Mustaqillik Square acquired its main features after the 1966 earthquake, when the former Red Square was enlarged more than threefold. However, transformations had begun even earlier: in 1965 construction started on a new, modern (for its time) Council of Ministers building raised above the foundation on V-shaped supports.

In 1970 construction began on the high-rise “House of Ministries” decorated with a rectangular sun-shading lattice (panjara). Adjacent to it was the “Iskra” cinema with a flat horizontal layout.

The architects of the Parade Alley and Lenin Square (Ye. Rozanov, B. Mezentsev, B. Zaritsky, V. Shestopalov, A. Yakushev, and L. Adamov; engineers V. Krichevsky, T. Melik-Arakelyan, N. Nikitin, Yu. Kozel, A. Kolotiev, and Z. Muftakhov) created one of the largest squares in the former USSR, complete with fountains, flowerbeds, and tree-lined avenues.

In the early 21st century the appearance of Mustaqillik Square was altered: the wide parade route was narrowed, part of it turned into green areas, the ministries high-rise was “shortened” by 6 floors, and instead of the lattice it received aluminium composite panels and dark glazing.

The brutalist Cabinet of Ministers building was damaged during the events of 16 February 1999. During reconstruction the supports were enclosed and the façade was clad in gold-tinted glass, leaving the architects’ original concept in the past.