PLAQUES OF ALMATY

 

PLAQUES OF ALMATY

One of the joys of walking about in a new city is the opportunity to look at things with child-like curiosity and delight. So it was, when I spotted plaques on the walls of buildings during my walking around in Almaty. These simple, matter-of-fact plaques commemorated people who have lived before in those houses. The scripts on these plaques were in Russian and Kazakh, but Google Lens provided me instant translation into English, thereby enhancing my experience.

The idea of linking people of the past with buildings of the present originated in London as early as 1866 and is the oldest of its kind in the world. More than 1000 iconic “Blue Plaques” have been installed in buildings across London to celebrate the notable men and women who have lived or worked in them. The addresses of these plaque installations can be searched on the website.

While this practice of placing commemorative plaques on buildings is common in many European cities, it is more widespread in the countries of the former Soviet Union. The USSR as a whole began systematically marking the residences of writers, composers, scientists, and war heroes. This practice gained traction in the post-war period (1950-70). After Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991, the tradition has continued with strong focus on Kazakh personalities than pan-Soviet figures.

In Mumbai, we remember notable personalities by naming a street or chowk after them. But identifying their home or workplace with a plaque would be a more tangible way of ensuring their legacy lives on in the minds of the future generations. Perhaps the think tank of Khaki Tours, who organise wonderful heritage walks in various precincts of the city can take this idea forward.