Tashkent's Ilhom Theater, one of the first independent theaters in the former Soviet Union, has been hit by fire. Uzbek emergency officials said on December 12 that 80 square meters of the theater's first floor was damaged, adding that there were no casualties. The theater was established in 1976 as the Experimental Studio of Theatrical Youth and was one of the first Soviet independent theaters. Its name was later changed to Ilhom. Its founding director, Mark Vail, was stabbed to death in 2007. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, click here.
