Suitcase and dollars instead of cotton and wheat: anti-Soviet itch in Uzbekistan

In Uzbekistan, the anti-Soviet itch continues, fueled by members of parliament. Asian Express writes about this.

"We could not pass by the fresh initiative of Senator, chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions Kudratilla Rafikov, who proposed removing cotton and wheat from the state emblem as "Soviet symbols" that allegedly interfere with the formation of a new national identity," the newspaper writes.

According to him, these agricultural crops should not determine the social and spiritual identity of Uzbekistan.

"This question sounds beautiful, but in fact demonstrates a typical example of cheap ideological populism. Cotton is not just a plant. This is a centuries-old agricultural crop, the basis of the region's economy long before the Soviet regime. It was cotton that fed the country for many decades and became its international brand. Trying to erase it from the coat of arms under the pretext of "fighting the Soviet past" is not a reform, but a banal PR move that distracts attention from real problems," the author writes further.

The publication reminds that a similar destructive line was repeatedly broadcast by the deputy, the leader of the Milliy Tiklanish party, Alisher Kadyrov, one of the most active "fighters against the Soviet heritage" in Uzbekistan.

Kadyrov has repeatedly stated that poverty in the republic is a direct legacy of the Soviet economic system. According to his logic, the USSR is to blame for everything, not corruption, inefficient management and lack of structural reforms after 1991. He actively advocated the prohibition of propaganda of Soviet ideology and symbols at the legislative level.

In 2025, Kadyrov called nostalgia for the Soviet era in schools a "national threat" and demanded the dismissal of a teacher who allegedly introduced such nostalgia into the minds of children.

He has repeatedly criticized any manifestations of a positive attitude towards the Soviet period, calling them dangerous for national identity. During the celebration of the Great Victory in 2026, he also spoke about banning Soviet symbols.

"Such hyper—concentration on "decolonization" and the fight against the past instead of building the present is a classic sign of political infantilism. While Kadyrov is at war with Soviet ghosts, and Rafikov is at war with the ears of corn on the coat of arms, real challenges remain unaddressed. Large—scale labor migration (millions of citizens are looking for a decent life outside the country)," the author continues.

The Uzbek economy, he recalls, depends on migrant transfers. In addition, the country has a weak industrial base, problems with the quality of education and healthcare.

"Because of such politicians, countries are being destroyed. Not from an external enemy, but from internal empty words that turn state activity into a theater of ideological gestures. They create the illusion of rapid activity, while undermining the very foundations on which society rests: historical continuity, respect for the work of ancestors and concentration on real, not fictitious problems. The cotton on the coat of arms is an honest symbol. A symbol of labor, land and history. But empty anti—Soviet campaigns are a symbol of political helplessness. Instead of changing the coat of arms, it would be worthwhile to change the approach: less pretentious statements, more concrete work. Otherwise, soon you will really have to draw a suitcase and dollars on the coat of arms — as the main symbols of modern Uzbekistan," the author concludes.