Iosif Babayev Romanovich

Joseph Romanovich was born on March 4, 1938, in the family of Victoria and Roman Babaev in Tashkent. He lost his father at four, who died in World War II. Joseph and his sister Rima were raised and supported by their mother, Victoria.

Despite the challenges of the post-war years, Joseph excelled in school and later attended the Institute of National Economy. With an education in economics, he began his scientific and pedagogical career in 1965, at the age of 27, at the Chemical-Technological Faculty of the Tashkent Polytechnic Institute, where he taught the subject of "Industrial Economics." In 1973, Joseph Romanovich defended his dissertation and obtained the Candidate of Economic Sciences degree. Working at the Tashkent Polytechnic Institute, he progressed from an assistant to an associate professor at the Department of Political Economy. In addition to teaching and providing methodological guidance and materials on economics and food production organization for technology students, he also authored several publications in Republican newspapers and journals and two scientific monographs. In 1985, he was awarded the Sign of the Ministry of Higher Education of the USSR for "Outstanding Achievements in Work." From 1989 to 1990, he served as the head of the Department of "Social Sciences for Foreign Students." He spent exactly 25 years of his mature life within the walls of the Tashkent Polytechnic Institute.

In 1993, Joseph Romanovich emigrated to America (San Diego) and immediately became involved in public and journalistic activities. He became well-known for numerous articles, stories, and essays published in New York magazines such as "Friendship," "Hope," "Women's World," "L'Chaim," as well as in the newspapers "Bukharian Times," "Menorah," and "Bukharskaya Gazeta" in Israel. In 2007, his first book, the novel "Merchants of Bukhara," was published, receiving approval from readers. In 2011, he completed work on his second book, "The Sands of Time." Both, like the first one, were also released as audio recordings. In his later years, the novel's author undertook challenging work to create a team of enthusiasts in the USA and Israel to produce a multi-series film, "We Are the Bukharian People."

Joseph Romanovich devoted much effort and energy to making our community in San Diego united, active, and joyful. His numerous ideas and proposals for improving community work were precious. Many of us remember his excellent, knowledgeable, and exciting lectures-discussions on various aspects of our lives, and his meaningful presentations at our gatherings.

Undoubtedly, we feel the loss of this close individual whose erudition, zest for life, kindness, and desire to improve our world will be sorely missed by all of us.