Rano Abdullayeva, defender of Soviet ideology, passes away at 89

Rano Abdullayeva, a prominent figure in the Communist Party of the Uzbek SSR and a staunch defender of Soviet ideology, has passed away at the age of 89. This was reported by QALAMPIR.UZ.

Born on September 16, 1935, in the Shofirkan district of the Bukhara region, Abdullayeva was one of the most influential individuals in the Uzbek SSR between 1970 and 1987. 

From 1963 to 1971, she served as the first secretary of the Komsomol of Uzbekistan. She later became the deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Uzbek SSR, and from 1971 to 1987, she was the secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan, overseeing ideological affairs.

Abdullayeva was the daughter of academician Habib Abdullayev.

Her name is closely associated with several initiatives grounded in Soviet ideology. One notable action occurred in 1987 when she proposed banning the celebration of Nawruz during a party meeting. Instead, she suggested designating April 10 as "Navbahor Day" for tree planting. As part of this initiative, the Namangan football team was renamed "Navbahor" from its previous name, "Avtomobilist." Abdullayeva’s influence also extended to religious matters, as she became one of the first hajj mothers when the first hajj season was organized in 1990.

Rano Abdullayeva’s tenure as the head of the Communist Party's ideological department was marked by conflict with Uzbek writers, particularly young poets advocating for the revival of Navruz and the promotion of the Uzbek language. As reported by People's Poet of Uzbekistan Khurshid Davron in his 2003 article "I Can't Forget, I Can't Forget," Abdullayeva ordered the removal of works by these writers from publishing house plans, actively suppressing their efforts.

In a related note, Bakhtiyor Sultanov, a singer from the "Tashkent" group, known for his song "Bedana," also passed away at the age of 60.