The dean of the historian department of the MSU, member of the Russian Academy of Science Segey Karpov addressed to historians of Uzbekistan:
Dear colleagues, scientists, historians of Uzbekistan! I’m glad to address you, as our friends, partners and co-workers. We work together on discovering historic layers of those regions and countries, which are actually form our common heritage. We have passed a long and difficult path. Many victories, many outstanding achievements, many failures, sad events were at this path. I would like to say that we all should remember that a lot unites us. And the things, which unite us, are greater, deeper, and more serious than things, which separate us or separated us in the past, as we have the common educational space.
We should remember that we created it. We have been creating it for many years, years of incredible difficulties, suffering during the war that we won together, all peoples of the Soviet Union. And this common educational space is very important for us, as the basis of this space is the great Russian language. The language spoken by many Russians and non-Russians, who lived in great Russia and the great Soviet Union. It is easy to lose it. It is very difficult to gain it again. I think when we speak about the common educational space, we should remember Tashkent was second Athens, Great Athens. Here scientists of Russia, scientists of many republics of the Soviet Union created a unique intellectual base. A strong archeological school, a strong ethnological school, a strong school studying the national history of Uzbekistan, which we appreciate and teach it in the Moscow University, were created. All together they are our valuable and important heritage.
Of course, we can have different approaches to some pages of our history, but we are always ready for a dialogue, we are open for discussion of the most difficult problems of the history of our countries and the Soviet Union. And I think our friendship and cooperation will always be improved. I think we should return to the rule when many students from Uzbekistan and other republics of our country studies in the Moscow University; when people from the Moscow University participated in expeditions to Uzbekistan, mutually enriching our science, culture and promoting development of mutual understanding and cooperation. We have bright future. Shall we build it together!
