The remains of several prominent national figures, including former head of state, have been relocated from Ayni Park to the Luchob Cemetery, a much larger burial site that caters to the elite in Dushanbe outskirts.
Five new graves have appeared in the center of the Luchob Cemetery as the remains of Academician Mohammad Osimi, prominent Tajik poet Boqi Rahimzoda, Soviet-era Communist Party head Jabbor Rasoulov, who ruled Tajikistan in the 1960s and 1970s, Sadirrididn Ayni’s son Kamol Ayni and Kamol Ayni’s wife Muqaddima Ashrafi have been reburied in this cemetery.
Meanwhile, we cannot find the grave of Hero of Tajikistan Bobojon Ghafourov, who was also buried in Ayni Park in 1977.
The tomb of Sadriddin Ayni, a leading figure in Soviet-era Tajik literature, remained in the park, which had been named after him.
Recall, Tajik authorities reportedly secretly reburied the remains of several prominent national figures last month.
Relatives say they found out about the reburials only after the fact, although they had been generally aware of plans to relocate their ancestors' remains.
The strongest reaction came from Moscow-based Irina Tikhonova, the granddaughter of Jabbor Rasoulov. She accused Tajik authorities of “blasphemy” and threated to sue Dushanbe city officials.
"The remains of my grandfather were secretly buried in Dushanbe. Without informing or getting the consent of the family — his children and grandchildren." Tikhonova wrote on her Facebook account. "Had we been told, we would have brought the remains to Moscow and reburied them here," she added.
Meanwhile, Tajik authorities insist that they informed all the relatives — including Rasoulov's family — in the summer of the pending reburials.
According to Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, the authorities said the reburials had taken place in an appropriate manner with Islamic rituals.
