Earthquake Remembrance Day is a public holiday in Turkmenistan, and it is observed on October 6 each year. The holiday commemorates victims who died in the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake.
Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia. In 1921, the Turkmen Oblast (state) was established, and it turned into the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) in 1925. Turkmenistan declared independence on October 27, 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
An earthquake with a surface wave magnitude of 7.3 occurred at 1:12 AM on October 6, 1948, near Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. The earthquake caused severe damage in Ashgabat and nearby regions. However, the event was not widely reported due to the government's censorship. According to the media, an estimated 10% of the Turkmen SSR population died in the earthquake.
October 6 has been a public holiday since 1995 in Turkmenistan. During the memorial ceremony, the government senior leaders will participant and lay flowers at the monument. Participants will also observe one minute of silence in memory of the victims.
The following is the list of Earthquake Remembrance Day in Turkmenistan from 2022 to 2026.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| Earthquake Remembrance Day | Oct 06, 2022 | Thursday |
| Earthquake Remembrance Day | Oct 06, 2023 | Friday |
| Earthquake Remembrance Day | Oct 06, 2024 | Sunday |
| Earthquake Remembrance Day | Oct 06, 2025 | Monday |
| Earthquake Remembrance Day | Oct 06, 2026 | Tuesday |
Please check more public holidays in Turkmenistan: