Lidiya Isamova remembers the most challenging times of relentless work when we didn’t yet have first-class equipment, the number of people on our team could be counted on one hand, and militants occasionally visited the office. Recollections of the former editor and head of the information service Asia-Plus.
By profession, Lidiya Isamova is a Russian philologist. She received her education at Tajik State University and then completed postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Philology. However, it turned out that she connected her life with journalism.
Today, Lidiya Isamova is a correspondent for RIA Novosti in Tajikistan, and before that, apart from working at Asia-Plus, she worked in the film studio, the capital’s House of Cinema, the Central Committee of the Communist Party, and the hukumat of Dushanbe during the Soviet years.
After leaving Asia-Plus, Lidiya was the first country director of IWPR in Tajikistan (2002-2005) and a correspondent for the Associated Press agency in Tajikistan (2002-2004). Moreover, she is a certified trainer and, by duty, has visited various countries around the world.
Yet, Lidiya Isamova still remembers the old team of “Asians” with love and great respect.
“Sometimes militants visited us”
Lidiya joined Asia-Plus at the end of 1996. At that time, she was already familiar with this media outlet, and when the team needed reinforcements, journalist Natalya Bruker advised the founder of Asia-Plus, Umed Babakhanov, to invite Lidiya to work.
“I already had experience: I wrote for ‘Komsomolets Tajikistana’, ‘Vecherniy Dushanbe’, ‘Communist of Tajikistan’ during Soviet times. Mostly, these were cinema and theater reviews, in general, I worked as an art critic. But news was new to me. I was used to writing extensive articles. It was tough at first, but soon I got into the rhythm,” says Lidiya Isamova.
The conditions, as she recalls, were quite challenging then: cold offices, old computers working on the first generation Pentium processors, and the times were generally unsafe. So, Lidiya, the eldest among her colleagues, who was 39 at the time, was very worried about her young colleagues. After all, most of the staff were then 20-25 years old.
“It was such a time… difficult… Sometimes militants would show up when they didn’t like something. They would come in irritated, angry, clinking their guns. Our guys, especially the girls, would go out, try to calm them down, defuse conflicts. I was always afraid for my girls. I was the oldest among them. Dangerous times, by 4-5 PM all the streets were already deserted, and tinted cars were driving around the city looking for adventures…”, recalls Lidiya Isamova.
Not all colleagues lived near the office then; some lived on the other side of the city, so Lidiya would send the “Asians” home earlier and always asked them to inform her as soon as they got home.
Work moments were also significantly more challenging than today. Blitz was initially released twice a week, and later it was decided to switch to a daily format. Even Umed Babakhanov was scared to do this, but the team was already used to difficulties. This is how a new work format was born.
At first, Lidiya edited the economic review of Tajikistan; gradually, what the editorial office printed became the basis for the newspaper. Then in 2000, she became the head of the information service, without forgetting about the newspaper. As a boss, she admitted, she was quite demanding and strict.
“Leave bad moods and family problems in the elevator. Here, come in and work,” Lidiya often told her subordinates back then.
A close-knit team
Despite their young age, the “Asians” at the time were just learning to use computers, and they were taught everything by Bahodur Babakhanov, whom Lidiya calls a computer genius and an excellent teacher.
She speaks with the same warmth about almost every employee: Ilhom Nazriyev, Khiromon Baqozoda, Tohir Safarov, Khurshed Niyazov, Marianna Aripova, and of course, Roza Shaposhnik, who is now our managing editor. She particularly highlighted translator Abdurahim Mukhidov, who was not only a friend and adviser but also the author of many ideas used in the agency and newspaper.
Many of the former “Asians”, as Lidiya notes, achieved great heights, having gone through the “Asia-Plus” school. Muborak Abduvokhidova, for example, opened a kindergarten and a private school. And Diana Bagdasarova, who worked as an advertising agent, soon became a radio host due to her excellent voice.
“We worked very friendly and cohesively. Although sometimes there wasn’t enough money for coffee or food. But holidays, especially birthdays, we celebrated excellently. The table wasn’t rich, but always set with soul,” Lidiya Isamova shares.
Bullets Overhead
Isamova worked at Asia-Plus until the fall of 2001, and during this time, there were many bright and even funny events. But one of the most memorable is connected with the honored aviator of Tajikistan and former general director of Somon Air, Mirzo Mastongulov.
“It was 1998, I went to him for an interview, he showed his office. And there were traces of gunshots left. It turns out militants came to him and shot over his head, literally half a meter away, demanding that he vacate the chair, leave the position of airline director. But he managed to respond to them: ‘Take all the planes, organize your pilots, and fly, please!’
I was simply struck by all of this: the courage of this man, his resilience, knowledge, and masculine charisma. The militants, apparently, were also affected by his inner strength, and they left. And he told me that after this incident he didn’t even turn gray,” Lidiya recalls.
She maintained a friendly relationship with Mirzo Mastongulov, they often called each other and congratulated each other on holidays.
It is equally important to have reliable, verified sources of information, which, as Lidiya Isamova notes, need to be cherished. One such source was the Secretary of the Security Council of Tajikistan, Amirqul Azimov. He provided exclusive information about border conflicts, negotiations with the opposition, and operations. Notably, Azimov had not shared information with other media before.
“This case taught me the importance of preserving your sources of information. I also made my journalist colleagues double-check every piece of information and send it for verification to the person who provided it. This is especially true for topics of security, politics, and defense. One cannot make mistakes here, as otherwise, the blow would fall on the reputation of the entire news agency, not just the journalist,” emphasizes Isamova.
Being an “Asian”
As Lidiya confessed, the Asia-Plus school gave her a lot, which she took with her further. This includes not only professional skills and the ability to manage a team but also warm memories. With some, Lidiya Isamova maintains friendly relations to this day.
“The time was quite challenging, frightening, but fun. At least we had enthusiasm, a sense of responsibility, discipline, love for the profession, and mutual support. This is the most important thing. There remains a sense of camaraderie. With Roza, for example, I still communicate, and not within the framework of teacher-student relations, but as equals. Over the years, the age difference has disappeared,” Lidiya admits.
She also recalls with great respect her former boss, Umed Babakhanov, and the very school she went through. Thanks to the tasks he set before his subordinates, which literally acted as a “shock therapy”, the very feelings of duty and responsibility were born. Lidiya Isamova herself used this method when she worked at IWPR.
“I want to wish to hold the banner high and with dignity. To be the first, no matter what, despite competition, despite the many temptations around now: informational, media. And of course, to nurture a new generation of journalists,” concluded Lidiya Isamova.
