The summer leaves given to all honest Russians this time were to be spent somehow in a particular way. To remain in Moscow suburbs would be boring, and to choose the most traditional options of rest, for example, a trip to Egypt or European countries was already uninteresting.
In due time I have enough visited those places and consequently it would be desirable to have something new and unusual. I opted for Tajikistan as a destination after I had been hinted to do so by my familiar Tadjik-contractor, who in due time did a lot for me as regards overhauling my apartment and my country house.
It did not take him long to persuade me: I admit I was eager to see this country little known in Russia in general. And, following his advice, I decided to start the trip with the most developed and prosperous Sogd area.
Border
The heading of the article is not chosen accidentally because it is better to go to any distant country, but not to Tajikistan. God forbid anybody to go through such a humiliating treatment by the employees of frontier posts and customs officers!
The visa to Tajikistan for citizens of Russia is not necessary, and the passport, actually, too. The passport may be useful so that non-meticulous Tadjik frontier guards do not take you for a citizen of another Central Asian country, say, Uzbekistan. The national-chauvinist attitude of Tadjik frontier guards in relation to the people who are coming or driving back to the country from the neighboring republic is simply humiliating and offensive!
The international norms on human rights are not observed. And authorities represented by customs workers and serving frontier troops of Tajikistan treat very brutally the citizens of neighboring country.
Not everyone can withstand this shame and humiliation, and consequently the majority of people in general try not to visit Tajikistan. Many people recollect, how easily and without obstacles in times of socialism one could visit his relatives in Tajikistan, and it seemed, that after obtaining independence, neighboring countries and people should have become even closer.
But it has turned out to be absolutely the reverse. As a result, after arriving to Tajikistan, one can see emptiness and chaos. In fact there are many international organizations which monitor the observance of human rights and freedoms. Maybe someone can respond and exert pressure on the government of Tajikistan and put this issue before the government. Because treating people like this reminded me fascist gestapo during the Second world war. But today this is unimaginable, because we live in 21 century.
Tourism in the land forgotten by the God!
Tajikistan proved to be the least attractive country for tourism. It ranks the last in terms of attractiveness for tourists in the post-soviet space. This is evident from the results of the polls held by "Rosbusinessconsulting" (RBC). 11.000 respondents took part in polls. Only 5,3 % of respondents expressed a wish to visit this country.
Nevertheless I decided to visit this country forgotten by all. Khojand (former Leninabad) and, so to say, northern capital of Tajikistan separated from Dushanbe by high mountains and passes. The population – about 160 thousand people. The center of the densely populated Sogd province of Tajikistan. 2 million people live in this province. The area is surrounded by Uzbekistan from the north and the West, and borders with Kirghizia in the East.
Khojand is adjoined by the city-satellite Gafurov. There is an airport, railway station and two road service stations. One is closer to Khojend, actually between these cities, and another – in Gafurov itself, closer to southeast. Buses depart from there to other cities of Tajikistan as well as to Russia, including Tyumen, Surgut, Moscow and even Irkutsk.
According to local residents, they are among the main routes for drug-trafficking, which flooded Russia with drugs.
There’s no use from the railway station. There are two basic trains: 1) Khojend-Saratov, reserved seats cost 440 samani, a compartment - 540; 2) Khojend-Dushanbe, usual seat costs 36 samani, reserved seats – 50, and compartments - 75.
The train to Dushanbe is of no use for foreigners as it goes 1-2 times a week, creeps about one and a half day in full insanitary conditions and demands the transit visa of Turkmenistan, the territory of which the train just “touches”. Travel in Tadjik trains is in general a separate story: it will not give you much pleasure and you’ll be much disturbed by cops and border-guards, and also by numerous dead-heads. To get on the highway to Kanibadam, you have to take a rout taxi to the airport. It will take you to southeast part of Gafurov.
The city is crossed by the river Syr-Darya, nearby the city there is a dirty pool - so-called " the Tadjik sea ". The beach is covered with grass and wastes, and frequented only by few people - addicts, prostitutes and numerous poor Tadjiks, named "Luli" among common people. In general, the first impression after you arrive in this city is a full poverty on a background of natural beauty of a surrounding landscape. A person who arrives from Moscow, immediately and naturally wants to go back until it’s not late. Although prices are much cheaper than in Moscow.
In city centre, in market streets, it is possible to exchange money, to buy every possible fruit and things, on the average they are 10 % more expensive than in the neighboring Kirghizia.
"The economy should be economical – no electricity supply for people"
In general, if we speak about Sogd province, it is necessary to tell, that last year the beggarly standards of living of the population has decreased more because of rise in price for gas, electric power, bread and even the goods of local manufacture. Especially electricity is facing hard times.
In general, unprecedented abnormal frosts in Central Asia last winter have killed the already half-dead economy of Tajikistan. Restriction of power supply in the republic has reached an all-time-critical level. As local residents say, even capital of the country Dushanbe lived under "the strict schedule " with the power supplied only for 3 hours per day in a greater part of the city. In Sogd province it was supplied for 7 hours due to the help from neighboring Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
The majority of small and medium enterprises went bankrupt everywhere and apparently, the current year will become the most “fruitful” for the Russian Federation as regards the number of migrant workers and drugs which will flood our cities in the nearest future. People run away from huge losses, intolerable living conditions and poverty, they are ready to be slaves of Russian businessmen just not to get frozen any more. In regions of republic, generally, the electricity, at the best, is supplied for 4 hours a day. At the worst it is not supplied, basically, during weeks.
According to the regional government of Sogd region, from the beginning of last winter the local enterprises have already suffered losses worth of 7 million dollars because of shortage of the electric power. For Tajikistan, where the annual budget hardly exceeds a mark of 1 billion dollars (taking into account the credits, grants … from abroad), the sum is considerable. And for the province this sum is equivalent to the bi-monthly budget.
Last winter majority of the enterprises, including the unique large processing enterprise of the light industry of the republic - Tajik-Kabool Textiles temporarily stopped its operation in this province.
The situation in other provinces of Tajikistan (and they are only 3) are even worse. In fact the whole industry is staying idle. In areas of republican submission (a particular zone – several areas in the center of the country) the situation is the same. However local authorities do not give exact figures of losses. But nobody doubts that they are significant.
Because of absence of the electric power in the whole country, all bakeries, mini-factories, transport, institutions of a public catering, restaurants are closed. The enterprises of show business - in Tajikistan it is basically discos (well, not impressive, but it’s also a business). The long-awaited start-up of the first unit of "Sangtudin Power Station” did not change the situation for better. Meanwhile common people in the republic do not see any results of its work. And how big was the pathos!
In general the Tadjik energy is in a depressing condition. There’s a wide-spread opinion among inhabitants of the country that "someone strongly "heats" the population. If we analyze all last year statements made by representatives of Tadjik power industry, it becomes clear, that such scenario is much more than probable.
For example, it was officially announced several times that the republic during the winter period lacked 2,5-3 billion watt of hours. Considering other statements made by official structures it is possible to understand, that they are almost covered due to already reached arrangements.
Let’s calculate. Last winter Turkmenistan supplied to Tajikistan 1,2 billion megawatts. In line with arrangements Uzbekistan supplied last winter 600 million watt megawatts. The first unit of Sangtudy is quite capable to generate power up to 100-150 million megawatts to compensate the "scarce" months. Now we have about 2 billion, plus-minus some pennies, megawatts of power. In view of this, by far not all people have to face the power shortage…
We did not calculate those 10 megawatts which Tajikistan sells to Afghanistan, as mentioned in local press. Isn’t it the reason to think that the government of this country is antinational?
And could you imagine a besieged hero-town Leningrad with its authorities selling the rest of food for hard currency?! That’s what it is! Tadjiks are sure that it’s high time to settle accounts with their ruler without any investigation and trial.
His large family - 8 daughters and 1 son, helped by authorities and police, already started to confiscate even small shops in Dushanbe. This cannot be tolerated any longer and Rahmon will not be able to hold his grip on power for a long time.
Sergey Komlev
