Tajik Wikimedians Celebrate Wikipedia’s 25th Anniversary in Dushanbe

On 25 January, members of the Tajik Wikimedia community gathered at Technohub Dushanbe to celebrate two important milestones: the 25th anniversary of Wikipedia and the 22nd anniversary of Tajik Wikipedia. As part of the global Wiki25 anniversary activities, the Tajik Wikimedians User Group organized a series of local events in Dushanbe. The event served as both a reflection on the community’s journey and a discussion on future directions.

The meeting opened with welcoming remarks by Zinhor Nasri, who congratulated participants and invited long-time contributors to share their experiences. Long-time administrators Shuhrat Sa’diev and Dustmurod Said (VASHGIRD) reflected on the early years of Tajik Wikipedia and the factors that shaped its development.

A central part of the discussion focused on cooperation with academic institutions. Saidjalol Husayni, Editor-in-Chief of the Scientific Editorial Office of the National Encyclopedia of Tajikistan, announced plans to organize a high-level academic event by March. He invited active Wikipedians to prepare proposals and ideas aimed at strengthening collaboration and improving the quality of encyclopedic content.

During the event, participants discussed the role of artificial intelligence in the evolving landscape of online knowledge. It was noted that AI can serve as an important tool to support editors and improve workflows, but it cannot replace the responsibility, judgment, and cultural understanding of human contributors. Continued cooperation between volunteer communities, academic institutions, and public bodies was highlighted as essential for ensuring reliable knowledge and for preserving language and cultural diversity online.

The gathering also marked the conclusion of the Wikipedia 25th Anniversary Edit-a-thon, which had been running since 15 January. Zulfiqor Fatehzoda presented a summary of the edit-a-thon results and awarded prizes to the most active contributors in recognition of their efforts.

As part of the Wiki25 anniversary activities, an additional capacity-building event was held on 29 January. Experienced Wikipedians conducted a short Wikipedia editing training for staff members and contributors of the National Encyclopedia of Tajikistan. During the session, new participants created Wikipedia accounts for the first time, learned the basics of Wikipedia editing, and made their initial contributions to Tajik Wikipedia, strengthening ties between professional encyclopedists and the volunteer Wikimedia community.

To conclude the main community gathering, an overview of Tajik Wikimedians User Group’s activities in 2025 was presented, highlighting key initiatives and plans for the year ahead. The Wiki25 anniversary celebration concluded with the presentation of certificates of appreciation to active contributors, followed by informal discussions.