They say dreaming is not a sin. But sometimes a dream grows so lofty that even its owner no longer agrees to settle for less. This time, the story is about peace — a peace that bears the name Leo Tolstoy, yet casts the shadow of the Nobel Prize in the recipient’s heart.
A prize was given to Emomali Rahmon. No, don’t misunderstand — a peace prize. But not the kind awarded in Oslo. This is a peace prize handed out in Saint Petersburg, under the watchful eye of the Kremlin, with a dry, protocol smile.
Look at the photos. The face is stern, the gaze tired, the lips without a smile. This is not the face of someone celebrating the title “Founder of Peace and National Unity.” This is the face of a man who seems to be thinking:
“I served Russia for 34 years, I was loyal, I stayed silent — and in the end you put me in the same row as the newcomers?”
Yes, that is the real bitterness. The prize is collective. One line, together with Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Sadyr Japarov. One has been president only a few years, the other hasn’t even warmed his chair yet. But the prize is the same.
In the logic of our “vocational-school graduate of peace,” peace should be awarded based on seniority:
“After all, I’ve had this title since 2016.”
In another photo, the handshake with Vladimir Putin is purely symbolic. This prize looks more like a “loyalty award” than an independent global recognition. And perhaps that is why his expression is sour and displeased: because after this ceremony, hopes for the Nobel evaporate like stage smoke.
The Hague, perhaps, remains a more realistic hope.
Because the Nobel is not given by proclamation, not by title, and not for long service to a single power. The Nobel is given by history — if it is given at all.
And so, one reality remains:
The prize was received, the photos were published, but the dream remained just that — a dream.
“Qoqo-Qoq” Against Beards, with a Tolstoy Medal
And finally, one last joke — to make this peace fully “bearded.”
Rahmon dislikes beards. He dislikes bearded men. Beards are shaved off qoqo-qoq, as if state security depended on hair follicles.
But look at this irony: he receives a prize bearing the name of one of the most bearded men in history — Leo Tolstoy.
Isn’t this a contradiction?
You ban the beard,
yet you accept a bearded prize with both hands.
It turns out that for Rahmon, a beard is not dangerous if it is:
– dead,
– Russian,
– and hanging as a medal.
Apparently, this is the only beard that is not considered “extremist,” but honorary.
MuhammadIqboli Sadriddin
22.12.2025