“Uneducated Neanderthals.” Shahidi criticized Galustyan’s critics

After the visit of Russian comedian of Armenian descent Mikhail Galustyan to Tajikistan and the sharp reaction from the public, Tabriz Shahidi spoke out in his defense, calling the critics “uneducated Neanderthals.”

Tabriz Shahidi is the son of the famous Tajik composer Talib Shahidi and writer Gulsiifat Shahidi. He is a producer for Galustyan.

On his Telegram channel, he expressed support for Galustyan. Shahidi wrote that some criticized Galustyan’s visit to Tajikistan. He stated that the majority of the critics are “bots with one photo in their feed and three followers,” while others are “uneducated Neanderthals.” Shahidi also claimed that “some smart people” from the Ministry of Culture of Tajikistan also spoke negatively about Galustyan. Shahidi further noted that through their criticism, some resembled the humorous characters Raushan and Jumshut.

Tabriz Shahidi’s statement on social media elicited mixed reactions. Some users and civil society activists criticized his offensive words and phrases regarding Galustyan’s critics, noting that discussions around cultural issues should be based on respect and facts.

Previously, Galustyan’s visit to the country sparked a wave of heated discussions and debates on social media. The criticism stemmed from Galustyan’s role in the Russian comedy show “Nasha Russia,” where he played a Tajik labor migrant named Ravshan. In the show, Ravshan and another character, Jumshut, are portrayed as uneducated, simple-minded, and foolish labor migrants who speak poor, almost incomprehensible broken Russian and are unable to perform their work correctly. These portrayals have previously caused controversy and dissatisfaction within Tajik society.

Mikhail Galustyan’s visit to Tajikistan took place at the invitation of a construction company to promote its activities. The invitation of the comedian, given his previous roles, sparked various discussions in society.