Eastern Avant-Garde and Education in Germany: Documentary Sources on The Life of Uzbek Architect Afzal Abusaid

Abstract The article provides a scientific analysis of the architectural education, professional development, and urban planning activities in Turkey of Afzal Abusaid – the first certified professional Uzbek architect sent to study in Germany in the early 20th century under the sponsorship of the Turkestan Jadids and the Bukharan People’s Soviet Republic. This research highlights details regarding his training in building construction at the Berlin Higher Technical School, his display of political fortitude in rejecting Soviet intelligence propaganda and conspiracies, and his practical contributions to the modernization of Ankara and Istanbul. Furthermore, the article provides scientific grounds for the reasons behind Afzal Abusaid’s non-return to his homeland due to Soviet persecution and influence. It puts forward hypotheses that his failure to return redirected the development of Uzbek urban planning toward Soviet norms, preventing the emergence of a new architectural culture and school that blended tradition and modernity as envisioned by the Jadids. In conclusion, the article offers scientific insights into the significance of this remarkable figure’s fate in architectural history for the development of the field today. Keywords: Afzal Abusaid, Jadid movement, Bukhara, Berlin Higher Technical School, architecture, Efdal Vensurel, Jansen Plan, emigration.