In an air disaster near Dniprodzerzhynsk, the entire Pakhtakor team perished — 17 members of the club, including 14 players, the head coach, an administrator, and a doctor. They had been travelling to Minsk for a Soviet Championship match, but they never returned home.
Kursiv Uzbekistan spoke with the team’s veterans to recreate the atmosphere of the late 1970s, the style of play that defined Pakhtakor, and the character of its footballers, as well as to hear personal stories of how they learned about the tragedy.
Many shared memories of their fallen teammates and coaches — their strengths, their unique team spirit, and the qualities that made Pakhtakor stand out among other clubs in the country.
Veterans spoke about what Soviet football was like at the time, how the tragedy changed both their lives and the club itself, and what has helped preserve the memory of the team.
For them, remembering is not a formality, but a duty — to hold memorial matches and gatherings and to tell young players about the value of unity and camaraderie.
How the loss of Pakhtakor changed the life of a fan from Kokand
The stories of that tragic day did not only touch players and coaches, but thousands of devoted supporters. Muhiddin from Kokand recalled being a die-hard Pakhtakor fan since childhood. In 1979, he was 13 years old. His family did not own a television, so he followed matches on the radio.
He especially remembered commentator Akhbor Imomkhodjayev, who broadcast games in Uzbek. The team, he said, always played brilliantly at their home stadium in Tashkent, and fans would arrive with confidence. Away games, however, often ended in defeat, which made away victories a true celebration for him.
He recalled the last match before the disaster, played on August 8, 1979 in Tashkent. That day, Pakhtakor defeated Voroshilovgrad’s Zorya 3–1. Muhiddin was so overjoyed that he threw his hand up to signal a goal and accidentally knocked over the radio. It fell to the floor, but thankfully survived, and he continued listening to the commentary.
Muhiddin learned of the team’s death while visiting his grandmother in Kokand. The radio announcer’s trembling voice read out the names of the victims. The news shook him deeply. He lost interest in football afterwards, although he still attended matches of the new team.
«I was a Pakhtakor fan and followed their games on the radio. Every victory was a holiday for me. The death of my favourite team broke me. After that, I lost interest in football — everything inside me went dark,» says Muhiddin.
Memory lives on: Pakhtakor veteran on the tragedy and team unity
76 years old Pakhtakor veteran Tulyagan Isakov said he was recovering from an injury in Moscow on August 11, 1979 — a twist of fate that saved him from the tragedy. He heard the news from friends. According to him, the loss had a profound impact on both Uzbek and Soviet football.
«Even after 46 years, we are only just starting to recover. With those lads, we could have beaten any Asian team without trouble,» he says.
Despite the decades that have passed, Isakov believes the memory of the team and its players has been preserved.
«If people still come to the cemetery every year, it means the memory is alive. But with each passing year, there are fewer who remember that tragic day,» he noted.
This year, the traditional August 11 memorial was held at the monuments at Pakhtakor Stadium and Botkin Cemetery. Relatives, fans, and visitors attended, including guests from Greece.
The team’s line-up had included players of many nationalities; Pakhtakor was a truly international squad.
«But all of them were united by one passion — football and a genuine love for Uzbekistan. Many players turned down offers from bigger clubs because they were proud to play for their home team,» says the veteran.
Isakov still carries the pain and despair that scarred his heart. One loss he feels most keenly is that of young Sirojiddin Bozorov.
This talented young member had never played for the main team, was only in the reserves, but was highly promising and could have achieved great things.
«His father had travelled with the reserve team, and returned with them. Sirojiddin asked to stay one more day so he could fly with the main squad. That decision sealed his fate, just like the rest of the team,» Isakov recalled.
A loss that can never be replaced
Azamat Abduraimov, who played for Pakhtakor between 1984 and 1988, and also for Moscow’s Spartak and Dushanbe’s Pamir, remembers the day of the tragedy vividly. He was 13 when the terrible news came.
He is the son of the celebrated Soviet and Uzbek footballer Birador Abduraimov, who ended his career at Pakhtakor in 1975.
Azamat recalled that he was in Andijan with his father, who was then coaching the local team Shakhrikhanets. On hearing of the crash, they returned to Tashkent.
He called it a loss beyond replacement. The players who died, he said, could have gone on to become outstanding coaches, and after the tragedy, Uzbek football was left lacking strong mentors.
The Pakhtakor tragedy changed Uzbek football
Ravshan Khaydarov, now head coach of Uzbekistan’s U23 national team, was 18 years old in 1979 and playing for Andijan’s Shakhrikhanets. He was in neighbouring Tajikistan, preparing to play in Qurghontepa against the local club, when he heard the news.
He recalled being in a hotel room, getting ready for the match, when the announcement came. The shock was so great that he played the game in a daze and cannot remember the final score. According to Khaydarov, Pakhtakor had been at the peak of its abilities at the time, and the disaster affected Uzbek football for many years to come.
At sports school, he had studied alongside the late Sirojiddin Bozorov, and had been friends with Shukhrat Eshbutayev, Ravil Agishev, and Vladimir Sabirov.
Khaydarov is certain that these players could have become excellent coaches, especially as several had played for the USSR national team. He believes the shortage of quality coaching staff in Uzbek football began with the loss of these masters of the game.
