The decision to award the International Leo Tolstoy Peace Prize demonstrates that the political course of the presidents of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan – Emomali Rahmon, Sadyr Japarov, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev – aligns with the spirit of humanism permeating the Russian writer's work. This opinion was expressed in an interview with TASS by Zafar Sayidzoda, Head of the CIS Department at the Institute for the Study of Asia and Europe Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, Doctor of Historical Sciences.
“For Central Asia, where a new architecture of interaction is being formed today – one based on trust, mutual understanding, and shared responsibility – such an award serves as confirmation that the policy of the region's leaders corresponds to the spirit of humanism and mutual respect that permeates Tolstoy's work,” the agency's interlocutor stated.
According to the scholar, awarding Leo Tolstoy prize to the presidents of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan is “an event with not only symbolic but also profound cultural and civilizational significance.” He emphasized that an award bearing the name of one of the world's greatest humanist thinkers and literary figures “in this case becomes a mark of recognition for the contribution of the three countries' leaders to strengthening regional peace and stability, humanitarian cooperation, intercultural dialogue, and good-neighborly relations in the CIS space.”
Sayidzoda noted that the award ceremony will take place in St. Petersburg – a city symbolizing the historical, cultural, and spiritual connection of the Central Asian peoples with Russia – which lends the event “particular depth and underscores the cultural dimension of integration processes within the CIS.” In his view, this step can be seen “as recognition of the three presidents' efforts in developing good-neighborly relations, preserving shared cultural memory, and promoting ideas of peace, which form the foundation of Eurasian cooperation and reflect Tolstoy's legacy as a writer and philosopher.”
About the Prize
In March 2025, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan finally settled their border issue, which had been a source of tension between the neighboring republics for many years. On March 31, the presidents of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan signed the Khujand Treaty determining the tripoint of their national borders in Khujand, thereby fully completing the legal formalization of their common frontiers, along with a trilateral declaration. On September 9, 2025, the International Jury announced the awarding of the International Tolstoy Peace Prize to Rahmon, Japarov, and Mirziyoyev – the signatories of the Khujand Declaration on Eternal Friendship.
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Based on materials from TASS