The Tudeh Party Members in Tajikistan: Past and Present

A report by: Abdullah Ashourif and Emeraldin Alamf. How did the Tudeh members arrive from Iran to Soviet Tajikistan? What is the current situation of their next generation? The Tajik section of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has sought to answer these questions and prepared a report on this matter: Fatemeh Gholamova, a famous Tajik actress and daughter of Hassan Gholamzadeh, a communist of the time in Iran who later identified as a Tudeh member, proudly looks at her father's photo. According to her, Mr. Gholamzadeh played a significant role in the formation of Tajikistan. He fought as an officer against Ibrahim Bek and, as a teacher, established the first school in the former Kuibyshev district (now Abdul Rahman Jami district) and taught Tajik children literacy. Hassan Gholamzadeh was one of 400 Iranian officers who crossed the Aras River in the 1920s along with the famous poet Abolqasem Lahouti and entered Soviet territory. After that, most of them were sent to Tajikistan due to cultural and linguistic proximity. Qiamuddin Satari, an analyst, states in this regard: 'Most of the Tudeh members who lived in Tajikistan were from the fields of culture and art. The contribution of Abolqasem Lahouti is of utmost importance for Tajiks, as he even played a role in the establishment of Tajikistan as a country. In this context, one can also mention Askar Helalian, a writer, Qasem Deilami, a journalist, and Mahmoud Taheraf, an actor, who were among the Tudeh members that played a very important role in the growth of the new Tajik society.' The wave of migration of communists and members of the Tudeh Party of Iran (which was officially established in 1941) to the Soviet Union occurred in three periods. An assassination attempt on Mohammad Reza Shah in 1949 was attributed to the Tudeh Party, and the persecution of communists in Iran led to their migration to the Soviet Union. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, a large group of Tudeh members also sought refuge in the Soviet Union. Now, the third generation of these Tudeh migrants lives in Tajikistan, among whom are also prominent figures at the national level. Among them is Nahid Zeynolpour, a famous Tajik violinist whose father was a Tudeh member. 'Zavor Dakhta,' a famous photographer and filmmaker (of Iranian-Georgian descent), was only 14 when he came to Tajikistan. Zavor Dakhta recalls: 'My father entrusted me and my three brothers to a shepherd who knew the way to the Soviet Turkmenistan border. My father gave me an apple and said if the shepherd safely took you to the border, give that apple to him intact so that I know you have reached the border safely and I can pay him. If you are harmed, take a bite of the apple and give it to him.' Hassan Rezazadeh, an 80-year-old member of the Tudeh Party, has spent 54 years of his life in Tajikistan. He feels orphaned with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Rezazadeh states: 'The Soviet Union was good. It provided us with food and clothing, we had a home. It was like a father to me. When the Soviet Union collapsed, we became orphaned. Now, out of necessity, I sell books, and my daily income only covers the cost of two loaves of bread and transportation.' The collapse of the Soviet Union was a severe blow to the Tudeh members. Those who spent their entire lives dedicated to the idea of communism now feel alone and abandoned. Today, the remaining members of the Tudeh Party in Tajikistan can be counted on one hand. However, despite their long stay, they still follow news from Iran with interest. They say they still cannot remain indifferent to the fate of their homeland.