The symbols of Tajikistan's independence

The celebrations marking 34 years since the country regained its independence with the end of the Soviet Union were an opportunity in Dushanbe to rediscover the meanings behind the flag, the country's coat of arms and its national anthem, whose melody draws on a long local musical tradition.

Dushanbe (AsiaNews) - Tajikistan recently celebrated 34 years of independence after the end of the Soviet Union, highlighting the symbols expressed by its flag, coat of arms and national anthem, bringing together colours, stars and melodies from a past even more distant than 1991, as expressions of the rich culture of the Tajik people.

The status and order of use of these elements are laid down in the country's legislation, since the constitution and the law ‘On the state symbols of the Republic of Tajikistan’.

The national flag was officially approved on 24 November 1992, with three horizontal stripes of red, white and green, in the centre of which is a crown and seven stars.

Each colour stripe has its own specific meaning: red is the symbol of the Tajik people's struggle and sacrifice for freedom and independence, white indicates purity, justice and peace, while green is the colour of fertility, the beauty of nature and agriculture in Tajikistan, a sign of prosperity and a happy future.

The crown with seven stars in the centre of the flag reflects the statehood and ancient history of the Tajiks; the stars represent the seven historical regions of the country, but also the seven bright stars that have a special meaning in Tajik culture.

According to the law, the flag flies permanently on the buildings of the official residence of the president, the Madžlis Oli parliament, the government, the courts, the ministries and diplomatic missions, and is displayed in the most important public meeting rooms, allowing citizens to use the flag even during non-state events.

The coat of arms of Tajikistan is described in the third chapter of the law as a symbol of national and state identity, approved on 28 December 1993. It consists of a crown, seven stars, the rising sun, snow-capped mountains, ears of wheat and cotton stalks.

At the bottom is an open book, symbolising the country's knowledge and literary culture, accompanying the signs of independence, agricultural work and the bright future of a strong and mountainous territory, rich in cotton, which is Tajikistan's main crop. Together, these elements 'reflect the great expectations of the people: to live in peace and achieve economic and cultural well-being.

According to Article 8, the coat of arms must be displayed on the facades of all state institutions, on the walls of executives' offices and on official documents, forms and stamps. When used in combination with the coats of arms of various public associations and other legal entities, both public and private, these must not exceed the size of the state coat of arms, which must always be placed on the left-hand side.

The text of the national anthem was written by the popular poet Gulnazar Keldi, who died in 2020 at the age of 75, and was approved on 7 September 1994, set to the musical melody of the 1946 anthem of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Tajikistan, whose author was the Soviet composer Sulejman Judakov (1916-1990).

Keldi himself recalled that “in the Soviet years, it was always said that the most beautiful music of the anthems among the 15 Soviet republics was that of Tajikistan”, writing lyrics that replaced the Soviet anthem extolling the party, the Soviet people and the personality of Vladimir Lenin.

The new lyrics, approved after a large competition, make no mention of parties, ethnic groups or religions, but extol the ‘Dignity of our land / May your happiness and your state remain untouched / We have lived through the centuries / To live in the free homeland of Tajikistan! / You are our only Mother / And thanks to you we love the whole world’.