Wikipedia is a free and open online encyclopedia with global reach. Its name comes from the word wiki, meaning “fast,” combined with a derivative of the word “encyclopedia.” While the platform has administrators, anyone can contribute content.
Zinhor Nasriddinzoda, one of the administrators of Tajik Wikipedia, told Asia-Plus about the project’s achievements over more than two decades and the challenges it faces going forward. According to him, 116,305 articles have been published in Tajik Wikipedia over the past 22 years. In 2025 alone, the platform was accessed approximately 69 million times.
Currently, Tajik Wikipedia has 105,645 registered users, but only 145 of them contribute actively on a regular basis.
Who writes for Wikipedia?
Nasriddinzoda noted that Wikipedia operates under strict rules and editorial standards. Articles that fail to meet these requirements are removed.
“There are seven administrators working on Tajik Wikipedia who review articles daily and verify sources. If a publication lacks sources or contains unreliable information, it is deleted,” he said.
He emphasized that users cannot write articles about themselves; all content must be based on verifiable sources such as books, newspapers, or official websites.
In addition, the Wikimedia Foundation provides grants to active contributors to research specific topics and prepare articles. “This is the only financial support mechanism available to the platform,” Nasriddinzoda said.
Who administers Tajik Wikipedia?
According to Nasriddinzoda, most administrators and active users of Tajik Wikipedia are employees of the Main Editorial Office of the Tajik National Scientific Encyclopedia under the Ministry of Culture. They oversee content quality and upload articles from the national encyclopedia to Wikipedia.
All administrators work on a voluntary basis without pay. Active contributors may also become administrators through a voting process on Wikipedia’s administrative pages.
There is also the role of global administrator, whose representatives take part in international Wikimedia events and exchange experience with contributors worldwide. Tajik Wikipedia currently has two global administrators, elected for a two-year term.
Lack of contributors and quality issues
One of the main challenges facing Tajik Wikipedia is the presence of errors and inaccuracies in articles and statistical data, which Nasriddinzoda attributes to a shortage of volunteers.
In some cases, scientifically edited articles are later simplified by other users who replace terminology with words borrowed from Russian. Since any user can edit content, administrators must repeatedly revise articles to restore accuracy and language standards.
“For a platform of this size, seven administrators is clearly not enough,” Nasriddinzoda said.
He added that much of the content from the Tajik National Encyclopedia has not yet been fully uploaded to Wikipedia. “The work is ongoing, but the pace remains insufficient,” he noted.
According to him, Tajik Wikipedia should aim to approach the Persian-language Wikipedia, which contains millions of articles and ranks among the world’s leading versions.
Future plans
The development of Wikipedia is entirely voluntary, meaning administrators and contributors cannot dedicate themselves to the project full time.
“At present, we lack the time and resources to actively promote Wikipedia in universities and educational institutions. Nevertheless, last year we held several meetings at universities to attract new contributors,” Nasriddinzoda said.
Plans include establishing a Wikimedia Foundation presence in Tajikistan and creating a shared workspace for contributors, enabling them to publish more content and support the platform’s growth.
Despite existing challenges, Tajik Wikipedia holds a strong position among global editions and is considered one of the leading Wikipedia projects in Central Asia in terms of both article quantity and quality, Nasriddinzoda concluded.
