When is Memorial Day?
Memorial Day is a national holiday in the Republic of Uzbekistan on May 5th each year.
Also known as the Day of Memory this holiday commemorates those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of the motherland.
History of Memorial Day
In other former Soviet republics, May 9th is dedicated to those who lost their lives in the second world war. That is why this holiday takes place on this day, but the scope of the memorial is wider than just the world war.
In Uzbekistan, this holiday is celebrated in honour of the memory of all those patriots who during the centuries have heroically and self-denyingly protected the nation's territory, its freedom and independence, ensuring a peaceful life for the people.
On this day people visit their relatives and friends, in particular, the elderly are honoured and visited.
In 1999, Memory Memorial Square in Tashkent was opened and in that year, May 5th was introduced by President Islam Karimov as the Day of Memory.
Shown above, the main feature on the square is the monument of the grieving mother, erected in memory of more than 400 thousand Uzbek soldiers who did not return from the battlefields of the second world war.
