Tajikistan
The Roghun power plant construction site. Image from the Flickr profile of ASIA-Plus. Click on it to see more.
Editor’s note: Officials of Tajikistan, Central Asia’s poorest republic, are forcing its 7 million inhabitants to buy stocks in a dam project and donate money for its construction. It’s an innovative statist solution to resolve Tajikistan’s historic electricity problems — but is it at the cost of regional security and personal liberty? This is a translation of TajikVoice’s post (RUS). Also check out this editorial by neweurasia’s Botur.
The Roghun hydroelectric dam was a long-term Soviet industry project, developed in Tashkent in 1976. According to the latest blueprints, the height of the dam will be 335 meters, making it the world’s tallest. Its projected power is 3600 megawatt, with an average annual output of 13.1 billion kilowatt hours. Uzbekistan has objected to the construction, arguing it would give Tajikistan control over the region’s main water supply, thereby threatening the security of lower-lying countries.
It should be noted that, according to intergovernmental agreements, the Russian company RUSAL was supposed to have finished construction on the dam; however, three years ago Tajikistan withdrew from the agreement, accusing the Russian side of not fulfilling its obligations. At the same time, it was announced that the dam belonged to the people, and that Tajikistan would finish construction on its own. “Tajikistan” is an abstract concept. In this case, it meant the people of Tajikistan. Several attempts were made in 2008 and 2009 to start a national fundraising campaign.
It was unclear even then how a poor country with a high level of corruption could handle a $3 bn project. Recent figures cite $1.3 bn – the number needed to activate the first part of the dam (two out of six assembly units). Under the most favorable conditions, this will take at least 4 years. But then Tajikistan’s president, Rahmon, devised a bold solution.
It’s funny: our old Soviet tradition of giving names to new bornes is slowly being revived.
A child was born on January 5, 2010 to a happy Bobokhonovs family (which was a day before Rakhmon’s Rogun hydro electric plant project’s shares selling out plan started). Following good old traditions such as naming children after remarkable events, this Tajik family’s grandpa decided to name his grandson after the Rogun dam. The name given to the boy was Rogunshakh.
Peculiarly, on the same day as Rogunshakh’s birth, Rogun’s dam shares began selling out. His grandpa hopes that when Rofunshokh becomes a big boy he’ll work on becoming a student of the Energetic Institution and later work on the station.
On the wave of happiness grandpa bought shares for 1000 somoni ($230) and still wants to make his contribution and buy more for 2000 somini ($460).
Great beginning for such kind of event as shares’ selling out, huh?
Translation of Nuraika’s post (RUS).
I’m in Dushanbe again! The weather is mild and welcoming, despite the snow. The sky is gray, the streets are wide, the people are good-natured and there are lots of contrasts that catch the eye. On the one hand, you still notice the legacy of the Soviet period – old cars, people in traditional clothing, etc. Read the full story »
Translation of Nuraika’s post (RUS)
Dushanbe is situated in the Gissar Valley, on the river Dushanbinka, surrounded by mountains and picturesque gardens. It is a green city with lots of alleys lined with elm and maple trees.
One of the city’s main attractions is the Central Botanical Garden, which belongs to Tajikistan’s Academy of Sciences, and holds over 4500 varieties of plants from all over the world. Read the full story »
Translation of Nuraika’s post (RUS)
Winter in Dushanbe begins very slowly and gently. It is still autumn outside, the trees reluctantly shed their leaves, and the sun plays hide-and-go-seek with the clouds. Looking out of my window, I can see the chiming clock of the museum and a big intersection. How nice that the supermarket isn’t far from the hotel. My schedule permits me to go buy souvenirs in memory of the pleasant trip. Read the full story »
Translation of Nuraika’s post (RUS)
The Chaikhona Rokhat is probably the most popular tourist spot in Dushanbe. People come here not only to eat, but also to immerse themselves in the rich world of Tajikistan’s culture and history: ganch modeling, painted walls, ceilings, carved wooden columns, and so forth. You can try authentic Tajic cuisine and have a taste of Eastern extravagance.
It’s been a big year for barcamping in Central Asia. There was, of course, the mother of all barcamps in Almaty in the Spring, organized by neweurasia’s own Yelena. Another one was pulled off in the Fall in Kyrgyzstan, followed-up by a training seminar in Bakten — trailblazing the digital frontier — not to mention EduCamp back in Almaty.
But when 2009 started, no one could have imagined that there would be barcamps in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan (consider this post by neweurasia’s Vadim from a while back). Yet, the impossible has happened in both Tashkent and Dushanbe.
The attached video is a short story about an amateur tour for Kyrgyz during the event in Dushanbe (and when I say “ameteur”, I really mean it). If you watch closely you might catch some familiar faces from neweurasia et al. Enjoy! ;-)
Image by neweurasia's Schwartz (CC-usage).
Editor’s note: The Tajik government has recently instituted fees for information requests from journalists and the general public. In this editorial, neweurasia’s Botur examines how putting a price tag on information will only serve to hurt freedom: “Information is the lifeblood of democracy”.
In today’s world when just about every country is striving to improve its transparency, accountability and public access to information (or at least pretend to), the Tajik government once again decides to swim against the stream.
Last week the government issued a decree that envisions charging fees for reimbursement of costs incurred by providing information to news organizations and the public. The fee has been set at 10 cents per page or $10 per 100 pages. Consider that the average salary in Tajikistan is $70 per month, not to mention that there are barely two dozen functioning newspapers and news agencies, all of whom are strapped for cash.
It has already become a tradition that in BarCamp-like events there is always someone from neweurasia, who represents the project. The forum “Digital Youth of Central Asia” is not an exception. Kyrgyz and Kazakh teams made a presentation about neweurasia and lobbied Tajik internet users to read and blog with neweurasia.
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