Bozor Sobir
Bozor Sobir (20 November 1938 – 1 May 2018) was a leading Tajik poet and a prominent political figure, known as Tajikistan’s national poet and “the conscience of the nation.” Born in Sufiyen near Dushanbe, he gained fame during the Soviet era, with poems published across the Soviet Union and translated into many languages. His work is noted for vivid imagery, Tajik history, patriotism, and often sharp political insight. Some of his poems were set to music, and his piece We are of Siyovush’s Bloodline became a de facto Tajik national anthem after it was put to music.
Sobir played a key role in Tajikistan’s cultural revival during perestroika. He helped found the Democratic Party and served as its deputy leader. He supported the push for independence and later became a senator, though he left that post, partly due to disagreements over the growing influence of Islamic movements in the country. He was a strong advocate for separating religion from the state.
During Tajikistan’s civil war (1992–1997), Sobir was a leading figure in the United Tajik Opposition. In 1993, he was arrested on charges the government later described as political. He was released after international pressure and a presidential pardon, and he soon left Tajikistan for Moscow. In 1995 he moved his family to the United States, where he taught Tajik language and literature at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Even in exile, Sobir remained a powerful voice for secular democracy and Tajik culture. He received the National Rudaki Poetry Award in 1988 and, in 2013, the Star of the President 3rd degree from Tajikistan. In 2013 he returned to Tajikistan for a visit, and his return was covered by state media.
Sobir died on 1 May 2018 in Seattle, Washington. He was buried in Dushanbe at the Luchob Cemetery. Sobir’s legacy endures in his poetry, which helped shape Tajik national identity, and in his lifelong commitment to culture, independence, and freedom of expression.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:53 (CET).