could not withstand an additional floor and the heavy marble cladding. However, there are suggestions that the site in the city center, located just three blocks from the presidential palace, might have attracted someone's interest. The authorities of Ashgabat do not inform citizens about their plans, and what will appear on the site of the institute remains unknown.
It is worth noting that three weeks ago, the "Daihan" hotel (formerly "Kolhozchi") was also demolished in Ashgabat. Guests of this hotel repeatedly complained about problems with water supply and electricity due to outdated communications. At the same time, many residents of the capital appreciated the architectural elements of the building, perceiving it as a symbol of the era and continuity of time.
