Dušanbe, a museum dedicated to the cult of President Rakhmon

At the National University, the museum has exhibits on the childhood, youth, political commitment and the travels of the "eternal" leader. Press heap praise on initiative to further their career. The new form of divinization is "in favor of the younger generations". The official title of the president is "Founder of Peace and National Unity - Leader of the Nation". By law, this title cannot be abbreviated or summarized, under penalty of severe fines and punishments.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - The first museum dedicated to the "eternal" president of Tajikistan was inaugurated on March 27 in Dushanbe, with the addition of new rooms, it honours Emomali Rakhmon, in power since 1992 as prime minister, and president since 1994.

The museum is located in one of the new buildings of the country's National University, where the president studied since 1977 to 1982. About 1200 objects are exhibited: childhood and student photographs, his books and manuals, his report cards, various school documents (photo 2).

There are also eight monothematic rooms, one for each official visit of the president to the university in the 30 years of his rule, embellished with decorative series of products of Tajik manufacturing and culture, which also give the museum the status of "art exhibition ".

The decision to open the "Rakhmon museum" was unanimously taken last year by the teaching council at the proposal of the rector, Professor Kobilzhon Khushvakhtzod, together with the project of the new buildings to be built, "in honor of the thirtieth anniversary of independence "Of Tajikistan. The presentation was solemnly given by the dean of the university's history faculty, Professor Rakhmonali Sharipov.

Several films and documentaries have been shot on the figure of President Rakhmon in these 30 years, and since 2017 his official title has become that of Founder of Peace and National Unity - Leader of the Nation. By law, this title cannot be abbreviated or summarized, under penalty of severe fines and punishments.

Moreover, the museum is not allowed free access to ordinary citizens, and not even to university students, who can visit it only upon reservation in special lists and on days dedicated to them. Only a few journalists, mostly from state editions, were admitted to the presentation in honour of the Day of Tajik Journalism, which was celebrated on 11 March.

The journalists present reported that it was "a unique opportunity to see the president not only as head of state", but to get to know him humanly. As the journalist Kiemiddin Makhmadjonov tells currentime.ru, “one of the most important moments for us was when we saw the autographed writings of the president when he was still a student, it was an emotional moment”, almost as if they were manuscripts of the holy scriptures.

The independent political scientist Abdumalik Kadyrov observes that "the opening of the museum to the living leader means that in the state bureaucracy, even today, the only hope of a successful career lies in the exaltation of the president, which everyone falls over themselves trying to accomplish just that”, drawing on all possible sources of financing, also considering the high costs of the new museum.

"I remember that some time ago in a province they built a special dacha for the president, on the occasion of his visit to the area, and since then in almost all the provinces of the republic there has been a competition to build special reception buildings, reserved for the president and to the highest officials, which are often not even used, despite being citizens' money,” adds Kadyrov.

Patriotism in Tajikistan is now totally absorbed by the personality cult of Rakhmon, and the museum is a model of this form of divinization "in favour of the younger generations", as stated in the official reasons for its opening in the university. A competition is now expected among the other universities and schools in the country, which will in turn try to open spaces for "sacred patriotic devotion".