Which Asian capital was renamed Stalinabad in 1929 and restored to its current name in 1961? The answer is Dushanbe.
Dushanbe is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. In 1929, after Tajikistan became a full Soviet Socialist Republic, the city—then commonly rendered Dyushambe—was renamed Stalinabad in honor of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.
The name Dushanbe comes from Tajik and Persian words meaning “Monday.” The city developed around a market traditionally held on Mondays, so the market’s name became the settlement’s name. Soviet authorities expanded it into an administrative and industrial center, with textile production, food processing, education, and new infrastructure.
On 10 November 1961, during Nikita Khrushchev’s de-Stalinization campaign, Stalinabad was renamed Dushanbe. This restoration removed Stalin’s name after his death and the Soviet leadership’s repudiation of his personality cult. A common mix-up is to associate Stalinabad with another Central Asian capital; the name belonged specifically to Dushanbe, not Ashgabat, Tashkent, or Bishkek.