Coronavirus isn't an obstacle: Dushanbe to celebrate jubilee of Tajikistan’s Independence on grand scale

According to him, more than 15,000 soldiers and officers of the Dushanbe military garrison are being trained for the parade. 

A source within the Ministry of Culture says about 50,000 people will participate in a festive procession that will follow the military parade.

A theatrical show with participation of known Tajik artistes and singers will take place at the Navrouzgoh Complex in Dushanbe in the evening of September 9, the source added.  

Meanwhile, Tajik officials say the total number of coronavirus cases in the country has been 14,228 as of the evening of July 20, including 114 deaths, but many in Tajikistan say the real number is much higher.

Last year, Tajikistan marked the 29th anniversary of its independence without public events due to the coronavirus pandemic.  No mass events such as theatrical shows and festivities were held in 2020 on the occasion of Independence Day.

Each year on September 9, concerts and public celebrations are held across the country to mark its independence, but the Inter-Agency Standing Committee on COVID-19 Response made decision on September 2, 2020 to ban all celebrations, cultural events, conferences and other mass events dedicated to the country’s Independence for the purpose of preventing the second wave of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country. 

Independence Day of Tajikistan is the main national holiday of the Republic of Tajikistan.

In the late 1980s political processes began in the Soviet Union, which have been associated with the start of the democratization of the Soviet society.  Facing a spillover of the unrests throughout Eastern Europe that began in Poland, the republics of the USSR under the influence of the national-democratic forces began the process of declaring "state sovereignty" in the national parliaments of the republics.  And so, sovereignty was also announced in the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic.

On August 24, 1990, the second session of the Supreme Soviet of the Tajik SSR adopted the Declaration "On the Sovereignty of the Tajik SSR."  But this sovereignty was declared while the Soviet Union still existed.  Despite this, the Declaration was the first document to on the path to the real independence of Tajikistan.  It declared that "the Tajik SSR in the territory independently solve all political, economic, social and cultural issues, in addition to the issues that Tajikistan voluntarily transfers the competence of the USSR.”  Declaration was the first document towards independence.

After the failed coup organized by the State Committee on the State of Emergency (August 19–21, 1991), supporters of the conservative forces of the CPSU in Moscow, processes of proclamation of national independence began in the national republics began.  On September 9, 1919, the session of the Shuroi Oli (Supreme Council) adopted a Resolution and Declaration "On State Independence of the Republic of Tajikistan."

Tajikistan gained independence formally on December 26, 1991 in connection with the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

According to the law "On the Feast Days", September 9 which is officially known as "Day of State Independence of the Republic of Tajikistan" is the main official state holiday in the country and is celebrated every year.  The traditional three-volley salute and fireworks annually take place in honor of the holiday, which is also a non-working day.  Annual mass games are also usually held in the central stadium of Dushanbe. Tajik families usually celebrate the holiday with small traditional feasts, as well as with the decoration of cars, buildings, and streets with Tajik flags.  National television channels stream all of the official events live during their programs.