100-year-old march of the first Uzbek commander restored

The Ministry of Defense of Uzbekistan has retrieved and partially restored a historical march written by the Jadids, which belonged to the national division led by the first Uzbek commander, Mirkomil Mirsharopov. This development was reported during a press tour at the Center for Spirituality and Culture of the Ministry of Defense on December 27.

According to Olimjon Usarov, Advisor to the Minister of Defense for Patriotic Propaganda, Spiritual and Educational Affairs, and Youth Affairs, the Jadids were pioneers in advocating for the separation of Uzbekistan's armed forces from the Soviet Union. They composed and sang the march as a patriotic anthem for Uzbek soldiers striving for the nation’s independence.

“A special march was created in 1922 in honor of the division led by the first Uzbek commander, Mirkomil Mirsharopov. Today marks 102 years since this march was composed. At that time, it was performed as a hymn among children and adolescents,” Usarov stated.

However, in 1937, Mirkomil Mirsharopov was arrested under suspicion of nationalizing the Uzbek division and attempting to separate Uzbekistan from the USSR. On October 4, 1938, he was sentenced to death and executed. Following this, the march was banned and forgotten.

The restored version of the Uzbek army march, unveiled 86 years later, is incomplete. The Russian State Archives provided only a fragment of the original text, limiting the restoration efforts by the Ministry of Defense.

“Since the Russian State Archives did not provide the entire text of the march, but only a fragment, the Ministry of Defense managed to restore the march, albeit in a shortened form,” explained Usarov.

The approximate text of the restored march reads:

The sword has seen great battles  
For the power of our friends  
For the years of war have worn out  
For the glory of our flag  

Commanders  

If I die for the Motherland  
Give my respects to my commanders  
Play over my grave forever  
May your burial place be known  

Mirkomil Mirsharopov, born in 1900, was the first Uzbek military commander and a key figure in organizing the Uzbek national army. He studied at both a new-style primary school and a Russian-style school, completing his education in 1914. He later took part in various enterprises before becoming involved in military activities.

Between 1917 and 1918, he moved to Tashkent and joined the Old City Uzbek combat unit. He played a significant role in suppressing the Osipov rebellion in 1919 and later studied at an eight-month commanders' training course in Tashkent. Serving on the Aktobe Front, he participated in the breakthrough of the Turkestan siege and led the formation of the Turkestan Separate Muslim Squadron in 1920. He held key military roles, including Military Commissar and Chairman of the Khorezm Military Revolutionary Council, and worked to establish a national army in Khorezm.

Throughout his career, Mirsharopov held numerous leadership positions, such as Military Inspector of the Bukhara Republic, commander of the Separate Uzbek Cavalry Regiment in Samarkand, and military attaché in Mongolia. Despite his significant contributions, he was accused of counter-revolutionary activities and arrested by the NKVD in 1937. Tragically, he was executed in Maykop in 1938.

Mirkomil Mirsharopov’s legacy and the restoration of this historic march serve as a testament to his enduring impact on Uzbekistan’s military history.