During World War II, about two million people from Uzbekistan were sent to the front. Many soldiers did not speak Russian, so newspapers in the Uzbek language became a vital source of information and morale. They explained the war, reported on the exploits of compatriots, and maintained a link between soldiers and their homes.
On February 5, 1942, the head of the Political Directorate of the Central Asian Military District requested permission from the Main Political Directorate of the Red Army to publish newspapers in local languages for national units. By February 25, orders were issued to urgently recruit editors, translators, and writers. This marked the beginning of Uzbek-language frontline newspapers.
Among the most notable publications were 'Qizil Armiya' on the Stalingrad Front, 'Vatan Uchun!' on the Northwestern Front, and 'Vatan Sharafi Uchun!' on the Voronezh Front. Through these papers, thousands of Uzbeks read about Stalingrad, the defense of the Brest Fortress, and the heroism of soldiers.
Uzbek war correspondent Adham Rahmat recalled producing the first issue of 'Qizil Askar Haqiqati' on November 1, 1942, entirely alone. He spent the night translating articles, preparing the layout, and running to the Izvestia printing house. Later, he was joined by Ibrahim Rahim, Hamid Fayzi, Abdullah Sharafutdinov, and others.
Nazarmat Egamnazarov served as a platoon commander on the Bryansk Front while writing essays for 'Qizil Uzbekistan'. His works 'Letter from the Dnieper to the Syr Darya', 'In the Belarusian Forests', and 'On the Roads of War' depicted frontline life and soldiers' emotions.
Tugan Ernazarov fought in the liberation of the Rostov region in 1943 and wrote the poem 'Salom, Don!'. After the war, he became a professor and authored fundamental works on the history of Uzbek journalism.
Tulkin Rustamov served as a consultant at the Main Political Directorate of the Red Army, coordinating the publication of Uzbek-language newspapers. He helped establish the entire system of frontline press for national units.
By 1943, about 100 newspapers in the languages of the USSR were published on 14 fronts, in two military districts, and three armies, including 11 in Uzbek. In Uzbekistan itself, around 200 newspapers (124 in Uzbek) and 52 magazines (19 in Uzbek) were published. The total circulation of frontline newspapers exceeded 6.2 million copies.
Source: podrobno.uz