On April 17, Ambassador Spratlen visited the House Museum of Tamara Khanum in the framework of Women’s History Month.
Tamara Khanum (born Tamara Petrosyan) was a significant figure in Soviet Uzbekistan. In 1929, during the difficult transition period from a feudal Islamic country to the Uzbek Soviet Socialistic Republic, she was one of the first women who bravely fought under penalty of death for the rights of women to abolish the paranja, the traditional Muslim over-garment for women, and face veil.
In 2008, the Tamara Khanum House Museum received a $34,000 grant from the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation to revive and restore the rich collection of artifacts that document the life of this pioneering, veil-free dancer. Ambassador Spratlen was given a tour of the museum by the Director, Zubaida Muzafarova.
