Kubinka
A labyrinth of courtyards, a bazaar for the whole city, and a way of life all its own — a quarter that Baku remembers even as it loses it now.
A name that lives on in memory
Kubinka is the name of an old quarter and former market square in central Baku, on the slope running down from the circus to Nizami metro, beside Teze Bazar. The name comes from Kubinskaya (Bazaar) Square — today's Fizuli Square.
The quarter has almost no encyclopedia entry of its own: its history survives in local-history notes, newspaper essays, and the memories of Baku residents. This site is an attempt to gather it in one place.
Four facets of Kubinka
The Bazaar
An informal market for the poor, and later the famous Soviet-era flea market.
The Courtyard
The life of the "Baku courtyard": neighbourliness, hospitality, many peoples living side by side.
The Name
Where "Kubinka" comes from, and why the tale of resettlers is only a tale.
Today
The demolition of the old streets for new development — and the question of memory.
Kubinka is not an address. It is the tone of voice in which Baku remembers itself.
The quarter is vanishing
Part of Kubinka's old streets is being demolished to make way for a residential complex. While the walls still stand and the residents still remember, now is the time to record this history.
More about the demolitionWe try to separate fact from legend. Where the sources disagree or a detail is unconfirmed, we say so plainly.