Sanjar Nazar, head of the publishing house “Akademnashr”, shared his childhood and youth memories in the project “If I Had Your Youth…”. Born in 1974 in the village of Dung, Kashkadarya region, he graduated from the Faculty of Philology of Tashkent State University.
Nazar reflects that childhood can be viewed in two ways: through the lens of adult experience or by reliving the emotions of that time. For him, childhood was the “most, most, most” – the most sincere, happy, and bright period. Reading books left the deepest impressions.
He grew up in a rural area, working hard from an early age: shoveling snow from roofs, digging soil, and gathering hay. His family valued education, maintaining a library of nearly 5,000 books. His father, a German language specialist, encouraged reading.
Nazar advises young people to pursue knowledge: “If you are dissatisfied with your life, the solution is knowledge. For money, fame, or respect, the first step is learning.” He believes that efforts made in childhood yield lifelong benefits.
He had an exceptional memory in school, memorizing texts after three readings. He almost fully memorized Abdulla Oripov’s “Years of Dream” and large parts of Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin”. However, he regrets not using this ability to memorize the Quran: “I could have become a hafiz, but there was no encouragement or mentors.”
Family values – honesty, cleanliness, and respect for others’ property – shaped his character. Once he picked cucumbers from a collective farm garden; his father made him return them to the brigade leader and apologize. This taught him to fear taking what is not his.
He dreamed of becoming a detective but followed his father’s advice to study philology. He never regretted this choice but wishes he had remained in academia. He now describes publishing as “carrying the burden of knowledge” and believes being a scholar is more honorable.
Regarding health, Nazar criticizes the local food culture: “You’re a boy, finish it” led to his weight problems. He links the “cult of food” to historical famine, calling it a form of psychological disorder.
He urges youth to be disciplined: “What talent cannot achieve, discipline can.” He himself was very hardworking, finishing textbooks before the month ended.
Source: www.gazeta.uz