Obituary - The Times Of Central Asia

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Obituary

Sobir Ruziev, Soviet Fencer Who Elevated Uzbek Sport, Dies at 73

He was once described as Uzbekistan’s chief musketeer. Born in what was the Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan, Sobir Ruziev moved to Tashkent, was selected as a teen-ager by a fencing coach and rose to the top of the sport as a Soviet athlete, earning a silver medalist in the team foil category in the 1980 Moscow Olympics and coming fourth in the individual competition. He later helped to build sports institutions in an independent Uzbekistan. On August 22 of this year, Ruziev’s death was announced by the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan. The committee, which noted he was one of its former chairmen, didn’t mention the cause of death. Ruziev was 73 years old. The Asian Fencing Federation said Ruziev made an “outstanding contribution” to sport in Uzbekistan and promoted fencing across Asia, especially among young people. Today, athletes from Central Asia have established themselves at the highest international level in some sports. Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov won Olympic figure skating gold at the Winter Olympics this year. Then there is Bakhodir Jalolov, the heavyweight boxer from Uzbekistan who won Olympic gold in Paris in 2024 and the Tokyo games in 2021. Ruziev was among elite competitors from Central Asia who excelled in international sports in decades past as well. That was when they were performing under the flag of the Soviet Union, whose collapse in 1991 opened the way to independence for the former Soviet republics. As a Soviet fencer, Ruziev was also a three-time world champion in the men’s team foil event, and individual foil champion in the Soviet Union in 1980. He received honorary state titles for his sporting achievements from both the Soviet Union and, later, Uzbekistan. In an interview several years ago, Ruziev talked about how hard it was to get onto the Soviet national fencing team because attention was focused on the central areas of the USSR, rather than on the more distant republics. He said in the interview with the Russian Fencing Federation in 2020 that Central Asia was considered peripheral and that you had to be in the top five in your sport out of the total Soviet population of roughly 300 million. Ruziev had hoped to compete in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, but the Soviet Union boycotted the games after the United States skipped the 1980 Olympics in Moscow because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The Uzbek fencer was actually born in Kyrgyzstan, also a former Soviet republic, and took up fencing as a teen-ager in Tashkent. After the end of his competitive career, he returned to Tashkent to coach. So his career spanned two eras – representing the Soviet Union at the highest level, and helping to promote sports development in Uzbekistan. In an interview several years ago, Ruziev said he was originally interested in football but coaches didn’t admit him to their training groups. Eventually, Ksenia Arkadyevna Tadzhieva, a Russian fencing coach, selected him as a pupil, Ruziev told Olamsport, a sports news platform in...

Obituary

Comedian Bakhtiyor Rahimov, Who Lamented Decline of Satire in Tajikistan, Dies

Tajik satirist Bakhtiyor Rahimov, whose comic performances lampooned daily life and sometimes touched on power, corruption and bureaucracy, has died after longstanding health problems. He was 56 years old, according to media reports. Rahimov, founder of a comedy group called Gharibsho Company and a fixture on Tajikistan’s comedy scene over several decades, had performed at a resort in the western city of Hisor on the night before his death on June 30. He was buried in his home village of Nojii Bolo, near Hisor. “The news saddened thousands of his fans. Indeed, the death of such an artist is a great loss to Tajik culture,” news site Oila.tj reported. Several Tajik media outlets reported on a debate about why Rahimov was never awarded a state title recognizing his comedic contributions. In a news conference on Monday, Culture Minister Matlubakhon Sattoriyon expressed condolences to Rahimov’s family on his death and said that the satirist had received recognition, if not a title, from the state. “Others have criticized the attitude of the cultural authorities and suggest that, in recognition of his contribution to the development of Tajik satire, he be awarded an honorary state title after his death,” reported Azda TV, a Tajik-language site that is registered in Poland and aims to provide alternative perspectives to state-controlled media in Tajikistan. The name of Rahimov’s comedy group, Gharibsho, derives from Persian and refers to a wanderer or stranger, a description that echoed the experience of many young people in Tajikistan who were emigrating to other countries, particularly Russia, in search of work. The name also incorporates a term for king or noble. "We were kings on stage, but at the same time, like these wanderers, we had nothing behind us," Muhammadjon Kholov, an early member of Gharibsho, said in an interview with the Your.tj outlet several years ago. He recalled that fans who couldn’t get tickets to the group’s first show on a big stage were so eager to see the performance that they smashed windows and doors and stormed the concert hall where the comedians were appearing. The group, which started in 2000, had to donate all its proceeds from ticket sales to cover the damages. In a 2024 interview with the Asia-Plus publication, Rahimov said satire had been marginalized in official circles in Tajikistan and that he hadn’t been invited to state events or programs in nearly six years. Asked if there was still political or social satire in Tajikistan, he said: “Yes, but very rarely.”

Obituary

Olimjon Toshkenboyev, Uzbek Tightrope Master and Cultural Figure, Dies

Olimjon Toshkenboyev, an acrobat from a family dynasty of performers who promoted the Uzbekistani tightrope walking art known as dorbozlik, has died at the age of 81. In a condolence message to Toshkenboyev’s family, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Culture said he was “a famous representative of Uzbek circus art” who made big contributions to national heritage and was a mentor to many students. “Under his leadership, the ‘Uzbekistan Dorbozlari’ group successfully showcased their art in many foreign countries, including Poland, Germany, Egypt, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, and others,” the ministry said on Telegram on March 28. Toshkenboyev, whose son and daughter participated in dorbozlik programs, was also the director of Uzbekistan’s state circus association. The Tashkent circus is housed in a landmark Soviet-era building that some observers have compared to a flying saucer. Dorbozlik has a storied history in Uzbekistan. Some accounts say ropewalkers participated in shows in the palace of Amir Temur, the 14th-century Central Asian conqueror who is also known as Tamerlane. “Dorbozes skillfully demonstrated their stunts (running back and forth; jumping; walking with knives and trays tied to their legs; dancing on one or paired ropes blindfolded and with a sack on their heads, etc.) by holding langar (a balancer or long balancing pole) on a rope, which was installed at the height of 25-30 m,” says a website listing Uzbekistan’s “intangible cultural heritage.” Ropewalkers' performances were combined with those of strongmen, illusionists, dancers, comedians and musicians, according to the account. As the folk art evolved, performances moved from fairgrounds and market squares to indoor circuses, wire replaced ropes, metallic poles replaced wooden ones, and safety belts were introduced. At a UNESCO meeting in Namibia in 2015, a committee noted that boys and men were the traditional practitioners of ropewalking in Uzbekistan, and girls were increasingly getting involved. It said there were more than 40 ropewalking troupes in Uzbekistan and that skills were transmitted from generation to generation within families. However, the committee did not accept Uzbekistan’s proposal that the art be included on the U.N. cultural agency’s list of intangible cultural heritage. It raised concerns about the danger, particularly to children, of ropewalking, as well as questions about the originality of the art, since other countries have similar types of performance.

Obituary

Kazakhstan Mourns Talgat Musabayev – Cosmonaut, Space Agency Chief and Senator

Talgat Musabayev, a pilot and cosmonaut from Kazakhstan who flew on several space missions and conducted multiple spacewalks before becoming the head of his country’s space agency and a member of parliament, has died at the age of 74. Musabayev traveled on Russian Soyuz spacecraft in 1994, 1998 and 2001, logging nearly a year in orbit. He stayed on the Soviet-built Mir space station on the first two voyages and spent a week on the International Space Station for a week on the third trip. Dennis Tito, the first paying space tourist, was on that third expedition with Musabayev, an event that set the stage for the nascent space tourism industry involving companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed his condolences to Musabayev’s family on Monday. Musabayev “is a hero who conquered space three times and performed spacewalks, glorifying our country with his feats,” Tokayev said in a statement. “He dedicated his entire working life to the progress of domestic cosmonautics. As a Senator and public figure, he initiated many good undertakings.” Among Musabayev’s highlights in space was, as commander, welcoming American astronauts aboard the Mir station in 1998, three years before the station was abandoned and made a controlled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere, mostly burning up in the process. Video shows Musabayev smiling broadly and embracing the Americans as they float through the hatch from the Discovery space shuttle into the Mir station. Musabayev gave a wrench to shuttle commander Charlie Precourt, saying it was a gift from Mir for the construction of the International Space Station. After his career as a cosmonaut ended in 2003, Musabayev was appointed head of KazCosmos, Kazakhstan’s space agency, in 2007 and then served as a senator in Kazakhstan’s parliament from 2017 to 2023. He received numerous awards for his contribution to space flight, not just from Kazakhstan but also Russia and NASA, the U.S. space agency. A commemorative stamp with his image was released in Kazakhstan a decade ago. In the mid-2000s, Musabayev became director of the joint Russian-Kazakh venture known as Baiterek, which aimed to build a new launch pad for the Soyuz-5 rocket at the Russia-operated Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The goal was to replace deteriorating Soviet-era infrastructure and expand Kazakhstan’s own space ambitions, though the project ran into delays and funding problems. Dmitry Bakanov, head of Russian space agency Roscosmos, said last month that, as part of the Baiterek venture, the Soyuz-5 rocket will launch from Baikonur at the end of 2025, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported. Roscosmos also expressed condolences on learning of Musabayev’s death on Monday. Musabayev, who was born in the Almaty area, graduated with a degree in radio electronic equipment from the Riga Civil Aviation Engineers Institute in Latvia, then under Soviet control, in 1974. The engineering school, renamed the Transport and Telecommunication Institute, said in a tribute that the alumnus from Kazakhstan as “a person whose humility, intellect, and dedication left a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of...

Obituary

Uzbek Critic, Jailed for a Decade After Disputed Conviction, Dies

Salijon Abdurakhmonov, an Uzbek journalist and activist who was jailed for nearly a decade in Uzbekistan after being convicted on drug charges that he said were fabricated, has died in Germany at the age of 75. Abdurakhmonov was released in 2017 at a time when President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who had taken office in the previous year, was promising a new openness in the Central Asian country following a long clampdown on dissent and criticism by his predecessor, Islam Karimov. However, Abdurakhmonov campaigned in vain to have his conviction overturned and clear his name in Uzbekistan. The writer had longed to be acquitted in his case, said Abdurakhmon Tashanov, head of the Ezgulik human rights group in Uzbekistan. “Goodbye, good man!” Tashanov said on Facebook on July 26. Abdurakhmanov was an “outspoken” journalist who wrote about issues including human rights, corruption, and the legal status of Karakalpakstan, a politically sensitive, autonomous part of Uzbekistan where protests have occurred over the years, according to a Human Rights Watch statement in 2008 that called for his release. It said he had worked with the online news agency UzNews and did freelance assignments for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Voice of America, and the Institute for War and Peace Reporting. Koshkarbay Toremuratov, a blogger and activist who is originally from Karakalpakstan, expressed sorrow at Abdurakhmonov´s death. “I first met him in 2004, when, as a correspondent for Radio Ozodlik, he came to my office regarding issues faced by Christian students from Nukus,” the capital of Karakalpakstan, Toremuratov said on X. “Our paths crossed again later, when we were both imprisoned… Our prison zones were separated by a common ´restricted area.´” In June 2008, Abdurakhmonov was arrested after police said they found a stash of marijuana and opium in his car and accused him of selling illegal drugs. Several months later, he was sentenced to ten years in prison. He alleged that the drugs were planted in his vehicle and that the case amounted to retaliation for reporting that was critical of officials. Several international human rights groups said Abdurakhmonov didn’t receive a fair trial and campaigned for his release. His family and supporters said he suffered from stomach ulcers while in jail, and he moved to Germany after he was released. He remained active there, speaking publicly about what he said was an unjust imprisonment and establishing a YouTube channel to discuss issues about Uzbekistan.

Kazakh writer

How The New York Times Came to Publish an Obituary for Kazakh writer Mukhtar Auezov

While browsing old issues of The New York Times, we wondered: “Is there anything here about the Kazakhs or Kazakhstan?” One edition stood out, the June 28, 1961 issue. On page 35, alongside obituaries for several prominent figures, was one for our great writer, Mukhtar Auezov. [caption id="attachment_33412" align="aligncenter" width="378"] “Winner of Lenin Prize in 1959 for 2-Volume Work Dies Mukhtar O. Auezov, the Kazakh poet and philosopher whose two-novel work, ‘Abai’ and ‘The Road of Abai,’ earned a Lenin Prize two years ago, died yesterday in Alma-Ata.”[/caption] The article went on to note that Mukhtar Auezov was born and raised in the Shyngystau region (known today as the Abai District), and later wrote a major work about the life of Abai. It also mentioned that he studied at Leningrad University and authored numerous literary works. In 1960, Auezov visited several U.S. states as part of a Soviet writers’ delegation. Upon returning home, he expressed in interviews his admiration for the towering skyscrapers of New York City. What pleased us even more was that The New York Times included a photograph of Auezov alongside the obituary. This shows that even in the 1960s, American literary circles recognized and took notice of a Kazakh writer. In other words, Auezov left a lasting impression on the American public. Other articles about him may have appeared in the U.S. press, but so far this obituary is the only one we have been able to find. Mukhtar Omarkhanuli Auezov holds the distinction of being the first known Kazakh writer to set foot on American soil. His official visit was well covered by the U.S. press and known to the American public at the time. This likely explains why such a major publication honored him with a dedicated obituary, informing readers around the world of his passing. The gesture reflects a significant level of respect and recognition. Mukhtar Auezov indeed visited the United States from February 17 to March 17, 1960, as part of a delegation of Soviet writers. This trip was part of the “Agreement Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on Exchanges in the Cultural, Technical, and Educational Fields.” According to the agreement, four American writers visited the USSR in 1959, and in return, a Soviet delegation traveled to the U.S. in February/March 1960. To give readers a closer look at his journey, we are sharing excerpts from Mukhtar Auezov’s diary, where he reflects on the trip. The entries were later published in a bilingual edition, Mukhtar Auezov: Impressions of America, in 2021, in both Kazakh and English. Below are a few details from Auezov’s impressions of the U.S.: That day we toured Washington, D.C. It’s a very beautiful city. No two houses look alike. Even the cars are all different, though there are many, they never repeat. We visited the old part of the city, the area known as ‘Georgetown.’ All the houses here are old, yet highly stylish, elegant two-story homes. There is one...