Why one of Tajikistan’s favorite comedians passed away without awards

This article is not so much about Bakhtiyor Rakhimov as it is about all the artists, comedians, and cultural figures who have served the development of Tajikistan’s culture for years, yet their contributions are only remembered after their death.

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The passing of Bakhtiyor Rakhimov, a well-known Tajik comedian, was not just the end of one artist’s life. With his departure, society once again began to fervently discuss a question that has no clear answer: why are the contributions of some beloved cultural figures only recognized after their death?

As his friend, ally, and colleague Tashrif Khalilov stated, just a week before his passing, Bakhtiyor Rakhimov said to him in complete despair:

“Let’s go to the Ministry of Culture and demand that I be awarded. I’m almost 60 years old, but I still don’t have a single state award or title.”

These words remain a significant question for thousands of his fans: why has no one recognized his contributions? Perhaps there are very few people in Tajikistan who do not know “Gharibsho,” — an artist who did not receive an official award but was beloved by the people.

For more than thirty years, Bakhtiyor Rakhimov made people laugh with his comedic sketches. However, his performances were not just for laughter: through humor, he raised important social issues, including migration, unemployment, poverty, the relationship between officials and the people, family problems, and the life of ordinary citizens. He was not an artist of one generation; he was an artist for the entire nation. Despite this, he was never awarded the title of “Honored Artist of Tajikistan” or “People’s Artist” until his death.

“Gharibsho” was not just a name

Bakhtiyor Rakhimov often said that the name “Gharibsho” was chosen intentionally. During the civil war, thousands of Tajik citizens were forced to flee the country, and he dreamed that they would return home and “live like kings.” For this reason, he chose the name Gharibsho: “gharib” in Tajik means “foreigner,” “wanderer.” This thought alone shows that he took to the stage not just for laughter. He wanted to give the people hope.

For years in rented apartments

Many of the most famous artists in Tajikistan lived for many years in rented apartments, including Rakhimov. He lived in a rented apartment for many years, and only recently was he gifted an apartment by Tajik businessman Rahimi Garmi.

This case raises another question: if the state values its cultural figures, then why did one of the most famous faces of Tajik humor remain without support?

Why didn’t Bakhtiyor perform on state stages?

Recently, Bakhtiyor Rakhimov has rarely been seen at government programs and on official state television channels. Some of his friends and fans associate this with his participation in one of the events of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan. Rakhimov himself stated in one of his video addresses that before this event, he was warned that if he participated in the event of this party, he would no longer be invited to official state events.

According to him, he responded to them as follows:

“I show my art to everyone. For me, religion, ideology, or political affiliation does not matter.”

These words have once again attracted public attention today. However, until yesterday, no official had stated that his participation in this event affected his creative activity. For this reason, this version remains only the opinion of his fans and friends.

However, some users on social media have put forward another version — the version of regionalism. In their opinion, Bakhtiyor Rakhimov belonged to a different region and was never part of the “in-crowd” for the authorities. However, there are no official confirmations of these claims.

Nevertheless, the fact that these questions arise in society indicates that the system of recognizing the merits of artists is opaque to the public. In most cases, official recognition of merits is carried out based on regionalism, proximity, or loyalty to the current ruling circles. We know dozens of artists with unique talents who constantly complain on social media about the lack of attention from the authorities and the non-recognition of their merits.

The Minister of Culture Must Respond

The Minister of Culture must respond. Every year, dozens of people in Tajikistan receive state awards and titles. Among them are honored artists and cultural figures, and they certainly deserve recognition. However, when the names of Bakhtiyor Rakhimov and similar individuals are not on these lists, few ask: why were they not included? What did they not deserve?

Today, after his death, this question is often raised on social media. Perhaps if this question had been asked when Rakhimov was alive, he would not have spoken with despair: “I am almost 60 years old, but I still do not have a title.”

Recognition of Merits Should Not Be Posthumous

This article is not about Bakhtiyor Rakhimov. It is about all artists and cultural figures who have served Tajik culture for many years. However, their merits are only discussed in society after their death.

Today, in the field of humor in Tajikistan, there are well-known comedians such as Gulbibi Abdulkhairova, Jamshid Khalimov, Nasriddin Nuriddin, and dozens of others. They have contributed to the development of national humor for many years. Recognition of the merits of artists should not be limited to condolences and posthumous honors.

Perhaps the best way to honor the memory of Bakhtiyor Rakhimov would be for the responsible parties to reconsider the criteria for recognizing figures in art, culture, and literature. After all, the title received by an artist during their lifetime is far more valuable than hundreds of kind words after their death.

Okiljon Saburi (pseudonym) specifically for Azda TV