This year’s winter is the coldest in the last 25 years in Tajikistan, what people call a Russian winter. Winter brought not only unusually heavy snowfalls and very low temperatures, but also the usual, yet despondent power shortages. Tajikistan has been experiencing these during winter for several years now, but this year seems to be particularly miserable, being coupled with severe weather conditions and rising gas and food prices.

On January 19, Dushanbe switched to a new schedule of power supply. Now, people will have electricity cut off from 10 PM to 5 AM, instead of the previous 9 PM to 6 PM. This became possible after President Emomali Rahmon ordered a 1 million KWh increase of daily power supply to Dushanbe residents, by decreasing supply to the Tajik aluminum company TALKO. Some experts claim these measures are rather inefficient, because they insignificantly affect the population, whereas further limitations to TALKO can cause momentous fallout to factory equipment.

The chance to have electricity all day long, with cuts only at night, would seem paradise in Tajikistan’s other districts. Most districts and regions have electricity for only 2-4 hours per day. In the Soghd Region, people have electricity from 6 AM to 8 AM, and then again from 6 PM to 8 PM, and that is all for the day. Oftentimes, not even this schedule is observed, so people can be cut off for several days. Electricity curfews comprise only half the misfortune. The supply of gas is also limited, while the concept of central heating disappeared into Soviet history. Basically, people do not have any means to keep their houses warm.

Another misfortune is the increased price of natural gas. Costs for gas went up in early January, from $100 per thousand cubic meters to $145. Initially, Uzbekistan planned an increase of prices to world prices, estimated at $180, which would have been devastating and unaffordable for Tajikistan. After negotiations and several visits by Tajik officials to Uzbekistan, the price was agreed at $145, under the condition of advance payment. Also, an electricity price hike of 20 percent took place, which Tajik officials explain is necessary for the government to repay debts to investors and lenders involved in hydroelectricity projects.

The new gas prices mean that common people have to pay 30-45 Somoni ($10-15) in advance; once the payment is made, they are to receive 14 hours of blue fuel per day. Since the hike in gas prices, other prices for basic goods were also affected. Very few complain about the increased gas prices, as people are eager to receive gas no matter what, since it is the only source of heat. Many are cheering the thought that winter will come to an end in another couple of months and, in April, when the irrigation season starts, the electricity cuts should end as well. While the irrigation season will bring the long-awaited electricity, there will be water shortages and people will once again wait for better times.

The government had promised that this winter would see fewer energy shortages. Throughout the whole autumn, the government had regular sessions, where various measures to improve winter conditions were discussed and left to be undertaken. The production of coal, as well as the extraction of natural gas, was planned to increase. But the set targets were only partially met and in no way eased the winter shortages.

The construction of the first aggregate of the hydroelectric station Sangtuda-1 was planned for December, then moved back to early January, and finally work started on January 20. Nevertheless, it can hardly help ease the energy crisis in the country. The hydroelectric station is constructed jointly by Tajikistan and Russia, the Russian share being 75 percent. During the official ceremony opening Sangtuda-1, President Imomali Rahmon said that the one working aggregate will supply one additional hour of electricity to the population. This, however, is not enough to end the energy crisis.

Finally, to prepare for winter, many negotiations with the neighboring countries such as Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan took place, seemingly successfully as they promised a warmer winter. Turkmenistan alone agreed to supply 1.2 billion KWh of electricity, whereas Uzbekistan agreed only to 600 million KWh for the winter period. However, the supply of such quantities of energy did not actually happen, neither country coming through. The main excuse is that, due to the cold winter, these countries need electricity themselves.

The Russian winter came to Tajikistan as a revelation. It painfully showed that this year, Tajikistan is painted into a corner not only by nature, but also by geopolitics.