In the heart of the historical center of Bukhara, near the famous Lyabi-Hauz square, there is a unique monument. It is like a spark of light among the imperturbable masterpieces of ancient architecture. This is a monument to the legendary folk hero Khoja Nasreddin Efendi.
Many people probably have read the legends, anecdotes and fables about this Eastern hero, wit, troublemaker and joker, who deftly turned clever combinations and fought against the vices of humanity.
An eloquent wit, virtuoso and telltale – this is how you can describe Khoja Nasreddin. In his anecdotes, he ridiculed the vices of greedy rulers, bays and burghers, hypocrisy and cowardice, bribery and litigiousness. Deriding people’s vices, and dealing with the most difficult situations, he was always close to the nation, because he was from the people, always simple and cheerful guy.
In our country, this cunning old man with a donkey is considered a folk hero.
Why his image is associated with Bukhara, you may ask.
For the residents of our country, this colorful character was discovered by the Soviet writer Leonid Solovyov. He wrote 2 novels about the adventures of Khoja Nasreddin: “The troublemaker” and “The enchanted Prince”. In the second work, the hero of Khoja Nasreddin travels through Bukhara and enters the court of the Emir of Bukhara. A film was made based on the novel in 1942. And this character took root in Bukhara that it even became a national symbol.
Even today, the monument is always crowded, and children especially love it. In Bukhara, there is a belief that if you put a child on his donkey, his life will be filled with joy and a lot of positive emotions.
Indeed, if you come closer to Nasreddin and look at his clever smile, you can see that it radiates some positive energy and warmth, which can be charged to spend a good day.
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