Independence was the historic turning point in which the centuries-old dream of the people of Uzbekistan came true. From 1991 the republic built its own statehood, Constitution, national currency and independent foreign policy, and from 2016 a period of broad reforms known as "New Uzbekistan" began. Exams often ask about the dates of state symbols and documents, chronology and the content of reforms.
§1. The road to independence
Causes:
The economic crisis of the Soviet system and the cotton monoculture — the republic had been turned into a raw-material base.
The Aral Sea tragedy and environmental problems; the unjust repression of thousands of Uzbeks under the pretext of the "cotton affair".
Neglect of the national language, values and religion; the rise of national consciousness during perestroika.
Stages:
21 October 1989 — Uzbek was given the status of state language (hence 21 October is Uzbek Language Day)
24 March 1990 — Islam Karimov was elected President of the Uzbek SSR (the first presidential post among the union republics)
20 June 1990 — the Supreme Council adopted the Declaration of Independence (on state sovereignty)
The failed coup in Moscow in August 1991 showed the weakness of the union centre.
31 August 1991 — the Supreme Council passed the law "On the Foundations of State Independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan"; 1 September was declared Independence Day
29 December 1991 — a nationwide referendum (more than 98% of voters backed independence) and the first presidential election: I. A. Karimov was elected
§2. State symbols, the Constitution and state-building
Symbols:
Flag — 18 November 1991 (blue, white and green, red stripes, a crescent and 12 stars).
Coat of arms — 2 July 1992 (the Humo bird, a valley, the sun, ears of wheat and cotton bolls).
Anthem — 10 December 1992 (words by Abdulla Oripov, music by Mutal Burhonov).
The Constitution:
8 December 1992 — the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan adopted (8 December is Constitution Day)
Separation of powers: legislative — the Oliy Majlis (from 1995; bicameral from 2005: the Legislative Chamber and the Senate), executive — the President and the Cabinet of Ministers, and the judiciary.
30 April 2023 — a new edition of the Constitution adopted by referendum: it declares Uzbekistan a social state and expands the section on human rights
Economic independence:
November 1993 — a temporary "sum-coupon"; 1 July 1994 — the national currency, the so'm, fully introduced.
Five principles of the transition put forward by Islam Karimov: de-ideologised economics; the state as chief reformer; the rule of law; strong social policy; a gradual transition to the market.
Oil and grain self-sufficiency was achieved (the Kokdumalak field, the Bukhara oil refinery), and new industries were created, such as the Asaka car plant.
1993 — the law introducing a Latin-based Uzbek alphabet; 1997 — the National Programme for Personnel Training.
§3. Foreign policy
Principles: peacefulness, non-interference in other states' internal affairs, non-participation in military blocs, priority of national interests.
21 December 1991 — joined the CIS; 2 March 1992 — became a member of the UN
1992 — member of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe).
15 June 2001 — a founding member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
On Uzbekistan's initiative the treaty on a Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone was signed (2006).
2019 — joined the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States (the Organization of Turkic States since 2021).
Since 2016 — a sharp improvement in relations with Central Asian neighbours: border delimitation, new border crossings, and consultative meetings of Central Asian heads of state (the first in 2018).
§4. New Uzbekistan: the period of reform (since 2016)
On 2 September 2016 the First President Islam Karimov died; in the election of 4 December 2016 Shavkat Mirziyoyev was elected President.
7 February 2017 — the "Action Strategy on Five Priority Areas of Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017–2021"
The five areas of the Action Strategy:
Improving the system of state and public construction.
Ensuring the rule of law and reforming the judicial and legal system.
Developing and liberalising the economy.
Developing the social sphere.
Security, inter-ethnic harmony, religious tolerance and a well-considered foreign policy.
Key results: in September 2017 the currency was liberalised (free conversion); public reception offices and the principle of "dialogue with the people"; measures to eliminate forced labour; wider visa-free entry for tourists; a sharp rise in higher-education enrolment and branches of foreign universities.
2022 — the "Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2022–2026" (7 priority areas)
The strategy aims to uphold human dignity, build a free civil society, accelerate the national economy and reduce poverty.
§5. Spiritual renewal and the restoration of historical memory
Independence was not only a political and economic change but also a process of rediscovering national identity. National history, religious values and the heritage of the ancestors, all restricted in the Soviet period, began to be studied anew.
Navruz was restored as a nationwide holiday; Ramadan Eid and Eid al-Adha were declared public holidays.
The memory of great ancestors was honoured: in 1996 the 660th anniversary of the birth of Amir Temur was celebrated within the framework of UNESCO, a monument to Amir Temur was erected in Tashkent and the State Museum of the History of the Timurids was opened.
City anniversaries: the 2500th anniversary of Bukhara and Khiva was marked in 1997, the 2750th anniversary of Samarkand in 2007 and the 2200th anniversary of Tashkent in 2009.
9 May — the Day of Remembrance and Honour (since 1999): those who died in the Second World War are remembered and veterans are honoured
31 August — the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Repression: ancestors unjustly repressed in the Soviet period are remembered
The works of the Jadid enlighteners (Behbudi, Fitrat, Cholpon, Abdulla Qodiriy and others) were republished, their names were rehabilitated and their memory was commemorated.
Why does it matter? Alongside the state symbols and the Constitution, historical memory is a foundation of an independent state: it unites citizens and fosters patriotism in the younger generation. In the New Uzbekistan period this work has continued, with institutions such as the Centre for Islamic Civilisation in Tashkent and the Imam Bukhari International Research Centre in Samarkand.
Worked example
"Put in chronological order: A) adoption of the State Anthem; B) the Declaration of Independence; C) UN membership; D) adoption of the State Flag; E) the Constitution."
Write the dates: B — 20 June 1990; D — 18 November 1991; C — 2 March 1992; E — 8 December 1992; A — 10 December 1992.
Within one year compare months and days: March < December; 8 December < 10 December.
Answer: B, D, C, E, A. Note: the Constitution was adopted two days before the anthem.
Worked example
"How many full years passed between the declaration of independence and the adoption of the new edition of the Constitution?"
31 August 1991 → 30 April 2023.
2023 − 1991 = 32, but April comes before August, so the number of full years is 31 (plus 8 months).
Worked example
"In 1996 the 660th anniversary of Amir Temur’s birth was celebrated. In which year was Amir Temur born?"
Anniversary year — 1996; anniversary — 660 years.
To find the year of birth, subtract: 1996 − 660 = 1336.
Answer: Amir Temur was born in 1336.
Check yourself
When was Uzbek given the status of state language?
How does the Declaration of Independence differ from the independence law?
Which mythical bird appears on the coat of arms?
When was the so'm fully introduced?
Uzbekistan is a founding member of which international organisation?
How many areas does the Action Strategy have and what years does it cover?
On which date is the Day of Remembrance and Honour marked?
When is the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Repression?
Common mistakes
Naming 31 August as Independence Day (the law was passed on 31 August; the holiday is 1 September).
Swapping the dates of the Constitution (8 December) and the anthem (10 December).
Dating UN membership to 1991 (it was 2 March 1992).
Confusing the Action Strategy (2017–2021, 5 areas) with the Development Strategy (2022–2026, 7 areas).
Assuming the Oliy Majlis was bicameral from the start (bicameral since 2005).