Accessibility links

Breaking News

Dushanbe Bans Use Of Russified Surnames For Ethnic Tajik Children


Tajik authorities have officially banned the issuance of new identification documents and birth certificates for ethnic Tajiks containing Russified surnames.

Deputy Chief of the Tajik Service for Registration of Citizens, Jaloliddin Rakhimov, told RFE/RL on April 29 that the new regulations were approved by President Emomali Rahmon in March.

According to the new law, ethnic Tajik children whose parents have surnames from the Soviet era that end with the Russian "ov" for men and "ova" for women will instead be given documents that use traditional Tajik suffixes -- "i," "zod," "zoda," "iyon," "far" or "pur."

The regulation applies to the birth certificates of newborn ethnic Tajiks or ethnic Tajik children receiving identification documents for the first time.

Adults who previously obtained documents with a Russified surname and choose to continue using that surname will be allowed to do so.

The law does not apply to children who are not ethnic Tajiks.

Tajikistan's president officially changed his Soviet-era Russified name, Emomali Sharipovich Rakhmonov, to Emomali Rahmon in 2007.

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG