Independence Day ( uz, O'zbekiston Respublikasi Mustaqilligi kuni) is an official national holiday in

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked co ...

, celebrated on the first of September. fireworks, concerts, competitions,

military parades A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as drilling or marching. The military parade is now almost entirely ceremonial, though soldiers from time immemorial up until the lat ...

, and wreath laying ceremonies are held in

Tashkent Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of 2 ...

during the independence day celebrations.

Background

In 1991, the August Coup in the Soviet capital of

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

caused many Soviet republics to declare their independence from the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

. President of the

Uzbek SSR Uzbekistan (, ) is the common English name for the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (Uzbek SSR; uz, Ўзбекистон Совет Социалистик Республикаси, Oʻzbekiston Sovet Sotsialistik Respublikasi, in Russian: Уз ...

Islam Karimov Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov ( uz, Islom Abdugʻaniyevich Karimov / Ислом Абдуғаниевич Каримов, italics=no; russian: link=no, Ислам Абдуганиевич Каримов; 30 January 1938 – 2 September 2016) was t ...

declared

independent from the USSR on 31 August 1991. That same day, the Supreme Soviet of Uzbekistan adopted a resolution on the declaration of

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

of the Republic of Uzbekistan and a law on the state independence of Uzbekistan. Once the laws were signed by Karimov, the

was renamed to the Republic of Uzbekistan The next day was then declared a national holiday, and a day off from work by the government.

Celebratory history

1992

In 1992, Independence Day was celebrated for the first time. The film Istiqlol (''Independence'') directed by Davron Salimov was shown in cinemas in

. President

delivered a speech at the evening event on Independence Square in the Uzbek capital.

1996

It honoured the 5th anniversary of independence. It was on this year that President Karimov awarded the title of Hero of Uzbekistan for the first time.

2016

2016 celebrated the 25th jubilee anniversary of independence. Uzbek President

, who was hospitalized during the anniversary, would pass away in

the next day. Karimov's annual independence day speech was read on TV by a presenter.

2018

On the eve of the 27th anniversary of independence in 2018, government authorities for the first time decided not impose restrictions on the admission of citizens of

Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...

at the border crossings.

2021

2021 saw celebrations in honor of the 30th anniversary of independence, the main celebrations of which were held in the newly created Yangi Uzbekiston Park and a settlement adjacent to

. The 30th Anniversary Monument, funded by a Turkish company, was opened on the date.

Places in Uzbekistan honoring independence day

* Mustaqillik Maydoni * Monument to the Independence of Uzbekistan * Independence Library

References

September observances Public holidays in Uzbekistan {{uzbekistan-stub