Compact weddings, debt, and "what will people say?": A summary of the first phase of the "Maromiylik" project

**Compact weddings, debt and "what will people say?": Results of the first phase of the "Maromiylik" project**

The 90-day "Maromiylik" project, aimed at compacting weddings and ceremonies, has begun to yield positive results, but it is impossible to eliminate waste in a short time. This was stated by Otabek Hasanov, head of the Republican Center for Spirituality and Enlightenment, in response to a question from a Gazeta correspondent after an event held in Tashkent on August 26.

Otabek Hasanov noted that wastefulness at weddings and ceremonies is so deeply embedded in the consciousness of society that it cannot be eliminated with a few events or short-term measures.

"We initially announced a 90-day period. Because when we went everywhere and studied the situation, it became clear that there were a lot of problems. These habits are ingrained in our genes. We used to think that it could be stopped with one or two events or decisive measures. But this is a much deeper issue," he said.

According to Hasanov, although people understand the need to make weddings smaller, they cannot refuse to hold large ceremonies due to debt and credit.

"People are aware of the nationwide movement "Maromiylik", they know that there is a decision, that the wedding should be smaller. They even have credit and debt. But they say, "I can't do it anyway." This has become so ingrained in our minds," the head of the center emphasized.

According to Hasanov, cooperation with psychologists and scientists has been established within the framework of the project. Training is being conducted for civil servants, and in the regions, work is being done with the heads of neighborhoods.

"This is not a one-day job. If we can eliminate in 90 days what has been ingrained in our brains, minds, and hearts for 3,000 years, we should be awarded the Nobel Prize ten times. This is a constant struggle. Why did we announce these 90 days? At the first stage, we had to determine what level we are in terms of wastefulness. We received very large numbers and analyzes," he said.

The head of the center said that in the next stage, special attention will be paid to working with 20-21-year-old, third- and fourth-year students. In his opinion, it is important to form an attitude to weddings and ceremonies from this age, since today's students are tomorrow's family builders.

"We need to reach young people of this age and explain to them the issues of financial literacy, credit and debt, weddings and waste. It is planned to establish special classes on these topics in higher education institutions," he said.

"We need to raise a generation that can make a different offer to their parents as children of a modern, new generation," Hasanov added.

Otabek Hasanov also responded to the question of how the children of some famous artists and officials are having lavish weddings and to what extent the "Maromiylik" movement can influence this. He said that the public announcement of the project is also aimed at indicating that it is under state and public control.

"We could have worked quietly. But why did we announce this publicly? We wanted everyone, both civil servants and artists, to hear. Now people meet on the street and say, 'You started 'Maromiylik'. Artists are also talking about it," he said.

He noted that the very dissemination of information about this project has encouraged some families to have smaller weddings.

"You can't say that all weddings are held like this after seeing the wedding of one or two artists. There are more than 300,000 weddings in Uzbekistan a year. You see four lavish weddings and you say that everyone is like this," the head of the center said.

According to him, this year alone, 100-150 young people wrote to him about having smaller weddings under the influence of 'Maromiylik'. It is noted that among them there are those who held a wedding for 50 people and built a library with the remaining funds.

Hasanov said that although there are many compact weddings, they are rarely covered in the media and social networks.

"How many compact weddings can I show you? There are a lot of them. But we will not cover them. Because this will not bring us likes and ratings. If we show a luxurious wedding, there will be more interest. Even after "Maromiylik", the number of civil servants who are having weddings without extravagance is increasing. However, no one covers them. If one civil servant makes a mistake and holds a luxurious wedding, this situation will immediately be widely covered. It may also be not his decision, but the desire of his family or child," said Hasanov.

Otabek Hasanov said that explanatory work is also being carried out among civil servants on the principles of compactness of ceremonies and "maromiylik".

"Trainings are being held in all civil service buildings and organizations. Ceremoniality is not just about weddings. It is a complex issue, from weddings and ceremonies to dress, behavior and other behavior in society," he said.

According to him, the center's employees are visiting the central offices of ministries and departments and explaining to civil servants the requirements, measures and principles of ceremonialism in the legislation.

"These activities will be held in Tashkent and in all ministries and departments of the republic for six months," Hasanov said.

He emphasized that the "Ceremoniality" project is not limited to the compactness of weddings, but is a long-term work aimed at forming a normal and economical lifestyle in society.

"This is a long-term, systematic work. It would be good if the media joined us. Our people should invest their money in good things, for example, in a library. Not just for a wedding, not for five cars," said the head of the center.

On June 26 of this year, a republican scientific and practical conference was held on the topic "The nationwide movement of "Maromiylik": concept, practice and propaganda technologies". It was reported that at the initial stage of the project, seminars and trainings were organized in 14 regions of the country, covering 204 higher educational institutions. About 2 thousand professors, teachers, specialists and students participated in the events.

A sociological survey was also conducted, covering 58,068 participants. The results of the survey showed that interest in concise and meaningful rituals, conscious consumption and a responsible lifestyle is growing among young people. However, it was noted that some decisions are still influenced by social pressure, "What will people say?".

In addition, the center said that a survey was conducted among 1 million respondents. It was found that social pressure affects independent decision-making. The respondents 71.5 percent said they wanted a small wedding, while 69.9 percent said they would abandon such a decision due to the factor "What will people say?"

Also, 69.8 percent of respondents said they were categorically against taking out a loan, while 18.2 percent said they had taken out a loan for their wedding.

The luxury of weddings was also one of the main topics of the study. 39 percent of participants approved of weddings with 300 people, and 19 percent - with 500-1000 people. 15 percent of participants explained their desire for a large wedding by saying that they had "dreamed of it since childhood." 21 percent approved of holding a wedding with a maximum of 30 people, as during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study also examined the value of work and attitudes towards wealth. The indicator of hard work decreased by 7.9 percent. Excessive The share of those willing to spend money on their children's education decreased from 26.5 percent to 22.8 percent.

The impact of extravagance and luxury on the family institution and demographic processes was also noted. The high cost of customs and rituals was 14.6 percent. In 2024, the number of marriages amounted to 267 thousand, while in 2025 this figure decreased to 263 thousand. The number of divorces, on the contrary, increased from 45.1 thousand to 46.9 thousand.

Social networks were also noted as a factor influencing people's views and lifestyle. The study found that the indicator of greed increased from 3.9 percent to 6.2 percent, and the desire to get rich quickly from 8.6 percent to 9.1 percent, the summary says. At the same time, the attitude of representatives of the older generation to spiritual changes in young people was also studied. 69.3 percent of them negatively assessed the spiritual changes in young people.

We would like to remind you that in October 2025, the Republican Center for Spirituality and Enlightenment, in collaboration with the Association of Mahallas of Uzbekistan, the Committee for Religious Affairs, the Office of Muslims of Uzbekistan, the Committee for Family and Women, the Nuroniy Foundation and other interested organizations, launched the "Maromiylik" movement aimed at creating a spirit of Maromiy in society.