Under the pressure of the protesters the republic’s authority had to resign. However two days later the city was under the control of a regular army which was relocated to Dushanbe for that purpose.

Soviet cities in the blood

The last years of Soviet power had been the bloodiest for the residents of the national republics. Units of the Soviet Army and the special KGB group “Alpha” invaded into 5 capitals of the former Soviet republics between April 1989 and January 1991.

Tbilisi, Baku, Dushanbe, Riga and Vilnius sunk in blood at the results of counter-insurgency operations. Dozens people were victimized in these cities, while in some places the toll raised up to hundreds, as it was in the Azerbaijani capital.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the days of the Soviet army invasion to the above mentioned capitals were officially declared mourning days in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Tajikistan was not an exception. In 1992 by the Decree of the President Rahmon Nabiyev the square in front of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Tajikistan, where protesters were shot, was renamed to Shahidon (Martyrs).

A monument at the memory of the victims of February 12, 1990 was established between the presidential palace and Rohat teahouse. That was a mourning day in the country. However at the beginning of the new millennium, the monument was quietly removed and that black day in Tajikistan was forgotten.

Idleness of the responsible bodies

Thunder struck in Tajikistan in the beginning of the last decade of the XX century. Several hundred people gathered in front of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Tajik SSR around noon on February 11, 1990, and demanded a meeting with Kahor Mahkamov, the head of the republic. The protesters had only one single question they required to be answered: why the Armenian refugees from Baku, were granted apartments out of queue? Those days housing issue was of the most serious problems in Dushanbe, since the local residents had to wait for years to get an apartment.

Kahor Mahkamov who met the protesters tried to convince the protesters about the baselessness of such allegations. However, nobody believed his words.

It was decided to create a commission and in 24 hours Mahkamov along with Hoji Akbar Turajonzoda, the Kozikalon (religious leader) of the republic had to inform the protesters about the results of the commission findings

In reality, 49 families of the Arminian refugees were evacuated from Baku through Krasnovodsk to Dushanbe from 21 to 24 of January 1990. Out of this number 23 families stayed with relatives, while 22 families received monetary assistance from the city municipality in 35 rubles and 2 other families in 80 rubles. In total 930 rubles were paid to the arrived refugees.

The protesters demanded to inspect all the micro districts in the city were allegedly the refugees received apartments and promised to return the next day to learn about the results of the inspection.

Nevertheless the commission was created with some delay and only by afternoon of the February 12 it managed to check rest houses, sanatoriums and resorts in Varzob, Khoja Obi Garm, Kharangon, Almosi, Shahrinau, Cheptura, Karatog, Romit, Orjonikidzobod, Yovon, Shohambari, all the hostels and hotels around Dushanbe, Tursunzoda, Yovon and Orjonikidzobod. It turned out that there were no Armenian refugees in those places.

Despite that, as it was promised the protesters gathered again in front of the Supreme Council by noon, February 12 and requested Mahkamov and Turajonzoda to announce the results of the findings. The weather worsened by then, it was snowing and raining since morning. The Head of the republic did not appear to the protesters by the mentioned time.

According to the state security Major Abdullo Nazarov, (who was consequently murdered in GBAO in summer 2012), the Chairman of the republican State Security Service (KGB) Vladimir Petkel tried to persuade Mahkamov from being led by the crowd nose.

By the time he finally decided to meet with protesters, it was too late, since the blood was shed and nobody was listening. The furious crowd started to throw shoes at him.

Later in its communication the Commission of the Supreme Council of the Tajik SSR for the investigation of the February 12-14, 1990 events, had stated that “due to the irresponsibility Soviet party’s authorities, commission composed of the representatives of the city executive committees, clergy and informal organizations, was established in 24 hours”, referring to the very same committee, Mahkamov assured the protesters of.

The Communication, announced in Parliament at the end of 1990, had stressed that during the 24 hours, the KGB and the Interior Ministry did not take any actions to investigate and identify the people suspected of inciting and bullying rally on February 12.

First victims

Protesters run out of patience about 15 hours alter when they was told that Kahor Mahkamov is attending the session of the Supreme Council of USSR in Moscow. Clashes began between the representatives of the law enforcement bodies, who started with batons and later started to use water cannons and tear gas.

Protesters stormed the building of the Supreme Council and took some parts of the first floor under its control. Snipers and machine gunners opened fire from the roof and windows of the upper floors of the building. The first shots from firearms were made at 15:30.

As such by the time when the republic’s authority finally appeared before the public at 16:00 there were 5 persons died of gunshot wounds.

One of the most important witnesses of the protesters firing, Nikita Matrosov – a cameraman from Lenfilm was killed at operator was killed at 15:40 in the building in front of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, who managed to film what happened on squire from his window. The video tapes with his films also disappeared. Matrosov arrived in Dushanbe earlier as part of the crew of the film "Afghan Breakdown".

Matrosov was followed by Naila Negmatullina who was killed while visiting her mother and looking from the window of her apartment # 23 on 91 Lenin Street.

The investigation revealed that both Matrosov and Negmatullina were shot out which could not be done by the protesters, since it almost impossible to fire from the bottom up.

By 16:00 from gunshot wounds died Habib Shafiev, Kamol Saifuddin, Abdulrahim Sharifov, and at 16:16 – died the underage Azam Sherov. Saidahmad Muhammadiev a driver of a trolley bus was killed half an hour later by a short from a Kalashnikov firegun.

By 17:00 from gun shots died Sunatullo Ikromov, Hikmat Sodikov, Dilshod Umarov, Amirshoh Ahmadov, Ravshan Karimov, Andrei Kalugin, and Abdullah Nazaraliev. At 17:15 was killed Mahmadsharif Umarov and 40 minutes later died Rajabali Karimov.

According to official information, prior to announcing the emergency situation there were 9 people died and 46 people injured by the evening of February 12.

Snipers main targets were not the protesters but the witnesses. Among them were the cameraman Nikita Matrosov, an ethnic Russian and Tatar Naila Negmatullina. The first one was filming what was happening on the square in front of the Central Committee, and the latter one happened to be by the windows of her mother’s apartment.

At 21:40 the Tajik television broadcasted a Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Tajik SSR about enforcing a state of emergency and curfew in the city of Dushanbe.

No one takes responsibility

Until now, it is not clear who gave the order to open fire against the protesters in February 1990. We have only versions and views expressed by different actors in different years.

In 2006, the former General Secretary of the Supreme Council of the CPSU Mikhail Gorbachev, responding to a question of the Editor Chief of “Millat” Adolat Mirzo said he does not know who ordered to fire on demonstrators in Dushanbe in February 1990.

Soviet Defense Minister Dmitry Yazov claimed that he sent troops to Dushanbe only after Mahkamov convinced him that people started to to attack the Soviet Army soldiers.

Many opponents of K.Mahkamov still put all the blame for the protesters death on his shoulders, because without his consent, law enforcement officials would not open fire on unarmed people.

However, this opinion is not supported by the Head of the Investigation Team for the events of February 1990, the former Chief of the Investigation Department of the Prosecutor's Office of the Tajik SSR Solijon Juraev, who argues that there were no orders from Mahkamov to open fire against the protesters.

According to Abdullo Nazarov, a Major of KGB of Tajik SSR protesters were shot by the officers of a special group “Alpha”, which arrived day before from Moscow. He said that the group was acting at its own discretion.

Few years later, another employee of this agency Saidanvar Kamolov (in 1995-96) Minister of Security of Tajikistan) during the radio interview with Ozodi voiced yet another version:

- In order to reduce the tension among the protesters, the Prosecutor of the Republic Mikhaylin said that he is taking a responsibility and allowed them to use of weapons they had - said S.Kamolov (referring to the soldiers of the Tamanski Division - author's note).

On 15 February 1990, speaking at the Plenum of the Supreme Council of the Communist Party of the Tajik SSR, Vladimir Petkel, and the KGB Chairman of the Republic stated that his subordinates used blank cartridges against the protesters. But this claim has been refuted by the investigation.

Shentsev points at “Alfa”

According to the Head of the team for investigation of the February 1990 events Solijon Juraev, Nikita Matrosov, one of the main witnesses of the protesters shooting had been killed by a sniper from the roof of the Central Committee of the KGB.

In an interview with “Asia-Plus” from 2012, S.Juraev said that for the entire period of investigation there was not a single firearm seized from the protesters neither by the MIA nor the KGB.

- I personally interrogated the KGB gunsmith, who admitted that before the events he provided the KGB group “Alpha” with 15 firemachines, 2 boxes of ammunition and two sniper rifles.

According to Juraev, the special group “Alfa” consisting of 50 people, arrived in Dushanbe on the eve of these bloody events.

- They arrived on the night of 11 on February 12, even though it was quite and nothing was happening ... They were sleeping in the building of the KGB.

According to Saidanvar Kamolov, weapon was used mainly by the soldiers of the Tamanski Division, which was deployed in Dushanbe in February 1990.

Photos of the snipers were published on the front page of the newspaper “Javononi Tojikiston” on February 16, 1990.

The option about the protesters shooting was confirmed by the First Deputy Interior Minister of the Tajik SSR Nikolai Shentsev. 20 years later in one of the interviews (“Tajikistan, the Caucasus, Afghanistan – 3 wars of the General Shentsev”) mentioned that:

- ... Riots escalated into attacks on the building of the Supreme Council of Tajikistan and the Council of Ministers. Weapon appeared among the protesters, while the police had only tear gas to protect themselves. The Special group, arrived from Moscow, shot 25 armed thugs...

Russians will not be affected

There were a lot of rumors going on in Dushanbe during the events of February 1990. People said that there were unknown people traveling around the city on “Ambulance” vehicles and shooting the bypassers.

Articles about unknown snipers on “Ambulance” were published in local newspapers. Although journalists argued that these were members of extremist groups who somewhere obtained firearms.

In fact, these cars were drove by the “Alpha” officers. This was done with a purpose to spread fear among the citizens. They were convinced that this way they could prevent the massacre.

This was indirectly confirmed General Vorotnikov, first Deputy Head of the “Z” Department of the KGB, who arrived in troubled Dushanbe along with “Alpha” group. 8 years later in an interview ("How chekizm was destroyed in Russia") he said:

- … One of our findings was creation of mobile groups (minibus with 10 soldiers with radio stations). We divided the city into districts, which were patrolled by these groups. By the way the groups were joined by the volunteers from the local KGB (the composition turned quite international). Detecting a band of 40 to 100 people, the group began working on its elimination...

According to Vorotnikov, they were accused that the “Alfa” officers opened fire at the peaceful protesters at the central squire of Dushanbe; however there is no single documentary evidence for this.

In fact, first Deputy Head of the “Z” Department of the KGB mislead the reader, since there are sufficient evidences for that.

Many years later, the Colonel Mikhail Goncharov, an “Alfa” officer in an interview, says that when K.Mahkamov organized a meeting of representatives of the special forces of the KGB with the local elders, it was said that:

- ... We are Group “A” officers and will not allow offending Russians...

According to the memoirs of Colonel Goncharov, those days they “came to a nationalists gathering”, and got off the bus in full gear and weapons.

- When some of them tried to throw stones at us, we raised our guns and gave several bursts over their heads. The crowd scattered. There was a rumor around the city that a group of “thugs” arrived from Moscow

However in Dushanbe, witnesses said that the “Alpha” officers were shooting to kill.

Discrediting of the National leaders 

After the army arrival the leadership of the Republic came to alert. On the morning of February 15 at the meeting of the city party committee, K.Mahkamov said that the Republic’s leadership will not resigned until the plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the session of the Supreme Council of the Tajik SSR.

The plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Tajikistan was held the same day, when the absolute majority of the delegates accused the People's Movement "Rastokhez" in organizing an unsanctioned meeting and destabilizing the situation in the city of Dushanbe.

In fact the movement was planning to held is demonstration 6 days later and as such there was no need for them to shake the situation in the capital. They had submitted an official appeal for conducting an assembly to the city’s executive committee.

“Rastokhez” was blamed for the organization of riots in Dushanbe because Moscow was aware of its ties with its Baltic peers, who called upon the national republics to walk out of the USSR.

In other words, “Rastokhez” leaders were suspected in separatism, while they also, a veiled form stated that they wanted to achieve national sovereignty of Tajikistan.

There were several reasons Rastokhez was planning to hold its demonstration on February 18 at the capital stadium of “Spartak”: firstly, they have a similar rally was held there in 1989, and, secondly, there was easier to control the situation and prevent provocations. At the upcoming meeting, they want to put forward a series of political demands, among which - the abolition of article 6 of the USSR Constitution on the leading role of the Communist Party and the transfer of all power to the soviets (by soviets it was meant the local governments, not the Communist Party - author's note).

By that time only few doubted about the victory of “Rastokhez” members during the elections to the Supreme Council of the Tajik SSR on February 28, 1990, because of all its efforts to grant the Tajik language a State status in summer of 1989.

Many “Rastokhez” members became quite popular in the process of struggling of obtaining the state status to Tajik language, and by 1990, they have dreamed of a political career. Similar approaches were used by analogous movements in Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

Parliamentary elections were envisioned to be held in Azerbaijan and Tajikistan during winter 1990, and thus Moscow decided to kill two birds with one stone - to use the “Armenian factor” and discredit the informal leaders of these republics.

It is clear that the victory of the national leaders in Azerbaijan and Tajikistan would mean one thing: in the near future, these leaders will declare their right to self-determination, and call for secession from the USSR.

Gossips about the Armenians

Very often, when writing about the events of February 1990, either out of ignorance, or intentionally, authors argue that Armenian refugees arrived in Dushanbe after the earthquake in Spitak. In fact, they were residents of the city of Baku.

On January 20, the Azerbaijanian capital was invaded by the troops, which according to “Kommersant” newspaper was accompanied by extreme cruelty, “... Opening fire at any moving target, dark alleys and windows. By the time the government declared the state of emergency by radio there were 82 people killed, most of whom was not even participated in the riots ...”. Allegedly, the reasons for invasion were anti-Armenian protests in the city.

These days, a few dozen families were transported from the burning Baku to Dushanbe by aircraft. Although not all of them were ethnic Armenians.

Meanwhile, there were rumors spreading around Dushanbe that the driver of the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Tajikistan K.Mahkamova is Armenian; the wife of the Supreme Council Chairman G.Pallaev is also Armenian, which was true. Those rumors were skillfully used against the leadership of the republic. They were accused of sympathizing Armenians. They said that they care more about the Armenians than to their fellow Tajiks.

At the same time on February 8, the Tajik television broadcasted a TV show “Navidi bozargon” with the participation of the Secretary of the Dushanbe city committee of the Communist Party Rashid Olimov and the chairman of Dushanbe city government Maqsud Ikromov. In his speech Olimov informed about the measures that have been taken for the resettlement of Armenian refugees from the Azerbaijani capital.

Few months later one of the Rastokhez leaders Mirbobo Mirrahimov stated that, Olimov during his speech also mentioned that each refugee was initially granted 80 rubles, and then later received additional 30 rubles.

The next day, there were rumors herd in the city that there are 20 thousand Armenian refugees arrived in Dushanbe. However, the competent authorities did not take measures to stop the rumors which further led to growing discontent.

As a result, there were victims on February 12, the People's Movement "Rastokhez" has been discredited, and after 2 weeks of the elections to the Supreme Council of the Communist Party received the majority voices.

On February 15, Vladimir Petkel the Chairman of the Tajik SSR KGB at the Plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party suggested that the ground for destabilization in Dushanbe was prepared by the Azeri emissaries who earlier arrived yesterday in Tajikistan.

... There were comrades, such signals. Here are some Azerbaijanis living here. Maybe this channel has been used. Incidentally, when the detainees were suspected in the organization, there are people in this category...

KGB Chairman of the Tajik SSR accused the Islamists, some members of the “Rastokhez” movement and criminal elements, which were involved in the cases of looting in organizing the mass riots in Dushanbe. He also said that there was an anti-constitutional coup organizing in the country.

The alleged Coup

The criminal groups looted in the city between February 12 and 14. In the afternoon of February 13, Kahor Mahkamov appealed to the citizens on Tajik television to “arm themselves”.

Self-defense units appeared in the city to protect their neighborhoods. The situation got slightly better after the city was entered by 2 thousand Soviets Army troops along with armored vehicles.

On the other hand, at the results of the negotiations held at evening of February 14 between the republic’s leadership and the “Committee of 17” with the participation of the Kremlin's envoy - Boris Pugo, Kahor Mahkamov, Goibnazarov Pallaev and Izatullo Hayoev had to resign.

The “Committee of 17”, which was formed a day before on the square, included the members of “Rastokhez” movements, prominent representatives of science and culture of the republic, as well as representatives of the protesters.

The Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Chairman of the State Planning Committee of the Tajik SSR Buri Karimov was elected as a Head of the Committee. According to Karimov, he got Mahkamov approval before giving his consent to the protesters.

Late at the evening of February 15, the Tajik TV informed about the resignation of the top officials of the Tajik SSR. However, the next morning the participants of Dushanbe Communist party activists meeting condemned the “retreat” of Mahkamov, Pallaev and Hayoev.

The same day the Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Tajik SSR was held. The Plenum’s delegates mostly supported the country leaders and piled all the blame for what happened at the protesters.

The Chairman of the Council of Ministers I.Hayoev went further and stated that "... those days, some comrades were insincere, and decided to hide the coup attempt."

According to Hayoev, on February 14, when the republic leadership agreed to resign, Buri Karimov gathered all responsible persons in his office in order to prepare a decree on his appointment to the post of Chairman of the Council of Ministers.

Later it was revealed that such document was never prepared, since Karimov was advised by lawyers that it will not have a legal force, anyway.

According to the law, the letter of resignation of the First Secretary of the Communist Party, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Council and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers should be considered by the Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPT and the Supreme Soviet of the Tajik SSR.

As such, the hand-written version of the Decree, composed by B.Karimov, was ripped and thrown in the trash. However, a criminal case was initiated after Hayoev statement.

During 4 months, more than 100 investigators from the KGB and the Prosecutor General of the USSR were involved in the investigating. However due to the hopelessness of the case it was handed over to the Tajik colleagues.

A year later it was discontinued due to lack of evidence, though by that time the KGB Chairman Vladimir Petkel and the Prosecutor of the Republic Gennady Mikhaylin left Tajikistan.

Russian officers’ revenge

According to Petkel, in 1990-91 his department helped to publish more than 20 articles published in Moscow press about the February events in Dushanbe.

Mostly it was analytical material; the authors closely cooperated with the KGB, and did everything to discredit the citizens of the republic before the Soviet Union audience.

One of such journalists Ponomarev published an article in a leading Soviet newspaper “Pravda” under the title “Bell of Hope” where he talked about the alleged massacres of Russian by Tajiks.

- I have personally talked to him, he acknowledged his fault, saying that the material was prepared for him the Tajik KGB Chairman Petkel and General Vorotnikov, who visited Tajikistan on the eve of the February events - said Solijon Juraev in an interview.

It is well known that in 1990 there were secret services - group “A” and “Z” sent to Tajikistan, which were accompanied by Ponomarev, who also traveled with them to other disturbing places as Baku, Armenia, Moldova, Baltic States. He was not just a TASS correspondent but a professional officer of the KGB.

- Ponomarev escaped, when he was asked for second interrogation, and the Prosecutor's Office of the USSR did not help us to bring him to Tajikistan. The same happened with Petkel - said S.Juraev.

The effect of the articles published in Moscow press was quite quick. Murdering the Tajik soldiers in Soviet Army in 1990-91 became massive. They were murdered and hazed not by their fellow servicemen but the officers.

The official appeals to the leadership of the Tajik SSR, as well as the journalists’ investigation materials contained specific names of the officers of the Soviet Army, Russian nationality.

Those officers openly stated that Tajiks killed Russians during the February 1990 events and they will take revenge for them.

As a result a group of soldiers, serving in the Kuibyshev region, addressed the President (institution of the presidency was introduced in Tajikistan in late November, 1990 - author's note) of Tajik SSR K.Mahkamov with open letter which was published in Mass media.

They argued that several conscript committed suicides as a result of inhuman treatment by the Russian officers, and a few more deserted from their units.

It their open letter, soldiers warned Mahkamov that if he will not take appropriate measures they will write to President of USSR Gorbachev, as well as international human rights organizations. They also wrote that if the Tajik soldiers will not be freed from the yoke of Russian officers they will desert, and the blame for this crime will be imposed on President Mahkamov for negligence, and inactivity.

According to the information of the Parliamentary newspaper “Sadoi Mardum”, during 3 months in 1991, 78 conscripts of Soviet Army from Isfara were maimed and two more were killed. Despite that the military commissariats of the Tajik SSR refused to recognize the facts of conscripts’ murder.

When the discontent took a mass character, the Republican military commissariat stated that for the 11 months of 1991 there were 80 Tajik conscripts killed in the Soviet Army.

In reality there were more so called “cargo-200” with conscripts dead bodies, yet the military doctors registered as “death caused by negligence, carelessness”, and in rare cases, noted that the soldiers committed suicide.

In May 1991, the Supreme Council of the Tajik SSR sent a parliamentary commission in several units of the Soviet Army. However the commission has hidden the real state of the soldiers from Tajikistan. The last conscripts’ bodies were delivered to Tajikistan in 1992.

Photos and Sound slide from the Internet.