40.559879°N, 69.743612°E Ghafurov District, Sughd Region, Tajikistan photo by Alex Yakon — This region is part of Tajikistan rather than Uzbekistan due to the efforts of Tajik-Soviet politician Shirinsho Shotemur, who successfully worked to have the land transferred from the Uzbek SSR to the Tajik ASSR in 1929. He was consequently targeted by Uzbek officials, leading to his death eight years later in one of Stalin's many purges.
















