Independence Day

What it is

Independence Day is the official national holiday of the Republic of Uzbekistan. It falls on the first day of September and lasts a single day. The Uzbek name for it is Oʻzbekiston Respublikasi Mustaqilligi kuni, which means the day of independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The state itself observes it, and it is one of the country's biggest annual occasions. Work stops and public life turns to the celebrations. The holiday belongs to the calendar of the state. Its meaning lies in the founding of the modern republic, and the official programme is organised by government bodies.

Origins and history

The holiday grew out of the events of 1991. That August, a coup attempt in Moscow shook the Soviet Union, and one republic after another moved to leave it. Islam Karimov, then president of the Uzbek SSR, announced on 31 August 1991 that the republic was going its own way. On the same date the Supreme Soviet, the republic's legislature, approved a declaration of independence and a law on state independence. Karimov signed both, and the Uzbek SSR took the name Republic of Uzbekistan. The government then set aside the following day, 1 September, as a national holiday and a day free of work.

How it is kept

The centre of the day is Tashkent. Troops march, officials lay wreaths, and the day brings fireworks and open-air concerts, with competitions running alongside. The first celebration came in 1992, when the film Istiqlol, directed by Davron Salimov, was screened in the capital's cinemas. President Islam Karimov gave an address that evening in Independence Square. Since then the pattern has held: a formal programme and public entertainment. Bukhara has staged musical performances on the date as well. Towns and districts outside the capital arrange their own smaller versions.

Places and monuments

Several sites in the capital carry the memory of the date. Mustaqillik Maydoni, or Independence Square, is where the president spoke in 1992. Nearby stands the Monument to the Independence of Uzbekistan, and the city also has an Independence Library. For the thirtieth year, in 2021, the chief events moved to Yangi Uzbekiston Park, a newly laid out space, and to a settlement on the edge of Tashkent. A monument marking that anniversary, paid for by a company from Turkey, was unveiled on the day.

Later anniversaries

Milestones have shaped the holiday over the years. The fifth anniversary, in 1996, saw the title Hero of Uzbekistan given out for the first time. The twenty-fifth, in 2016, was a sombre one: Islam Karimov was in hospital as it was marked, and he died in Tashkent the day after. His customary address went out on television read by a presenter instead. Two years later, before the twenty-seventh anniversary, the authorities allowed citizens of Tajikistan to cross the border without the usual restrictions, a change made for the first time.

How Independence Day is kept

Government bodies organise the day. In Tashkent the armed forces march, wreaths are laid at monuments, and fireworks and concerts fill the evening, with competitions and other events through the day. A wreath-laying and a parade form the formal part; the rest is public celebration. The president's address is a fixture, read out or broadcast. The first such celebration, in 1992, included a cinema showing of the film Istiqlol and a presidential speech. Elsewhere in the country, towns and districts hold their own smaller programmes on the same date.

When and where

The date never moves: it is 1 September, one day a year, and it has been so since 1991. The government of the newly renamed republic fixed the day after the declaration as the holiday, and it has stayed there. It always falls on the same calendar date rather than on a weekday.

The holiday belongs to Uzbekistan and is observed throughout the country. Tashkent, the capital, carries the largest and most formal events, including the parade and the wreath-laying. Bukhara has hosted musical performances on the date. In 2021 the main programme was held at Yangi Uzbekiston Park and in a settlement beside Tashkent.

What Independence Day means

The day stands for the moment the republic took its own name and its own laws. For those who keep it, the parades and the monuments are a way of marking that beginning, and the Hero of Uzbekistan awards handed out on the date tie the holiday to service to the state. Its official name spells the idea out: the day of independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Questions people ask about Independence Day

See also

IkatA resist-dyeing craft from Southeast Asia, where yarns are tied and dyed before weavingYaldā NightA solstice night of poetry, fruit and family, kept from Iran through Central AsiaMehreganAn Iranian autumn festival honoring Mithra, friendship, and the harvestChovganAn equestrian team sport played with mallets and horses across Iran and Azerbaijan

Good reading and sources

• Independence Day (Uzbekistan) on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.