Roman Catholic Parish of St. John the Baptist

The red brick facade of the Church of Saint John the Baptist stands out against the pale, dusty tones of Samarkand. Built in nineteen oh five by the city’s small but active Polish community, the building served soldiers and railway workers stationed in the region during the era of the Russian Empire. It features a sharp, neo-Gothic bell tower that reaches toward the sky, a design choice meant to echo the cathedrals of distant central Europe in the heart of the Silk Road.