Rus in Uzbekistan are second-class people

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

900 thousand of our compatriots turned out to be second-class people in Uzbekistan. Russians complain that they have become people not even of the second, but of the third class.

They are fired without explanation, the head of the district level is capable of taking away an apartment or other property, an attempt to raise the issue of the situation of Russians may end in a prison cell. “They are trying hard to push us out of all spheres of life. It seems that the authorities and law enforcement agencies are encouraging nationalism and extremism,”a Tashkent resident told one of the experts.

Experts say that for most Russians, leaving was their only dream. However, it will hardly be possible to realize it - there is no money and opportunities.

In 1989, 1 million 660 thousand Russians lived in Uzbekistan. Now - about 900 thousand. And the entire population of the country is approaching 30 million, having increased by almost a third over the years of independence. The first stream of Russian emigration began in the late 1980s after ethnic conflicts broke out in many parts of the former Soviet Union. The second lasted until early 2000. Experts say it was more economic. Not only Russians, but also Uzbeks saw emigration as a way to get rid of a difficult situation.

Now the Russian population lives mainly in Tashkent and the capital region, small "Russian islets" have survived in Fergana, Samarkand and Navoi.

Uzbek Russians are very offended by Vladimir Putin, who once said: "Those who wanted to have left for a long time, and only those who like it stayed there." True, there is now a program for the resettlement of Russian-speaking citizens in the Russian Federation. However, you can only get money for travel and the first time of stay.

Employees of local registry offices and maternity hospitals note that Russians play weddings and give birth to children very rarely. Psychologists have identified a phenomenon - "the ban on love." The number of “torn families” has increased significantly (one of the spouses or children left for another country in search of a better life).

- The Uzbeks consider us "guests" or "colonizers". The authorities and law enforcement agencies are hinting that we urgently get out to "our Russia" and leave them apartments. Where are we going ?! - complains a resident of the capital of Uzbekistan.

- The Russian language is getting smaller. Getting a job, even if you speak Uzbek well, is extremely difficult. And they will pay less than the indigenous population, - testifies another of our compatriots.

- In Uzbekistan - the only museum in the countries of this region in memory of victims of the repressions of communism, built under the leadership of President Islam Karimov. In fact, it is a museum of the occupation, - says one living in Tashkent. Pauline … - Schoolchildren, students, teachers, doctors, soldiers are regularly brought here on excursions. The exposition is designed in such a way as to evoke a feeling of hostility towards the vicious Russian invaders and oppressors.

- Nationalism is cultivated at the state level, - says Anna Mironova, who managed to leave Uzbekistan a year ago. - Streets with “non-Uzbek” names are renamed, monuments to non-Uzbeks are being demolished, books in Russian and Tajik languages are being destroyed in libraries. The country's leadership is not open, but clearly demonstrates: Uzbekistan is for Uzbeks.

Head of the Department of Diaspora and Migration of the Institute of CIS Countries Alexandra Dokuchaeva says that the Russian population of this Central Asian state has long lost confidence in the future: “A similar state is present in all our compatriots living in the post-Soviet states. The exception is those living in Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, where Russian is the official language. However, in Kyrgyzstan, “nationally concerned” persons are fighting this language, claiming that it hinders the development of Kyrgyz. The argument, I must say, is unconvincing: more than 20 years after the collapse of the USSR, Russian is in great demand not only by the Russian population, but also by the indigenous people.

And in Uzbekistan, he practically gave up his positions. But it is difficult to identify the reasons in this country, since the authorities often refuse to conduct research.”

"SP": - Is there any way out for Russian-speaking residents?

- A way out will appear if employment assistance is included in the resettlement program. Now the program requires applicants to travel to first find a job in Russia. Then they are provided with a fairly modest amount of money, which is enough only for travel and rental housing for a short period. And people need confidence that tomorrow they will not become homeless. Therefore, they must come to the apartments.

Housing in Uzbekistan is cheap, it is difficult to buy a decent apartment in Russia for the money raised.

Another serious obstacle is the lack of a simplified procedure for obtaining citizenship by compatriots. A person who comes here as a foreigner is limited for a long time in their abilities, including, for example, to obtain a loan to buy a home.

In his December message to the State Duma, the president mentioned this problem. But to this day, the deputies have not begun to consider draft laws on a simplified procedure for obtaining citizenship by such persons.

- There has been hostility towards Russians since the very first years of independence. The period when Uzbekistan was a part of the Russian Empire, then the USSR is presented tendentiously and is considered in the official ideology as a period of colonization, - says Director of the Public Foundation "Center for the Study of Regional Problems" (Kyrgyzstan) Aibek Sultangaziev … - Russia amazes with its complacency. It is very easy to sacrifice strategic interests for the sake of tactical victories in foreign policy. Any state should consider its compatriots abroad as an instrument for influencing a foreign state. First of all, Moscow needs to establish an adequate system of response to the needs and problems of its compatriots. And be ready to conduct a tough dialogue using your levers of influence in defending the rights of Russians in Uzbekistan.

Daniil Kislov, editor-in-chief of the information agency "Fergana.news" I agree with Sultangaziev: “The entire period after the collapse of the Union, the authorities of Uzbekistan are engaged in the creation of preferences exclusively for the titular nation, ignoring national minorities. Russians are the largest minority. Despite this, there is only one Russian in the Senate - Svetlana Artykova. The husband is Uzbek, so the surname is not Russian.

However, in neighboring Turkmenistan, they also did not treat the Russian population in the best way. About 200 thousand Russian speakers live there. They hold Russian and Turkmen passports. This summer they will have to choose which country they will remain citizens of.

If they refuse Russian citizenship, they will deprive themselves of the future (they pin their hopes on leaving), if they “change their mind” to be Turkmen, they will lose the opportunity to leave the country (they will not receive a passport).

Let's go back to Uzbekistan. Not only does the resettlement program practically do not relocate, but also people need to wait many hours in queues to complete the documents. They complain that the employees of the Russian Embassy are demanding bribes from them for the execution of the most common documents.

On the one hand, when hiring, the Uzbek authorities give preference to the indigenous population, on the other hand, they hinder the implementation of the program for the resettlement of Russian speakers. The outflow of the professional segment of the workforce is not profitable for them: doctors, teachers, representatives of other necessary specialties."

"SP": - In what ways is it done?

- Local authorities often "slow down" the collection of papers. Or they prohibit the sale of apartments (some organizations have this right).

"SP": - Are there educational institutions in the country where teaching is carried out in Russian?

- For now, yes. In my hometown of Fergana, out of 25 survived - one Russian school. She is a desirable object for a huge number of parents, including Uzbeks. Despite the departure of the Russian language from Uzbekistan, it remains necessary for those who think about the future, it remains a window to the world.