Two Tajik nationals, Khisravshoh Malikov and Zohirshoh Hasanov, helped rescue two people from a burning shopping center in Sterlitamak, in Russia’s Republic of Bashkortostan. The Tajikistan Ministry of Labor’s representative office in Russia reported the incident on October 12.
According to the representative office, the incident occurred in September, when the two young men stopped at the Solnechny shopping center after work to do some shopping. Hearing cries for help, they rushed to assist.
One of the men propped a ladder against a truck, climbed approximately two meters and entered the building through a third-floor window, helping two people escape.
“Before firefighters arrived, the courage and bravery of these two young Tajik men helped save people from danger,” the representative office said.
In recognition of their actions, the Sterlitamak administration presented Malikov and Hasanov with letters of commendation.
According to TASS, the fire broke out on September 22 and spread across 2,100 square meters. A fault in the electrical wiring was cited as the preliminary cause.
Four people died in the fire, seven were injured and another 11 were affected. The shopping center’s owner was detained on suspicion of violating fire safety regulations.
Another Tajik national praised for an act of bravery
The incident is the second reported case in recent weeks in which Tajik nationals have risked their lives to help others in Russia.
In early October, Tajik driver Yusuf Qayumov helped avert a potential tragedy in Vladivostok by positioning his car in front of a truck whose brakes had reportedly failed as it headed toward a residential area.
His actions attracted widespread attention on social media, where he was praised as a hero.
Similar incidents have occurred in the past. In May 2025, Tajik migrant Sayedvali Sharifov, who lived in Berezovsky, Sverdlovsk Oblast, rescued three children from a burning house. He reportedly entered the building four times, carrying the children out one by one.
At the same time, some migrants say that such acts of bravery do little to change public attitudes toward them in Russia.
They argue that Russian media often highlight even minor violations involving citizens of Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries, while stories of migrants helping others receive less attention.