The Council of Veterans of War and Labor of the Republic of Tajikistan says only 25 veterans of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 are estimated to be still alive in Tajikistan, while last year, 37 veterans of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 celebrated Victory Day in Tajikistan.

In 2022, 59 veterans of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 reportedly celebrated Victory Day in Tajikistan

According to the country’s Council of Veterans of War and Labor 98 veterans were still alive in the country in 2021 and 168 war veterans celebrated Victory Day in Tajikistan in 2020.

“Over the past nineteen years, 9,875 war veterans passed away in Tajikistan,” an official source within the Council of Veterans of War told Asia-Plus in an interview Monday afternoon.   

Of those 25 veterans who are still alive in Tajikistan, the oldest is Rashid Karimov from Shohamabri village n Hisor district.  He will be 112 year old on May 9, 2024.  Rashid Karimov was born back in the Hisor Bekigari, the Emirate of Bukhara on May 9, 1912.

He went to the war in 1942 and ended the war in Czechoslovakia on May 9, 1945.  Rashid Karimov has over 30 combat awards

The war veteran from Dushanbe Halim Haidarov will be 105 year old this year.  The ware veteran from Dushanbe Mukhtor Zargarov turned one hundred years old on April 29, and the war veteran from Khatlon’s Abdurahmon-Jomi district Gulmurod Taghoyev will celebrate his 100th birthday on May 1.  

Most war veterans are living in Khatlon province -- ten people (14 in 2023), in Sughd province – six war veterans (11 in 2023), in Dushanbe – four people (6) in 2023, and districts subordinate to the center (RRP) – five war veterans (6 in 2023).

According to some source, more than 300,000 residents of Tajikistan reportedly took part in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 and 92,000 of them died in battle.

65 of residents of Tajikistan were reportedly given the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.  Besides, 15 other Tajikistan’s residents were Full Holders of the Order of Glory.

Victory Day marks the end of World War II in Europe, specifically the capitulation of Nazi forces to the Allies (the Soviet Union, United Kingdom, France, the United States and other principal Allied nations) on May 8, 1945.

In Russia and other countries of former Soviet Union, the day of Victory over Nazi Germany is celebrated on May 9, because when the German Instrument of Surrender actually entered into force (May 8, 1945 at 23:01 CET), it was already May 9 by Moscow time.  Post-Soviet countries have continued the tradition.