Tatyana Karimova

Tatyana Akbarovna Karimova is an Uzbek economist who held the position of First Lady of Uzbekistan from 1991 until the death of her husband in September 2016. The widow of former President Islam Karimov, she was a highly influential figure throughout her husband's rule. Karimova, together with Rustam Inoyatov, the head of the National Security Service, was expected to play a key role in choosing Karimov's successor. Early life and family Born in the harsh years following World War II into a military family, Karimova, who is of Russian and Tajik origin, moved with her parents to the Fergana Region in 1952. Her family has been described as influential. She has a younger sister, Tamara Sobirova. Tatyana worked as a researcher at the Institute of Economics of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan. Biography Islam Karimov was previously married to his first wife, Natalya Petrovna Kuchmi, from 1964 until their divorce during the mid-1960s. In 1967, he married Tatyana Akbarovna. Tatyana Karimova was working as a researcher at the Institute of Economics at the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan at the time of her wedding to Karimov. They had two daughters, Gulnara Karimova (born 1972) and Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva (born 1978). Additionally, they shared five grandchildren: (Islam Karimova Jr., Iman Karimova, Mariam Tillyaeva, Umar Tillyaev, Safiya Tillyaeva).