Connections between Turkic and Slavic peoples have existed since ancient times. Before the revolution, Uzbeks mostly came to Russia as part of trade caravans, embassies, various missions, etc. During the 16th and 17th centuries, trade and diplomatic relations between Bukhara, Khiva, Kokand, and the Russian state intensified. The formation of the Uzbek diaspora in Russia can be roughly dated to the 16th–17th centuries.
In 1558, Ivan IV’s ambassador arrived in Central Asia, visiting Khwarezm and Bukhara. In 1559, return embassies from Bukhara and Balkh were sent to Moscow. These visits aimed to resolve trade issues. Bukhara’s Khan Abdulla requested Ivan IV to allow his merchants free access to Kazan, Astrakhan, and other cities. In the fall of 1559, two Bukhara ambassadors arrived in Moscow. The Bukhara government obtained permission for its merchants to trade duty-free in Astrakhan. Ivan IV’s “merchant charters” allowed Asian merchants to trade in other Russian cities as well. In 1563, 1566, and 1583, ambassadors from Bukhara and Samarkand came to Russia to regulate trade relations. In 1585, Bukhara’s Khan Abdulla sent his ambassador Muhammad-Ali to Tsar Feodor Ivanovich with goods and gifts. The Russian government was interested in Central Asia as a base for silk monopoly trade with Western Europe. In 1589, Russia allowed Bukhara’s ambassador Dostum and Izyur’s ambassador Kadish to buy goods duty-free on their route. In 1598, Khivan prince Muhammad-Kul stayed in Moscow and closely interacted with Boris Godunov and other Russian elites.
In the 17th century alone, many Central Asian embassies visited Russia; Bukhara sent 13 alone. In 1622, Khivan prince Afgan negotiated with Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich (founder of the Romanov dynasty). Urgench prince Abulaziz fled Russia with 2,000 troops due to conflict with his father, settling near Astrakhan in the village of Adzhi. Ethnographers note the physical appearance and speech of Adzhi residents resemble those of Urgench Uzbeks.
In spring 1634, “Bukhara merchant” Hadji Ata-kuli petitioned Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich for permission to sell duty-free in Yaroslavl goods brought on behalf of Bukhara’s ruler Imam-Gul. The goods listed illuminate Russo-Central Asian trade ties: “2626 zenden of red cloth, 2000 zenden of colored silk, 735 anser silk pieces, 38 kinds of cloth, 325 patterned fabrics, 664 white Balha calico, 30 Azam zenden, 200 Yam calico, 70 printed textiles.”
In 1644, the Russian government instructed Siberian commanders to honor Uzbeks and actively encourage their settlement in Siberia. By the 17th century, Uzbek diaspora members served in Russian state roles, mainly diplomatic but also customs, translation, and more. Saidkul from Tobolsk was part of Russian embassies to China in 1653, 1658, and 1668–1672 and received awards. Muhammad-Yusuf Kasymov (from Astrakhan) was sent to India and Afghanistan in 1675. In 1688, Yakub-Mulla translated official documents into Russian in Astrakhan, originally written in Arabic, Persian, and various Turkic languages. Yadgar Alimov (Astrakhan) often accompanied Russian caravans to Central Asia. The first Russian embassy to Beijing was led by Mulla Erka, fluent in Chinese, Mongolian, and many Turkic languages.
Between 1685–1687, four large Bukhara caravans visited Irkutsk. In October 1685, 15 Bukhara merchant families arrived with a caravan of 130 camels. The second caravan in 1686 was larger: 11 merchant families with 172 camels brought textiles worth 2,000 rubles (Irkutsk estimate). The following caravans were similarly large.
Several Uzbek embassies visited Peter I: in 1700 and 1703, Khivan delegations from Khans Shah-Niyaz and Arab-Muhammad, in 1713 a special mission by Khivan subject Khoja-Nafas, and in 1720 an embassy from the new Khiva Khan Avaz-Muhammad.
Orientalist G.I. Spassky mentioned the 1779 visit of Bukhara’s envoy Ir-Nazar Maksutov to St. Petersburg, thanks to whom Catherine II funded a madrasa in Bukhara (“one was built at the expense of Empress Catherine II, thanks to the envoy Ir-Nazar Maksutov in 1779”). By the late 18th century, over 20,000 Uzbeks lived in Siberia, the Urals, Astrakhan, Orenburg, and surrounding areas, often called “Bukharans” or “Tashkentis” based on their origin.
In 1804, Bukhara Emir Haydar-Khan’s embassy led by Abdulkarim Bukhari visited Russia. In 1806, a Russian journal noted that the Uzbek diaspora in Russia “stick together and maintain their national customs… They display considerable natural intelligence, honesty, politeness; their speech is moderate and pleasant, partly due to the good state of their schools.”
Officer F. Nazarov of the Separate Siberian Corps mentioned the Kokand embassy of Umar-Khan, which visited Russia in 1812. Around the same time, Khivan caravan leader Ataniyaz Niyaz-Muhamedov carried out a special mission for Alexander I, trying to establish contacts between Russia and Khiva. In 1815 and 1819, Bukhara Emir Haydar-Khan’s envoy Azimjan Muminjanov, while in Russia, expressed the Emir’s wish to send a Russian embassy to Bukhara to negotiate a trade agreement.
A number of embassies were sent to St. Petersburg by the Khans of Kokand in 1822, 1828, 1831, 1841, and other years. In 1831, Kokand Khan Muhammad Ali-Khan sent an embassy to St. Petersburg requesting Emperor Nicholas I to send mining engineers and artillery officers to Kokand. In 1841, a Kokand embassy led by Muhammad Khalil Sahib-zade visited Russia. A. Wambery mentioned Khivan Shukrulla-bay, who frequently traveled to Russia on official business.
In 1857, 1869, and 1874, Bukhara’s Emir Nasrullah Khan’s embassies were accompanied by the Bukhara educator Ahmad Donish, who wrote “Journey from Bukhara to Petersburg.”
Notable figures of the 19th-century Moscow Uzbek community included Kokand merchant Ibragimjan Akhundzhanov, Bukharan Abdul-Karimbay Safarov, the Khoshalov family, mullahs Salih Dusmametov and Mirgulyam Nakshbandi, among others.
Between the 1870s and 1890s, Bukharan Prince Sayid Mir-Mansur (1863–1918) lived in Russia, residing in St. Petersburg. He studied at the Page Corps and the Nikolaev Cavalry School, became an officer, and served in the Russian cavalry until 1899, after which he retired and returned to Bukhara. Mir-Mansur married Georgian princess Sofia Tsereteli; they had several children. Their eldest son, Nikolai Tsereteli (b. 1890), was a leading actor at the Moscow Chamber Theatre in the 1920s. Mir-Mansur’s second son was a decorated Russian army officer who died fighting Bolsheviks in 1918.
Russian orientalist M.A. Terentyev began scientific study of the Uzbek language, publishing a grammar in 1875. He frequently communicated with Uzbeks living or traveling in Russia.
The heir to the Bukhara throne, future Emir Sayid Mir-Alim Khan, studied at the Nikolaev Cadet Corps (1893–1896). As emir, he held the rank of lieutenant general in the Russian army and was awarded several imperial honors.
Other notable Uzbek cultural figures who lived, studied, or frequently visited Russia include educator Ajzi (who traveled extensively in Russia, including St. Petersburg and Moscow in 1901–1903), Kokand engineer Abidjan Mahmudov (the first Uzbek mining engineer, graduated from St. Petersburg Mining Institute), and Khivan official Sheikh Nazar Esaulbashi Muhammad Murad-ogly.
In 1907–1908, a delegation from the Khiva Khan, led by First Vizier Islam-Khodja, visited Russia. The delegation included Khudaybergen Devanov, a pioneer of Uzbek cinema. Early 20th-century Turkestani deputies to the Russian State Duma included Abduvakhit-kari Kariyev. Khiva’s Khan Muhammad-Rahim Khan II funded a Baltic Fleet gunboat named Khivinetz, and Bukhara’s Emir Sayid Abd-al-Ahad financed a similar boat named Bukharetz.
A source of pride for the Uzbek community in Russia is the Saint Petersburg Cathedral Mosque, built in the early 20th century with funds from the Emir of Bukhara (laid down during Sayid Abd-al-Ahad’s reign, completed under his son Sayid Mir-Alim Khan).
From 1911 to 1915, future academician and first president of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashmukhamed Kary-Niyazov, studied natural sciences at the Circle of Self-Education publishing house in St. Petersburg. His descendants now live in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
In 1916, many Uzbeks were mobilized under the June 25 decree into labor battalions and sent to Russian fronts in World War I, with some participating actively in the 1917 events.
Soviet period
As noted in the media: "In Soviet times, there were many Uzbeks among the residents of Moscow, Leningrad, and other large cities." In 1921, the Bukhara House of Enlightenment was opened in Moscow, which offered various educational courses (language courses, etc.), including an Uzbek theatrical studio.
In the 1920s–1930s, several prominent Uzbeks studied in Leningrad: one of Uzbekistan’s first professional literary scholars Abdulla Alavi (Institute of Oriental Languages, 1924–1927), linguist Ulug Tursunov (same institute, 1927–1930), prominent Uzbek writer Kamil Yashen (Forest Management Institute, 1924–1927), and Z.Sh. Rajabov, the future first director of the Institute of History and Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, who completed postgraduate studies at the Leningrad branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies in 1936. In 1935, under the leadership of Tashkenbay Egamberdiev, the first national circus attraction of Uzbek tightrope walkers was created in Leningrad, operating until 1941.
A significant milestone was the war years of 1941–1945, which increased the Uzbek diaspora in Russia. Uzbeks, as part of national divisions and brigades (19th, 99th, 100th, 101st, 102nd, 103rd Uzbek Cavalry Divisions; 89th–97th Uzbek Separate Rifle Brigades, etc.) and other units, defended Moscow, Leningrad, Stalingrad, and liberated Orel, Belgorod, Voronezh, Kursk, Rostov, and other Russian cities. During and after the war, many Uzbek veterans settled in Russia—in places where they had fought, recovered from wounds, etc.
In the post-war period, Uzbeks continued their education in Russia. In 1950, Uzbek composer I.I. Akbarov graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory. The future academician of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan M.Yu. Yuldashev worked at the Leningrad branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies. In 1953, future People’s Artist of Uzbekistan R.A. Akhmedov graduated from the I.E. Repin Institute. In 1965, sculptors A. Baymatov and R. Charyev also graduated from this institute. Later (in the 1970s–80s), famous Uzbek artists Bahodir Jalalov, Sabir Rakhmetov, Akmal Ikramdzhanov, Muhammad Nuritdinov, and others graduated from the Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg. Art historian Kh.N. Abul-Kasymova (1958) and Islamic scholar M.K. Aripov (1967) graduated from Leningrad State University. Since 1960, the well-known film director I.A. Khamraev has lived in Russia—professor at the directing department of the Saint Petersburg University of Cinema and Television, head of the Uzbek diaspora cultural sector in Saint Petersburg. Since 1964, Samarkand native Kh.I. Abdusamatov, now Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and head of the Space Research Laboratory at the Pulkovo Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, has lived in Russia.
The Uzbek diaspora in the Soviet period was represented not only by intelligentsia but also by workers and peasants. Demographers note: "Labor migration in Uzbekistan has always existed both internally and to other Soviet republics. The latter occurred in organized forms (rotational labor shifts in the Non-Black Earth region, Kazakhstan, construction of new Soviet sites by public calls, organized recruitment of workers, etc.) and informally (mostly fruit and vegetable trade)." The socio-demographic situation in Central Russia in the 1960s–70s forced, according to economist A.L. Andreev, "the import of Uzbek and Tajik peasants into the Russian Non-Black Earth region to fill the labor shortage there."
A representative of the Uzbek diaspora in the Sverdlovsk region, Yu. Islamov, was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union in 1988 for heroism in battles with Afghan Mujahideen.
Modern Period
The Uzbek diaspora in modern Russia lives in almost all regions of the Russian Federation, but the largest numbers are found in Moscow and the Moscow region, Saint Petersburg and Leningrad region, and many places in the Volga region, the Urals, and Siberia. Organizationally, the diaspora includes such societies and national-cultural centers as the Tamara Khanum Center for Russian-Uzbek Cultural Cooperation (Moscow), the Society of Compatriots of Uzbekistan "Umid" ("Hope") and the "Turan" community (Saint Petersburg), the National Uzbek Cultural Center "Alisher Navoi" (Samara), the regional public organizations "Zeravshan - Golden Valley" and the Uzbek community "Farishta" (Voronezh), the Uzbek Cultural National Center "Fergana Valley" (Novosibirsk), the Uzbek national-cultural autonomy of Krasnoyarsk city, the Krasnoyarsk regional public organizations Uzbek national-cultural center "Dustlik" ("Friendship") and "Uzbek Diaspora", and the Uzbek community of the Yaroslavl branch of the Assembly of the Peoples of Russia.
Prominent representatives of the Uzbek diaspora in Russia include the cosmonaut and Hero of Russia Salidjan Sharipov, major businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Iskander Makhmudov, actor Farhad Makhmudov, directors Jakhongir Faiziev, Ali Khamraev, Eldor Urazbayev, Elyer Ishmukhamedov, Yusuf Razykov, singer Stakhan Rakhimov, writer Vadim Muratkhanov, diplomat Pulat Abdullaev, singer Aziza Mukhamedova, philosophy professor Talib Saidbaev, history professor Mutal Khalmukhamedov, RAEN academician Adkham Yunusov, socio-political figures Nuraly Latypov and Rafik Nishanov, leaders of regional Uzbek diasporas Anvar Khusainov (Moscow), Alidjan Khaydarov (Saint Petersburg), Israil Nurmatov (Samara), Saidurad Kholzhigitov, Zafar Safarov, and Nodir Juraev (Krasnoyarsk), Mukhumadamin Abdulazizov (Novosibirsk), and others. In Saint Petersburg alone live film director, professor, and honored cultural worker of the Russian Federation Iskander Khamraev, retired Captain 1st Rank and former submarine commander B.A. Narmamadov, professor-urologist of the Military Medical Academy B.I. Nabidjanov, honored master of sports in figure skating and tennis coach I. Ibragimov, State Prize laureate Professor A.R. Rakhimov, municipal deputy R.R. Kurbanov, president of the Maritime Facade LLC Sh.Sh. Kary-Niyazov (grandson of academician T.N. Kary-Niyazov), rector of PEIPK FGO DPO A.I. Tadzhibaev, and others.
Uzbek writer Shamsad Abdullaev often publishes in Russia. The Russian language and Russian poetry became for him an ideal neutral space to merge the Uzbek mentality and Central Asian chronotope with Western cultural and poetic experience. This unique experiment resonated with the search for uncensored Russian poetry, and in the early 1990s, Abdullaev became a regular author for "Mitiny Zhurnal." In 1992, his book "Interval" launched the journal’s book series, and in 1993 he received the Andrei Bely Prize—the highest recognition in Russian uncensored literature.
In August 2005, businessman Kh.P. Abdullaev organized the newspaper "Uzbegim" in Moscow, published in Uzbek and Russian, popular not only in the capital but also among Uzbek communities across Russia—Saint Petersburg, the Volga region, the Urals, Siberia, etc. In Saint Petersburg alone, 3,000 copies circulate. On February 25, 2007, a charity festival "The Sun Rises in the East" was held in Saint Petersburg for children and teenagers with disabilities. The festival was organized by the Russian Ethnographic Museum and the Saint Petersburg Uzbek diaspora. The festival included museum tours ("Parade of Peoples," "Welcome Navruz"), film screenings about Central Asia, Uzbek national music performances, and traditional Uzbek cuisine tastings. On September 7, 2008, a festive concert "Uzbek Culture Day," dedicated to Uzbekistan’s Independence Day, took place in Saint Petersburg, showcasing vibrant performances by Uzbek artists and their national instruments, immersing attendees in Uzbek culture. An interesting phenomenon of Uzbek culture in Saint Petersburg is the ethno-folk group "Obmorok i Mama," led by doyra player and vocalist Ikhtiyar Kadyrov. Members include A. Barakov (accordion), V. Pogosyan (keyboards), Kuzybay (tar), and Mansur Saidov (tar).
Every March, the Uzbek diaspora in Tyumen celebrates Navruz with a grand festival lasting two weeks. On the first day, Uzbeks parade in national costumes. A contest "Uzun Sach" is held where beauties compete by braid length (minimum 40 cm). Visitors can enjoy Uzbek dishes like plov, sumalak, samsa with herbs, and more.
The Samara regional public organization "National Uzbek Cultural Center ‘Alisher Navoi’" was established in 2006, chaired by Nurmatov Israiljon Ismatjanovich. Its goals include fostering national and spiritual unity, preserving and developing the Uzbek language, culture, traditions, and customs, and protecting the legal rights and interests of Uzbek citizens. The organization holds events related to Uzbek history and culture such as Navruz and Uzbekistan Independence Day (September 1). It participates in interethnic regional and city events organized by the city administration and Samara regional government ("Wreath of Friendship," "City Day," etc.). Active members are Uzbek migrants. The organization assists migrants with employment and legal protection.
On December 10, 2010, the Uzbek Cultural National Center "Fergana Valley" was presented in Novosibirsk. Guests included the Uzbek Consul General A. Kayumov, local officials, and representatives of Jewish, Uyghur, Belarusian, and other diasporas. The center’s mission is to introduce Novosibirsk residents to ancient culture, beautiful dances, customs, and traditions, and to preserve them so that "every Uzbek knows their roots." The center has many plans and already boasts successes: Uzbek dancer Laylo won a Turkic beauty contest held in Novosibirsk in November 2010 as part of the "Siberian Chaykhana" festival.
In Ivanovo region, Muslim communities and diasporas (including Uzbek) obtained permission from local authorities to build a Muslim Cultural Center. For years, an interethnic children’s summer camp has operated with diaspora support. The Yaroslavl regional branch of the Assembly of the Peoples of Russia (YarO ANR) has existed since 2000 and unites representatives of 17 national diasporas including Uzbek, Azerbaijani, Dagestani, Tajik, Tatar, Chechen-Ingush, etc. It plays an important role in Yaroslavl’s public life and promotes tolerance and multicultural values. In Podolsk, about 30,000 ethnic Muslims live, including at least 10,000 Uzbeks. The local spiritual-cultural organization "Rakhman" has operated since 1999.
By the initiative of cultural, scientific, and public figures from both countries, the "Forum of Culture and Art of Uzbekistan" Foundation was presented in Moscow in March 2004, aimed at promoting the rich cultural and historical heritage of the Uzbek people.
Seventy-seven subjects of the Russian Federation actively cooperate with Uzbekistan. The most active are regions with Uzbek diasporas. Over 40 Uzbek trade houses are open in Russian regions, and plans exist to open 15 more. Over 1,000 Uzbek students received scholarships for free education in Russian universities from 1999 to 2009 under Uzbek-Russian educational cooperation; in the 2007-2008 academic year alone, 180 scholarships were granted.
Several bilateral agreements specify the status of ethnic minorities. For example, Article 7 of the "Treaty on the Foundations of Interstate Relations, Friendship and Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Uzbekistan" (May 30, 1992) states: "The High Contracting Parties guarantee the right of persons belonging to national minorities, individually or together with others, to freely express, preserve, and develop their ethnic, cultural, linguistic or religious identity and create conditions to encourage this identity, and do not allow any attempts of forced assimilation." This provision fully corresponds to Article 1 of the "Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities" (December 18, 1992), which states: "States protect the existence and identity of national or ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic minorities within their respective territories and encourage conditions for the development of that identity."
Finally, it is important to mention the so-called "new diaspora." Mainly, migrants from Uzbekistan work in construction, agriculture, factories, trade, auto service, public utilities, and household services. For example, so many Uzbeks work as public transport drivers that traffic rules have been published and distributed in Uzbek. The total number of Uzbek labor migrants in Russia fluctuates between 500,000 and 1 million. Uzbek communities try to support these people as much as possible.
Published in the collection "Historical and Cultural Ties between Russia and Uzbekistan: Materials of the International Scientific Readings in Memory of Alisher Navoi (Astrakhan, February 26, 2013)" / ed. A.V. Syzranov. Astrakhan: Color Publishing, 2013. – 159 pages.