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Chinghiz Aitmatov

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Chinghiz Torekulovich Aitmatov[a] (12 December 1928 – 10 June 2008) was a Kyrgyz author who wrote mainly in Russian, but also in Kyrgyz. He is one of the best known figures in Kyrgyzstan's literature.[2][3][4]

Chinghiz Aitmatov
Aitmatov in 2003
Aitmatov in 2003
Born(1928-12-12)12 December 1928
Sheker, Kirghiz ASSR, Soviet Union
Died10 June 2008(2008-06-10) (aged 79)
Nuremberg, Germany[1]
Genrenovels, short stories
Notable worksJamila, The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years

Life

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He was born to a Kyrgyz father and Tatar mother. Aitmatov's parents were civil servants in Sheker. In 1937, his father was charged with "bourgeois nationalism" in Moscow, arrested, and executed in 1938.[1]

Aitmatov lived at a time when Kyrgyzstan was being transformed from one of the most remote lands of the Russian Empire to a republic of the USSR. The future author studied at a Soviet school in Sheker. He also worked from an early age. At fourteen, he was an assistant to the Secretary at the Village Soviet. He later held jobs as a tax collector, a loader, and an engineer's assistant and continued with many other types of work.

In 1946, he began studying at the Animal Husbandry Division of the Kirghiz Agricultural Institute in Frunze, but later switched to literary studies at the Maxim Gorky Literature Institute in Moscow, where he lived from 1956 to 1958. For the next eight years he worked for Pravda.

In 1961, he was a member of the jury at the 2nd Moscow International Film Festival.[5] In 1971, he was a member of the jury at the 7th Moscow International Film Festival.[6] In 1994, he was a member of the jury at the 44th Berlin International Film Festival.[7] In 2002 he was the president of the jury at the 24th Moscow International Film Festival.[8]

On 16 May 2008, Aitmatov was admitted with kidney failure to a hospital in Nuremberg, Germany, where he died of pneumonia on 10 June 2008 at the age of 79.[1] Aitmatov's remains were flown to Kyrgyzstan, where there were numerous ceremonies before he was buried in the village Koy-Tash, Alamüdün District, Chüy Region, Kyrgyzstan, on the Ata-Beyit cemetery, which he had helped to found[9] and where his father most likely is buried.[10]

His obituary in The New York Times characterized him as "a Communist writer whose novels and plays before the collapse of the Soviet Union gave a voice to the people of the remote Soviet republic of Kyrgyz" and adds that he "later became a diplomat and a friend and adviser to the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev."[11]

Literary career

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Aitmatov in 2007

Aitmatov's first two publications appeared in 1952 in Russian: "Газетчик Дзюйо" ("The Newspaper Boy Dziuio") and "Ашым" ("Ashim"). His first work published in Kyrgyz was "Ак Жаан" ("White Rain", 1954), and his well-known work "Jamila" appeared in 1958.

1980 saw his first novel The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years; his next significant novel, The Place of the Skull, was published in 1987. The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years and other writings were translated into several languages.

Chinghiz Aitmatov belonged to the post-war generation of writers. His output before Jamila[12] was not significant, with a few short stories and a short novel called Face to Face. But it was Jamila that came to prove the author's work. Seen through the eyes of an adolescent boy, it tells of how Jamila, a village girl, separated from her soldier husband by the war, falls in love with a disabled former soldier staying in their village as they all work to bring in and transport the grain crop. Aitmatov's representative works also include the short novels Farewell, Gulsary!,[13] The White Ship, The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years,[14] and The Place of the Skull.

Aitmatov was honored in 1963 with the Lenin Prize for Tales of the Mountains and Steppes (a compilation including Jamila, The First Teacher and Farewell, Gulsary!) and was later awarded a State prize for Farewell, Gulsary! Aitmatov's art was glorified by admirers.[15] Even critics of Aitmatov mentioned the high quality of his novels.[16]

Aitmatov's work has some elements that are unique specifically to his creative process. His work drew on folklore, not in the ancient sense of it; rather, he tried to recreate and synthesize oral tales in the context of contemporary life. This is prevalent in his work; in nearly every story he refers to a myth, a legend, or a folktale.[1] In The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years, a poetic legend about a young captive turned into a mankurt serves as a tragic allegory and becomes a significant symbolic expression of the philosophy of the novel.

His work also touches on Kyrgyzstan’s transformation from the Russian empire to a republic of the USSR and the lives of its people during the transformation. This is prevalent in Farewell, Gulsary! Although the short story touches on the idea of friendship and loyalty between a man and his stallion, it also serves a tragic allegory of the political and USSR government. It explores the loss and grief that many Kyrgyz faced through the protagonist character in the short story.[citation needed]

A second aspect of Aitmatov's writing is his ultimate closeness to our "little brothers" the animals, for their and our lives are intimately and inseparably connected. The two central characters of Farewell, Gulsary! are a man and his stallion. A camel plays a prominent role in The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years; one of the key turns of the novel which decides the fate of the main character is narrated through the story of the camel's rut and riot. The Place of the Skull starts off and finishes with the story of a wolf pack and the great wolf-mother Akbara and her cub; human lives enter the narrative but interweave with the lives of the wolves.

Some of his stories were filmed, like The First Teacher in 1965, Jamila in 1969, and several times To Have and to Lose.

As with many educated Kyrgyz, Aitmatov was fluent in both Kyrgyz and Russian. As he explained in one of his interviews, Russian was as much of a native language for him as Kyrgyz. Most of his early works he wrote in Kyrgyz; some of these he later translated into Russian himself, while others were translated into Russian by other translators. From 1966, he was writing in Russian.[17]

Diplomatic career

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In addition to his literary work, Chinghiz Aitmatov was from 1990 to 1993 the ambassador for the Soviet Union and then Russia to Belgium and, later, for Kyrgyzstan to the European Union, NATO, UNESCO and the Benelux countries.[1]

Awards

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Soviet Union

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Kyrgyzstan

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Other Countries

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Major works

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Grave of Aitmatov near Bishkek
  • A Difficult Passage («Трудная переправа», 1956)
  • Face to Face («Лицом к лицу», 1957)
  • Jamila / Jamilia («Джамиля», 1958)
    • in compilation Tales of the Mountains and Steppes, Progress Publishers (1969). ("Jamila", translated by Fainna Glagoleva)
    • Telegram Books, (2007). ISBN 978-1-846-59032-0 ("Jamilia", translated by James Riordan)
  • To Have and to Lose («Тополек мой в красной косынке», 1961) in compilation Short Novels, Progress Publishers (1965). (translated by Olga Shartse)
  • Camel's Eye / Camel Eye («Верблюжий глаз», 1961)
    • in compilation Anthology of Soviet Short Stories, two volumes, compiled by Nikolai Atarov, Volume 2, pp. 54–86, Progress Publishers (1976). ("Camel's Eye", translated by Olga Shartse)
    • in compilation Mother Earth and Other Stories, Faber (1989). ISBN 978-0-571-15237-7 ("Camel Eye", translated by James Riordan)
  • Duishen / The First Teacher («Первый учитель», 1962)
    • in compilation Short Novels, Progress Publishers (1965). ("Duishen", translated by Olga Shartse)
    • in compilation Mother Earth and Other Stories, Faber and Faber (1989). ISBN 978-0-571-15237-7 ("The First Teacher", translated by James Riordan)
  • Mother Earth («Саманчынын жолу» / «Материнское поле», 1963)
    • in compilation Short Novels, Progress Publishers (1965). (translated by Fainna Solasko)
    • in compilation Mother Earth and Other Stories, Faber (1989) ISBN 978-0-571-15237-7 (translated by James Riordan)
  • Tales of the Mountains and Steppes («Повести гор и степей», 1963), Progress Publishers (1969).
  • Farewell, Gulsary! («Прощай, Гульсары», 1966)
    • in compilation Tales of the Mountains and Steppes, Progress Publishers (1969). (translated by Fainna Glagoleva)
    • Hodder & Stoughton Ltd (1970). ISBN 978-0-340-12864-0 (translated by John French)
  • The White Steamship / The White Ship («Белый пароход», 1970)
  • The Ascent of Mt. Fuji («Восхождение на Фудзияму», written together with Kaltai Mukjamedzhanov, 1973), Farrar, Straus and Giroux (1975). ISBN 978-0-374-10629-4 (translated by Nicholas Bethell)
  • Cranes Fly Early («Ранние журавли», 1975). Raduga Publishers (1983). ISBN 978-7080321133 (translated by Eve Manning)
  • Piebald Dog Running Along the Shore / Spotted Dog Running Along the Seashore («Деңиз Бойлой Жорткон Ала Дөбөт» / «Пегий пес, бегущий краем моря», 1977)
    • in compilation Piebald Dog Running Along the Shore and Other Stories, Raduga Publishers (1989). ISBN 978-5050024336 ("Piebald Dog Running Along the Shore", translated by Alex Miller)
    • in compilation Mother Earth and Other Stories, Faber (1989). ISBN 978-0-571-15237-7 ("Spotted Dog Running Along the Seashore", translated by James Riordan)
  • The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years («И дольше века длится день», 1980). Indiana University Press (1983). ISBN 978-0-253-11595-9 (translated by John French)
  • The Place of the Skull («Плаха», 1987). Grove Press (1989). ISBN 978-0-8021-1000-8 (translated by Natasha Ward)
  • The Time to Speak Out («Час слова», 1988) Library of Russian and Soviet Literary Journalism, Progress Publishers (1988). ISBN 978-5-01-000495-8 (translated by Paula Garb)
  • Cassandra's Brand («Тавро Кассандры», 1996)
  • When The Mountains Fall («Когда горы падают», 2006)
  • Ode to the Grand Spirit: A Dialogue with Daisaku Ikeda, I.B Tauris (2009). ISBN 978-1-84511-987-4

Notes

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  1. ^ Russian: Чингиз Торекулович Айтматов; Kyrgyz: Чыңгыз Төрөкул уулу Айтматов, romanized: Chynggyz Törökul uulu Aitmatov, IPA: [t͡ɕʰɯɴʁɯ́s tʰɵɾɵkʰʊ́ɫ‿uːɫʊ́ aɪtmɑ́tʰəɸ]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Kyrgyz writer, perestroika ally Aitmatov dies," Reuters UK, 10 June 2008
  2. ^ Peter Rollberg (2016). Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema. US: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 35–36. ISBN 978-1442268425.
  3. ^ Porter, Robert, ed. (18 June 2008). "Chingiz Aitmatov: Leading novelist of Central Asia". The Independent. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  4. ^ "AITMATOV, Chingiz (Torekulovich)". The World’s #1 Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  5. ^ "2nd Moscow International Film Festival (1961)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2012-11-04.
  6. ^ "7th Moscow International Film Festival (1971)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 2014-04-03. Retrieved 2012-12-22.
  7. ^ "Berlinale: 1994 Juries". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  8. ^ "24th Moscow International Film Festival (2002)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 2013-03-28. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
  9. ^ "KYRGYZSTAN: CHINGIZ AITMATOV, A MODERN HERO, DIES". EurasiaNet. 2008-06-11. Archived from the original on 2010-03-31. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
  10. ^ "Chingiz Aitmatov's Lifelong Journey Toward Eternity". Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty. 2008-12-12. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
  11. ^ Chingiz Aitmatov, Who Wrote of Life in U.S.S.R., Is Dead at 79 by Bruce Weber in The New York Times, 15 June 2008
  12. ^ Chingiz Aitmatov. Jamila. Translated by Fainna Glagoleva. Prepared for the Internet by Iraj Bashiri, 2002.
  13. ^ Chingiz Aitmatov. FAREWELL, GYULSARY! Translation into English by Progress Publishers, 1973 (in English)
  14. ^ The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years by Chingiz Aitmatov Archived 2007-08-21 at the Wayback Machine, book preview
  15. ^ Iraj Bashiri. The Art of Chingiz Aitmatov's Stories (in English) (discussion of Aitmatov's characters)
  16. ^ S.V.Kallistratova. We were not silent. Open letter to writer Chingiz Aitmatov, 5 May 1988 (in Russian)
  17. ^ Ирина Мельникова: Работу над сборником Айтматова считаю подарком судьбы ("Irina Melnikova: I view the opportunity to work on Aitmatov's Collected Works as a gift of fate") (An interview with the editor of a Four-volume collection of Aitmatov's work), 27 May 2015.
  18. ^ a b "Указ Президиума Верховного Совета СССР О присвоении звания Героя Социалистического Труда писателю Айтматову Ч.Т." (PDF). Vedomosti Verkhovnogo Soveta SSSR (in Russian). No. 32. 9 August 1978. p. 15.
  19. ^ a b c d Smirnov, Vitaly. "Айтматов Чингиз Торекулович". warheroes.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  20. ^ "Постановление ЦК КПСС и Совета Министров СССР О присуждении Государственных премий СССР 1977 года в области литературы, искусства и архитектуры" (PDF). Sovetskaya kultura (in Russian). No. 91. 8 November 1977. p. 5.
  21. ^ "Указ Президиума Верховного Совета СССР О награждении тов. Айтматова Ч. Т. орденом Октябрьской Революции" (PDF). Vedomosti Verkhovnogo Soveta SSSR (in Russian). No. 51. 21 December 1988. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 October 2024.
  22. ^ "Указ Президиума Верховного Совета СССР О награждении орденами и медалями СССР работников печати, радио, телевидения, издательств и типографий" (PDF). Vedomosti Verkhovnogo Soveta SSSR (in Russian). No. 19. 12 May 1962. p. 206. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Указ Президиума Верховного Совета СССР О награждении орденами и медалями СССР деятелей советской литературы" (PDF). Vedomosti Verkhovnogo Soveta SSSR (in Russian). No. 44. 1 November 1967.
  24. ^ "Указ Президента Республики Узбекистан О награждении Айтматова Чингиза Торекуловича орденом «Дустлик» Республики Узбекистан". Narodnoe slovo (in Russian). No. 168. 31 August 1995. p. 1.
  25. ^ "Указ Президента Республики Узбекистан О награждении Айтматова Чингиза Торекулович орденом "Буюк хизматлари учун"". Narodnoe slovo (in Russian). No. 240. 12 December 1998. p. 1.

Sources

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See also

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The day lasts for more than a century (2019 play)

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