Mustaqillik is instead of Pushkin now…

Soon will 20 years as the Soviet Union is absent and with its heritage in the most different spheres of a public life the former Soviet, and nowadays independent democratic republics, all continue to be at war … It seems, they have renamed already everything that only is possible but the struggle against a heritage of “regime” proceeds which yesterday's enthusiastic supporters solemnly declared alien to national tradition.
Not so long ago, for example, the deputies of town council in the city of Kayrakkum in Sogdiysk region of Tajikistan where 40 thousand persons live, full of good intentions, have voted unanimously for renaming of 55 streets at once. Not only in the city but also in nearby settlements.

Lenin, Gagarin and Gogol's Streets have renamed into Istiklol (in means independence), Bobodzhon Gafurov and Dzhami Streets. Zoya Kosmodem’yanskaya Street carries now the name of Zebuniso and Oleg Koshevoy Street - Umari Hayem. The list can be continued: in settlement Zarnisor, Lenin Street became the Street of Somonien, Krasin Street - Buston. In settlement Kansay, Pushkin Street named Abdukodir Bedil. In settlement Chorukdarron they have changed the names of Kalinin and Kosmodem’yanskaya Streets …
The idea to rename the republic capital Dushanbe is discussed. One of the variants - to name the city of Abarkand that it is possible to translate as “sacred city”, “capital” and as “residence of the Supreme power” and even as “the first and best city of the state”.

The members of parliament regularly change the names in Tajikistan but according to many representatives of the public do it not so successfully … As examples they name Kofarnikhon and Darband cities.
The city which named the city of Vahdat during the ancient times was Andiyon, then Yangiabad and in the Soviet period became Ordzhonikidzeabad. At last, in 90th they have renamed it again – this time according to the name of the river on the coast of which is located - in Kofarnikhon. But the name in a binding to geography did not suit someone and the city began to be called “Vahdat”. The translation is such: “unity”, “solidarity”, “cohesion”.

Darband is ancient city too and it was a fortress, as was reflected in the name: it is formed of words of “dara” and “band” and means “barrier in gorge”. What was the sense to rename it in Nurabad? As one of the witty bloggers has noticed, the new name would approach more to any small town of power engineering specialists …

Nausky area of Sogdiysk region was renamed into Spitamen area. Who was interested in history, so that one, of course, knows a name of the well-known commander. But here that competent people write: “I do not know what our members of parliament were guided by but hardly our nice commander who has given a life for struggle against a Greek-Macedonian yoke would be happy with that area named in a Greek way. After all in Sogdiysk its name sounded as Spitamana and in Tajik there should be Spitaman …”

Restoration of historical names is good business if thus to listen not only to “numerous requests of workers” but to consider the opinion of professionals, namely the scientists – historians and students of local history. Now the one thing has value – the most important opinion: in 2007 the president of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon has abolished the Russian surnames which are ended on “ov”. By the way, he began to be called as Rahmon since then. And then under his instructions the large-scale renaming of "Russian-speaking" geographic names has begun.

The same was in the next Uzbekistan. In Tashkent they have renamed streets, got rid of Russian names on a substantial scale, that there was a mess quite often … Here is one of the evidences: “Any public organization applied to name the street which was called earlier “the Second Vyborg Street”, with a name of any well-known local resident whom already nobody remembers today, one of the local newspapers wrote about it. Hence the namesake streets appeared: two streets of Mirzaev, two – Tursunhodzhaev, three – Hodzhaev, three – Azimov”. According to the evidences of local experts, about one and a half thousand capital streets, passages and deadlocks has been renamed among three and a half thousand streets for one and a half ten years.

And Alexander Sergeevich was not lucky again: in Tashkent Pushkin street is renamed into Mustaqillik street (Independence). And other streets named in honour of the Russian and Soviet writers are renamed too: Gogol, Zhukovsky, Chekhov … There is no Gorky square and the Russian drama theatre is not named by his name more.

Everything that was not even for 1917 year but for the year of 1991 when Uzbekistan became independent, as though did not exist at all. It was “wrong” reality which would be liked to rename into the virtual. And consequently it is not necessary to notice that huge contribution which was brought by the representatives of the Russian intelligentsia in culture and formation development. They urged to throw out once Pushkin for a board of a steamer of the present – so it was carried out on the sly …

It is impossible to disagree with a conclusion of the thinking person, reflecting that occurs: “The power, suffering an inferiority complex, diligently washes away everything that would remind people of history of Uzbekistan till 1991, without assuming that there is a boomerang rule. Others sooner or later will come. And they will erase with the same stupid diligence the traces of those who is assured that would live eternally in national memory”.

Here is an example – already from a contemporary history. One of the central streets, the name of which was Kemal Atatyuk, the main figure in the history of Turkey of XX century, was renamed in the capital of Uzbekistan. Once this street was called as Kirov, during the first wave of renaming it was given a new name - in honour of Atatyurk. And now it is called as Zaravshan. Is it interesting to know why? As it turned out, nearby there is a trading complex precisely with such name … Of course, there is no denying that example is rather indicative!

And one interesting news is in the end. The members of the Union of the Kirghiz societies of friendship and cooperation with foreign countries have met the ambassador of Tajikistan in the republic. As usual, they discussed the questions of development of relations between the countries. And suddenly the ambassador of Tajikistan has asked to petition before the mayor’s office of Bishkek and town council about the renaming of the street Ayni named in honour of the Tajik scientist, the writer and public figure Sadriddin Ayni … Here is how happens! It is necessary to think sometimes at least all the same how our word will respond. Still Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin warned about it!