Tajikistan blog - The musings of a volunteer journey.: May 2013

We know it as VE day and it falls on the 8th May but in Tajikistan victory day celebrations are on the 9th May, The main reason for this was the difference in time zones when the treaty was signed. [Quoting Stalin:]'' Today, in Reims, Germans signed the preliminary act on an unconditional surrender. The main contribution, however, was done by Soviet people and not by the Allies, therefore the capitulation must be signed in front of the Supreme Command of all countries of the anti-Hitler Hitler Coalition, and not only in front of the Supreme Command of Allied Forces. Moreover, I disagree that the surrender was not signed in Berlin, which was the center of Nazi aggression. We agreed with the Allies to consider the Reims protocol as preliminary''.
This is echoed by the Tajik people who lost approx 100,000 soldiers to the 'Great Patriotic War' 1942-1945, and the USSR of course suffering the greatest losses of all, in the region of 9 to 14 million.
The day started with the President laying the first of many wreaths at the Eternal Flame monument in Victory park, Dushanbe.

This was followed by speeches and a matching band. After the procession had finished my colleagues and I took in the views and enjoyed the surroundings of the park,(pictures below) it has an old disused cable car built in the Soviet era, which was only closed a few years ago as it became unsafe, now its another fund raising project to try and restore to its former glory, and hopefully become a tourist attraction once more.
There are many such projects in the planning and discussion process by ngo's (non government organisations) like the VSO and others all over Tajikistan, influencing governments and capacity building is a slow process.