ABSTRACT
By all accounts, Tajikistan was ill prepared to handle the novel coronavirus pandemic. Decades of neglect and mismanagement had critically weakened the country's public health and welfare systems. Surprisingly, the government of President Emomali Rahmon managed to muddle through the crisis, minimising both the death toll and public resentment towards the authorities. This article examines state policies in 2020– 21 tackling the medical, political and socio-economic aspects of the pandemic. Using critical narrative analysis of official communication data, it argues that control of the information space, nationalism, emergency budget measures, foreign aid, and temporary and selective engagement with civil society were essential for the authoritarian regime's performance and survival. © 2022, New Zealand Asian Studies Society (NZASIA). All rights reserved.