Birdamlik Movement

  The International Day of Peace is on September 21st of each year and calls for a full day of peace and ceasefire throughout the world.In this event, the “Peace Bell” is rung at UN Headquarters. The bell is cast from coins donated by children on all continents, and considered a symbol of global solidarity. It was given as a gift by Japan, and is referred to as “a reminder of the human cost of war.” The inscription on its side reads: “Long live absolute world peace.”
Observance of the annual International Day of Peace is widespread across the globe. Celebrations now take place in every country. View 2008 Events below.
The United Nations General Assembly declared, in a resolution sponsored by Costa Rica, the third Tuesday of September (the opening day of regular sessions of the General Assembly) as the International Day of Peace devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace. More »

September 20th, 2008 | Category: Culture, History | Leave a comment Views: 61

At its 34th Session in November 2007 the UNESCO General Conference adopted a resolution on celebrating the 2200th anniversary of Tashkent and participation in the jubilee celebrations. Tashkent enjoys an invaluable place and profound role in the history of national statehood, as well as in the social and political life of Uzbekistan. It did contribute much to the development of world civilization and is rightfully named as the «Gates of the Orient». Tashkent was firstly mentioned in «Avesta» and in ancient Chinese manuscripts. And this place proved to be a happy choice, because the city managed to survive in spite of all trials - wars, sieges and invasions. In the ancient chronicles the city was known under such names as Yuni, Chach, Shash Judging from the accounts, the name «Tashkent» first appeared in the Turkic sources of the IX-XII centuries. Shash in Turkic language means stone. Kand, qand, kent, kad, kath, kud - all meaning a city - are derived from the Sogdian, kanda, meaning a town or a city. More »

September 12th, 2008 | Category: Culture, Featured, Uzbekistan | Leave a comment Views: 49

  The leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) have signed a joint declaration on recent developments in the Caucasus at a meeting in Moscow on Friday. The group also expressed its support of Russia’s reaction to Georgian aggression against South Ossetia. The issue has also been at the forefront of EU foreign ministers’ talks in France.
Countries in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation will make their own minds up on the issue of recognising South Ossetia. This was the conclusion of Russia’s President Medvedev, following a summit of the organisation.

“All our partners in the CSTO will be guided by their own opinion on the issue of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. This is how it should be according to the norms of international law. They’ll be guided by their own national interests. Russia believes this is absolutely right,” Dmitry Medvedev said. More »

September 5th, 2008 | Category: News, Politics, Uzbekistan | Leave a comment Views: 76

   Ikram Yakubov, a former operative of the Uzbek National Security Service (MXX) who was from the inner circle of President Islam Karimov, has given a sensational interview to Radio Liberty in which he accused the president of unleashing a massacre in Andijan and committing other crimes.Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that Ikram Yakubov, 27, a former member of the MXX with a 10-year experience who served in the Foreign Ministry and the country’s Security Council, arrived in London on 1 September where he asked the British authorities to grant him political asylum.
 After Yakubov found a safe refuge, Radio Liberty published his interview on which the radio’s journalists have been working for two months, checking his identity and the accuracy of his information and recording the story of his work in Uzbekistan’s dirtiest power-yielding structure - the MXX. More »

September 5th, 2008 | Category: Featured | Leave a comment Views: 79

  Open joint stock commercial bank Credit-Standard is a universal lending institution serving corporate and private business. It is among the ten largest banks in Uzbekistan and occupies leading positions on reliability and stability.Credit-Standard Bank was founded on 16 August 2003. The authorized capital at the time of registration was UZS 1.3 billion, now it is UZS 9.36 billion.
The bank, which regularly takes the leading place in the national rating of Ahbor-Rating agency, has managed to become one of the largest and dynamically developing banks of Uzbekistan in the five years of its activity.
 The bank opened a branch network in Samarkand and Fergana, and is expanding the range of services, in particular, in retail business, and increasing the service quality. More »

August 30th, 2008 | Category: Business & Economics, Uzbekistan | Leave a comment Views: 99

The best football player of the world (1999) Rivaldo has rocked AEK Athens by telling the club he is leaving to take up a lucrative contract with Uzbekistan outfit FC Bunyodkor. Former Brazil international Rivaldo told a Greek radio station Monday that he is leaving AEK Athens and will be playing this season for a club in Uzbekistan.
The 36-year-old midfielder said in an exclusive interview with Athenian radio station NovaSport FM that he talked with AEK officials and that they gave the okay for him to join Bunyodkor, even though the Brazilian star has one more season on his two-year contract with the Greek team.
 ”I ask forgiveness from AEK supporters, but you can’t say no to such a proposal,” Rivaldo told the radio station. “It has been a tough day. I had to make a very difficult decision. Something very positive has come up late in my career and I cannot turn it down.” More »

August 25th, 2008 | Category: Featured, News, Sport | Leave a comment Views: 127

 Artur Taymazov from Uzbekistan defended his title in the Men’s Freestyle Wrestling 120 kilogram weight class by defeating Russia’s Bakhtiyar Akhmedov in the final on Thursday, August 21.
 Taymazov went to the final in his previous two Olympic journeys. He took a silver medal in Sydney and eventually won a gold medal in Athens. Since then he won a gold medal in the 2006 World Championship and 2006 Asian Games.
In the final, Taymazov controlled the bout well. He used his experience to buffer Akhmedov’s attack and won the first period 3-0. The second period was a repeat of the first one, during which Akhmedov still could not find a chance to score and lost it 1-0.
 Artur Taymazov advanced into the final after beating David Musulbes of Slovakia (1-0 and 1-0) in the semifinal. More »

August 21st, 2008 | Category: News, Sport, Uzbekistan | Leave a comment Views: 78

  Lars Thunell, Executive Vice President and CEO of IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, concluded his first official visit to Uzbekistan by emphasizing that IFC would continue to increase access to finance for micro and small enterprises, contribute to improving the business enabling environment, and help develop housing finance. IFC will also seek opportunities for new investment in agribusiness and manufacturing.During his visit, Thunell met Rustam Azimov, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Uzbekistan, and discussed opportunities to expand cooperation. They signed a cooperation agreement establishing a new framework for assessing the impact of regulations affecting Uzbek businesses.
Thunell signed a USD 3 million loan for Uzbek Leasing International A.O., the first leasing company established in Uzbekistan and an existing IFC client. This loan will enable the company to expand financing options for micro and small businesses. More »

August 19th, 2008 | Category: Business & Economics, News, Uzbekistan | Comments (1) Views: 68

Popular support for democracy is as strong around the globe as it has ever been. But those who invest their hopes and political commitment in democracy do not aim just at free and fair elections: they aspire to a more dignified and more rewarding life. The major challenge for democracy today is to deliver on its many promises.
International IDEA and the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) - a premier institution of India in the field of social sciences and humanities - jointly took forward the challenging debate on the inter-linkages between democracy and development.
The two-day “Democracy Round Table 2008: Democracy and Development” held in New Delhi, India from 17-18 June 2008, brought together eminent policymakers, academics, researchers, social activists and experts from around the globe. More »

August 14th, 2008 | Category: Politics | Leave a comment Views: 63

Uzbekistan’s high position in a new list of so-called failed states can be attributed to a lack of democracy and the slow pace of economic development, say local observers. In late July, the influential American magazine Foreign Policy, and the research centre The Fund for Peace published their annual rating of failed states for 2008.
Uzbekistan - which is still considered the most unstable of Central Asian countries - has improved its position a little from last year, dropping four places from 22nd to 26th on the list. Its regional neighbours Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan come in at 38th and 39th place, respectively.
The term failed state denotes a lack of political and economic stability, high conflict potential and a state’s inability to ensure the safety of its citizens.
Most observers agree with Uzbekistan’s characterisation as a failed state. More »

August 13th, 2008 | Category: Politics, Uzbekistan | Leave a comment Views: 72

The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday, November 4, 2008, will be the 56th consecutive quadrennial United States presidential election and will select the President of the United States and Vice President of the United States. The two major parties‘ candidates have not been officially chosen, but their presumptive nominees are John McCain, the senior United States Senator from Arizona, for the Republican Party and Barack Obama, the junior United States Senator from Illinois, for the Democratic Party. The 2008 election is particularly notable because it is the first time in U.S. history that two sitting senators will run against each other for president and because it will be the first time an African American will be a major party presidential nominee. The Libertarian Party has nominated former Congressman Bob Barr, the Constitution Party has nominated pastor and radio talk show host Chuck Baldwin, and the Green Party has nominated former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. More »

August 9th, 2008 | Category: Featured, News, Politics | Leave a comment Views: 118

 On August 2 this year the delegation of the Republic of Uzbekistan which will participate at the XXIX Summer Olympics in Beijing laid wreath to the Independence and Humanism Monument at the nation’s main square in Tashkent, according to the agencies.”It is a big happiness for us to defend the honor of Uzbekistan at the Olympics,” the prizewinner of Athens Olympics boxer Bakhodir Sultanov said. “While we laid wreath to the Independence and Humanism Monument we promised to ourselves to return from the Beijing Olympics victorious since we are supported by our nation as much as President.”
 The athletes, coaches, public and mass media are reported to have participated at the solemn ceremony at the Museum of Olympic Glory in Tashkent held on the occasion of departure of Uzbek delegation to China’s capital. More »

August 4th, 2008 | Category: Featured | Leave a comment Views: 96

  The 2008 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad is a Summer Olympics event, that will be held in Beijing, People’s Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008 and followed by the 2008 Summer Paralympics from September 6 to September 17. 10,500 athletes are expected to compete in 302 events in 28 sports, just one event more than was on the schedule of the 2004 games.The 2008 Beijing Olympics will also mark the third time that Olympic events will have been held in the territories of two different National Olympic Committees (NOC): at the 2008 Olympics, equestrian events will be held in Hong Kong, which competes separately from mainland China.The Olympic games were awarded to Beijing after an exhaustive ballot of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 13, 2001. The official logo of the games, titled “Dancing Beijing,” features a stylised calligraphic character jīng (meaning capital), referencing the host city. More »

August 2nd, 2008 | Category: Sport, Top stories | Leave a comment Views: 82

  Automobile plant in Asaka, Andijan region of Uzbekistan, turns 12 on 19 July. It was on this day in 1996 that Uzbekistan became one of the world’s 28 car-producing countries.Lacetti, Nexia, Matiz and Damas manufactured at the Asaka plant enjoy high demand not only in Uzbekistan, but also abroad. Starting from this year, the plant produces new models named Captiva, Epica and Tacuma.
Uzbek cars are exported to Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. They are popular for their technical characteristics, design and optimal price-quality ratio.
The volumes of production at Asaka plant have been increasing from year to year. In 2007, the plant produced over 170,000 cars against 34,000 cars in 2002. The plant will soon reach its project capacity, which is 200,000 cars per year. More »

August 1st, 2008 | Category: Business & Economics, News | Leave a comment Views: 109

 President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov received US Ambassador to Tashkent Richard Norland at Oqsaroy residence on 22 July.
Welcoming the US diplomat, President Karimov said the meeting was a good opportunity to exchange views on the issues of mutual interest.
Working in Uzbekistan since November 2007, you have been able to closely familiarize yourself with the life in the country, Islam Karimov said.
“You have gathered materials about the real situation in Uzbekistan, which differs from those that the US receives from other sources,” the President noted. “This is an important factor in development of cooperation based on mutual trust.” More »

July 28th, 2008 | Category: News, Politics, Uzbekistan | Leave a comment Views: 85

  According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Uzbekistan, in the night of 10 July 2008, an ignition occurred at the rocket and artillery depot of the Defense Ministry’s military unit in Kagan district of Bukhara region, resulting in fire and explosion of the ammunition at the depot.On receiving the information about the fire, the regional Interior Affairs Department and the Defense Ministry troops cordoned the area of the accident. The civilians living nearby were evacuated. Soldiers of the Defense Ministry, as well as staff of the regional emergency and interior ministries have been attracted to neutralize the emergency.
According to preliminary data, 3 people were killed and 21 injured as a result of the explosions. All of the victims are being provided with necessary medical care. More »

July 11th, 2008 | Category: News, Uzbekistan | Leave a comment Views: 100

 Sergey Lagutin from Uzbekistan won the multi-day bicycle race Tour de Korea-Japan 2008.
The first two stages of the tournament, in which representatives of some 20 countries took part, were held in Japan.
In the following 10 stages in South Korea, the team of Uzbekistan won the second place.
The leader of the team Sergey Lagutin was the first to cross the finishing line in 220-km race. He also received a special prize for demonstration of speed and patience during the race in mountainous area.
Lagutin, born in Fergana in 1981, is considered one of the strongest bicycle racers in Uzbekistan. He became the world champion among sportsmen under 23.
Currently Lagutin conducts preparation for this year’s Olympic Games in Beijing.
UzA.uz

July 8th, 2008 | Category: News, Sport | Leave a comment Views: 95

The Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan held its 14th plenary session on 27-28 June in Tashkent. The members of the parliament’s upper chamber considered a package of laws adopted by the Legislative Chamber, as well as other issues.
The senators approved the Law on Uzbekistan’s accession to the UN Convention against corruption (New York, 31 October 2003). The document envisages a number of measures to fight corruption, including international cooperation in this area.
The UN Convention against Corruption is a universal international legal instruments aimed at preventing and combating corruption, at both national and international levels. The objectives of the Convention are to promote and strengthen measures aimed at effectively preventing and combating corruption and encouraging international cooperation and technical assistance in this area. More »

July 7th, 2008 | Category: Politics, Uzbekistan | Leave a comment Views: 91

  The Fergana Valley or Farghana Valley (Uzbek: Farg‘ona vodiysi, Kyrgyz: Фергана өрөөнү, Tajik: водии Фaрғонa, Russian: Ферганская долина, Persian: دشت فرغانه) is a region in Central Asia spreading across eastern Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.The Tomb of Ali at Shakhimardan, on the edge of the valley formed the nucleus of an independent khanate, while later under Russian rule in the 19th century Ferghana was a province to itself, with large areas of the Pamirs included. It is the most fertile and most densely-populated region in the whole of Central Asia. Confluence of Naryn and Kara Darya seen from space (false color). Many irrigated agricultural fields can be seen.
The most important part of the province is a rich and fertile valley, in an altitude of 1200 to 1500 ft (400 to 500 m), opening towards the southwest. More »

July 5th, 2008 | Category: Culture, Featured, History, Uzbekistan | Leave a comment Views: 171

  Ulughbek (Ulugh Beg)  (Chaghatay/Persian: (میرزا محمد طارق بن شاه رخ (الغ‌بیگ Mīrzā Mohammad Tāregh bin Shāhrukh - also Uluğ Bey, Ulugh Bek and Ulug Bek) (c. 1394 in Sultaniyeh ) - October 27, 1449) was a Timurid ruler as well as an astronomer, mathematician and sultan. His commonly known name is not truly a personal name, but rather a moniker, which can be loosely translated as “Great Ruler” or “Patriarch Ruler” and was the Turkic equivalent of Timur’s Perso-Arabic title Amīr-e Kabīr.His real name was Mīrzā Mohammad Tāregh bin Shāhrokh. Ulugh Beg was also notable for his work in astronomy-related mathematics, such as trigonometry and spherical geometry. He was the grandson of the conqueror Timur (Tamerlane) (1336-1405) and oldest son of Shah Rukh, both of whom came from the Mongol Barlas tribe of Transoxiana (then Persia, now Uzbekistan). More »

July 3rd, 2008 | Category: Culture, Featured, History | Comments (1) Views: 263

Last night Abduraxmon Aliev, the leader of the Birdamlik division in Turakurgon in Namangan province, was arrested. According to Mr. Aliev’s defense attorney, he has been falsely accused of criminal acts and during both the interrogation and the trial he was falsely characterized as a hard-edged convict. Mr. Aliev’s advocate has concluded that the sudden surfacing of these “criminal acts” was designed to put an end to Mr. Aliev’s political activity.

The leadership and activists of the Birdamlik movement consider the injustice that has taken place to be a gross violation of Mr. Aliev’s personal freedom.

The Birdamlik movement demands that Mr. Aliev be released.

June 28th, 2008 | Category: Birdamlik Movement, News, Uzbekistan | Leave a comment Views: 110

 Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical universe, material world or material universe. “Nature” refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. Manufactured objects and human interaction are not considered part of nature unless qualified in ways such as “human nature” or “the whole of nature”. Nature is generally distinguished from the supernatural. It ranges in scale from the subatomic to the galactic. The word nature is derived from the Latin word natura, or “the course of things, natural character.” Natura was a Latin translation of the Greek word physis (φύσις), which originally related to the intrinsic characteristics that plants, animals, and other features of the world develop of their own accord. This is shown in the first written use of the word φύσις, in connection with a plant. The concept of nature as a whole, More »

June 8th, 2008 | Category: Featured | Leave a comment Views: 127

  On June 2, 2008  the Birdamlik Movement’s members and activists met for discussing and reissuing the organization’s bylaws articles in Washington, DC.  The meeting was reach of debates and disputes. While the meeting, opinions and offers of other members who are outside US also were listened by online-conference.   After long and hard discussions were added few specific changes and additional articles  to the Birdamlik Movement Bylaws.  
 During the meeting Birdamlik members decided to found a general council of Birdamlik Movement. By voting based way  Birdamlik Movement members from 15 foreign countries and Uzbekistan as well elected the list of the council members of Birdamlik Movement. More »

June 5th, 2008 | Category: Birdamlik Movement, News | Leave a comment Views: 131

  A humanitarian action of transfer of sports equipment, inventory and uniforms to regional tennis clubs and federations by the Republican Tennis Federation, which took place in Fergana has given a new impulse to development of children’s tennis in Uzbekistan. Like a year ago the event was timed to a traditional men’s challenger, which took place in the regional center in May.The spring weather made organizers to move the solemn opening ceremony from the central court of “Istiqlol” sports complex to a smaller hall of the college of Olympic Reserve. But it did not spoil the atmosphere of the holiday. There were fireworks under the roof of the tennis palace, where despite the weather can train students of the college, including Shahzoda Hatamova, the champion of the recent “Barkamol avlod” sport games in Nukus.
“Such sports holidays became a good tradition,” said Igor Shepelyov, Secretary General of the Uzbekistan Tennis Federation. More »

May 31st, 2008 | Category: Culture, Sport, Uzbekistan | Leave a comment Views: 129

Once the world’s fourth largest lake (sea) , the mighty Aral Sea is now in it’s death throws. Starved of it’s lifeblood of the waters of the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya rivers, the sea has been shrinking for the last 40 years.From the 1930s, the former Soviet Union started building large scale diversion canals to irrigate vast cotton fields in a grand plan to make cotton a great export earner. This was achieved, and even today Uzbekistan is still a large exporter of cotton. But the cost in ecological and human terms have been astronomical.
 By 1960, 25 to 50 cubic kilometres of river water was being diverted annually for irrigation, and naturally enough, the shoreline began to recede. The mean sea level dropped 20cm (8″) per year for 10 years, then the drop rate accelerated to 60cm/year in the 70s, then to almost a metre per year in the 80s. More »

May 28th, 2008 | Category: "Save Our Souls!", Featured, Top stories, Uzbekistan | Leave a comment Views: 164

  Agriculture is the backbone of the economy of Uzbekistan and work in agriculture, one of the main sources of rural income. Fruit, vegetables and milk come to our tables mainly from small private farmers, the dekhan farmers. Dekhan farms are mostly household gardens that are part of the family farm and larger farms. Some statistics tell us that 60-70% of the vegetable production comes from these farmers while accounting for 90% of the livestock output. Dekhan plots effectively demonstrate the potential for high value crop production.
  In order to support private farmers and increase their know-how on the in-and-outs of setting-up a business, the ELS project has been active organizing series of training, roundtables and seminars. During the entire month of May 2008, trainers from the Indonesian Small Business Exporters Consortium have conducted hands on sessions for vegetable and fruit producing farmers on the establishment of cooperatives based on value chain in Kashkadarya, Karakalpakstan and Namangan region. More »

May 27th, 2008 | Category: Business & Economics, Uzbekistan | Leave a comment Views: 188

   Yesterday, on May 23 2008, children of opposition members in Jizzakh viloyat (Uzbekistan) received gifts and financial aid from the Birdamlik Movement. Head of the movement in the country Dilorom Isoqova said that July 1 - The International Children’s Day is annually celebrated in Uzbekistan and the Birdamlik Movement tries to add its share in making this holiday more social and important.
 Saida Qurbonova - activist of the movement, commented her participating at the action as her desire to do something for young children in Uzbekistan who really need attention and support.
  Even the action had a peaceful and kindness meaning during it Birdamlik Movement members  were watched and followed by government agents.   More »

May 24th, 2008 | Category: Birdamlik Movement, News, Uzbekistan | Comments (2) Views: 220

 Russian oil major LUKOIL (LKOH.MM: Quote, Profile, Research) plans to invest $5.5 billion in gas exploration in Uzbekistan where it plans to produce 16 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas per year by 2015, LUKOIL said on Thursday.
  LUKOIL’s President Vagit Alekperov said the company, in which U.S. ConocoPhillips (COP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) holds a 20 percent stake, plans to increase its gas reserves in the Central Asian country.
“We hope the forecast reserves for our geological blocks, which are now estimated at 600 bcm, will be confirmed, and the company will be able to increase them. That is why we hope to raise output in the future,” Alekperov told a news briefing.
  LUKOIL Overseas, an international arm of Russia’s No. 2 oil producer, started production at the $2 billion Khauzak gas project in the former Soviet country in November. More »

May 24th, 2008 | Category: Featured | Leave a comment Views: 153

  The International Children’s Day (ICD) is celebrated in numerous countries, usually (but not always) on June 1 each year. The International Children’s Day  is celebrated in Uzbekistan as well.The Internatioanal Children’s Day had its origin in Turkey in 1920 (April 23, 1920) and later in the World Conference for the Well-being of Children in Geneva, Switzerland in 1925. It is not clear as to why June 1 was chosen as the Internatioanal Children’s Day: one theory has it that the Chinese consul-general in San Francisco (USA) gathered a number of Chinese orphans to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in 1925, which happened to be on June 1 that year, and also coincided with the conference in Geneva.
  June 1 has since been observed as the International Children Day by numerous countries, especially by  former communist countries; More »

May 24th, 2008 | Category: Culture, Featured, History | Leave a comment Views: 176

From Kiev to Barcelona, in the back streets or the central markets, there are all sorts of people who can supply a fake European Union passport. Undercover reporter Shahida Tulaganova explored the dark corners of this secret industry as she travelled the continent acquiring 20 fake or stolen passports, using two of them to enter the UK illegally.  ”I am from the former Soviet state of Uzbekistan but I have a British passport, which I got by living and working as a journalist in the UK for 10 years.
Here I am, in a tiny cafe right smack in the centre of London, learning how to go about getting a fake passport.
 I am attending an informal seminar led by a passport dealer, along with six hopefuls who are living illegally in the UK. More »

May 22nd, 2008 | Category: Featured, Top stories | Comments (4) Views: 446

  Dear America,
 I am 10 years old but I know that there are bad people who are hurting, beating, trying to kill, and putting my daddy in jail. When I miss my daddy so much, I start to cry, and my mom tells me not to worry, he will be back and that everything will be good because those who fight for the truth are protected by America. In fact several times, after involving America, my daddy returned home and told me that America is behind him. Thank you America. I always imagine that America is the protector of all the truth tellers.
  In December 2007, our family began peacefully protesting against President Islom Karimov’s third term in presidency, demanding his resignation. First, they jailed my brother Mashrab, who is 22 years old and handicapped, and afterwards armed people attacked our home and I saw bullets fly over our heads. More »

May 20th, 2008 | Category: "Save Our Souls!", News, Politics, Uzbekistan | Comments (2) Views: 201

   Amir Temur, also written Temur The Great,  Emir Timur or  Temur (Chagatai: تیمور - Tēmōr, “Iron“) (1336 9 april - 19 February 1405), among his other names, commonly called Tamerlane or Timur the Lame, was a 14th century Turco-Mongol conqueror of much of western and Central Asia, and founder of the Timurid Empire and Timurid dynasty (1370-1405) in Central Asia, which survived until 1857 as the Baburids (mughal) dynasty of India. Timur belonged to a family of  Barlas clan of  Turkish origin. He was Turkic in identity and language, and he aspired to restore the Mongol Empire. He was also steeped in Persian culture and in most of the territories which he incorporated, Persian was the primary language of administration and literary culture. Thus the language of the settled diwan was in Persian and its scribes had to be adept in Persian culture, regardless of ethnicity. More »

May 19th, 2008 | Category: Culture, History, Top stories, Uzbekistan | Comments (1) Views: 410

   May 13, 2008
  On this third anniversary of the tragic events at Andijon, the United States extends its sympathies to the people of Uzbekistan.  There is still much to learn about this tragedy, but we believe the best way to ensure that these tragic events are never repeated is through ongoing dialogue, accountability and reconciliation.   
 
   The United States of America 
  
www.usembassy.uz

May 14th, 2008 | Category: Featured, News, Politics, Uzbekistan | Leave a comment Views: 130

 To all Uzbeks and other free-thinking, freedom-loving peoples in the world:  The 13^th of May, that mournful day on which we remember the bloody tragedy in Uzbekistan’s city of Andijon, soon approaches.
In the three years that have passed since the murder of innocent civilians in Andijon, hundreds - perhaps thousands - in that city have demanded freedom, liberty and an Uzbekistan run under rule of law. Unfortunately, however, today the population of the world does not know the number of people who were slaughtered, as Uzbekistan’s officials have gone to great lengths to keep this information a secret. Recently the younger generations have begun to renew their hope: if they can establish justice in Uzbekistan, it will become clear why the Andijon massacre happened. More »

May 12th, 2008 | Category: "Save Our Souls!", Birdamlik Movement, Featured, News | Leave a comment Views: 124

  Uzbekistan is the world’s eighth largest producer of gold. The gold mine is owned by the Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combine (NGMK), a Soviet-era, state-owned firm that the government refuses to privatize or reform. The estimated output in 1999 was 80 tons but there was no independent confirmation.   Gold accounts for 10 to 20 percent of export earnings and the drop in its price since 1997 has discouraged foreign companies from investing. Yet, Newmont Mining of the United States has entered a joint venture with NGMK to extract gold from a 242 million-ton pile of tailings left beside the mine from the Soviet era.
  The project, with European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) funding, should produce almost 143 million grams (5 million ounces) over 17 years. Relations with the United States soured after Washington joined with European countries in calling for an independent probe into the bloody crackdown on last year’s uprising in the eastern city of Andijan. More »

May 9th, 2008 | Category: Business & Economics, Featured, Uzbekistan | Leave a comment Views: 151

   The splendid variety of pastries known as lepyoshkas (round breads) play a prominent part in Uzbek cuisine. Lepyoshkas are mentioned in one of the world’s oldest written works, “Eros about Gylgamesh”, the legendary ruler of the Sumerians, who lived almost 5000 years ago. Lepyoshkas are baked in special clay ovens called tandir. While unearthing the Afrosiab archaeological site in Samarkand, finds included tandirs used by worshippers. Tandirs are hand - built.They take the form of a cylinder with a narrow spout and two-centimeter thick walls made from mountain soil and camel or sheep hair. A finished tandir has to dry under the sun for a week. Sometimes big clay pitchers for wine, oil or grain are also used as tandirs. Tandirs are made in the yard under the awning and near the wall; the base of a tandir needs to touch the wall. A tandir’s opening is 1.5 m off the floor, just opposite the baker’s workplace. More »

May 9th, 2008 | Category: Culture, Featured, Top stories, Uzbekistan | Leave a comment Views: 166

 In the immediate aftermath of the violent events in Andijan on 13 May 2005, the OSCE/ODIHR sent a letter to the OSCE Chairman-in-Office expressing concern over reports of gross violations of human rights, including allegations of indiscriminate killings of civilians.As reporting of the events in Andijan was sporadic and in some instances contradictory, the ODIHR decided, in consultation with the Chairman-in-Office, to send a team of human rights experts to Kyrgyzstan with the purpose of interviewing refugees from Andijan who had crossed the border into Kyrgyzstan after the events.This report is based on 44 in-depth interviews by the ODIHR team with refugees in the Suzak Camp, near the Uzbek-Kyrgyz border, between 26 May and 2 June 2005. The vast majority of the camp population had arrived together in one group that had left Andijan on the evening of 13 May. More »

May 8th, 2008 | Category: "Save Our Souls!", History | Leave a comment Views: 173

   I have really been pretty shocked by the rapidity with which labour market tightening has been emerging in Eastern Europe recently. This recognition lead me to take the Economist quite sharply to task on Afoe, and at least I managed to sting a response from their Central European correspondent Edward Lucas, who, would tell us, is far from being a worst case example of benign neglect here, in fact, in general terms, au contraire.
  Ultimately this labour shortage situation is rooted in the longer term consequences of an ongoing combination of low fertility and outward migration towards Western Europe and beyond. The arrival of the “running on empty” situation is proving to be very rapid due to the extremely high rates of economic “catch-up” growth which these countries economies are now experiencing. And the problem is really starting to hit them now precisely because the annual number of children born in many of the countries concerned halved in or around 1990, and More »

May 6th, 2008 | Category: Featured, Uzbekistan | Comments (1) Views: 139

  “White and black. Two poles - two beginnings. The black square - cosmos and darkness. Four white segments - rotation and solar symbol. The look is frozen, vanishing in the whirl. In a moment, you will disappear in the vortex - calmness” - wrote Sergey Alibekov about Uzbek Duppi.     According to ancient beliefs, the four flowers on the top protect the health of a wearer and sixteen flowers (sixteen children) along the edge guarantee a large and harmonious family. Another version interprets the flowers, embroidered with white silk on a white background, as a symbol of the pure soul and heart.
     The laconic pattern is a distinctive feature of the male cap. Female and children’s tyubeteikas are richer. The ornament is closely connected with the spiritual life, customs and poetic mind of the people. More »

May 4th, 2008 | Category: Culture, Featured, History | Leave a comment Views: 196