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Chinghiz Aitmatov

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Chinghiz Aitmatov was a world-renowned Kyrgyz author.

Tschingis aitmatow 20070309
Tschingis aitmatow 20070309

He was a major figure in the literature of Kyrgyzstan. He wrote primarily in Russian, but he also wrote in Kyrgyz. He viewed both languages as native to him. His writing provided a voice for the people living in the remote Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan. His work gained international fame through many translations. He was highly respected by both readers and critics for his high-quality storytelling.

Aitmatov used a very specific creative process to build his stories. He did not just write modern tales. Instead, he synthesized oral tales with contemporary life. This means he blended ancient folklore with the world of today. In nearly every story, he refers to a myth, a legend, or a folktale. For example, his novel *The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years* uses a poetic legend about a captive called a "mankurt." This legend serves as a tragic allegory, which is a story that uses symbols to explain a deeper idea or philosophy.

His stories often focus on the deep connection between humans and animals. He believed that human and animal lives are intimately and inseparably connected. In the story *Farewell, Gyulsary!*, the two central characters are a man and his stallion. In *The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years*, a camel plays a prominent role. The fate of the main character is decided through the story of the camel's rut and riot. His novel *The Place of the Skull* begins and ends with a wolf pack. It follows the wolf-mother Akbara and her cub. Human lives in this book are interwoven with the lives of the wolves.

Aitmatov's life was shaped by significant historical changes. He was born on December 12, 1928, to a Kyrgyz father and a Tatar mother. He grew up in Sheker during a time when Kyrgyzstan was transforming. It was moving from a remote part of the Russian Empire to a republic of the USSR. His father was arrested in 1937 and executed in 1938. Aitmatov worked many jobs from a young age. He was a tax collector, a loader, and an assistant to a village secretary. He later studied at the Maxim Gorky Literature Institute in Moscow from 1956 to 1958.

His literary success brought him many prestigious awards. In 1963, he won the Lenin Prize for his compilation *Tales of the Mountains and Steppes*. This collection included the famous novel *Jamila*. *Jamila* tells the story of a village girl separated from her husband by war. She falls in love with a disabled former soldier while they work to harvest grain. He also won several USSR State Prizes between 1968 and 1983. In 1997, he was named a Hero of the Kyrgyz Republic. His work was so popular that many stories were filmed for the screen. These included *The First Teacher* in 1965 and *Jamila* in 1969.

Beyond writing, Aitmatov had a significant career as a diplomat. He represented his country on the world stage in several capacities. From 1990 to 1993, he served as the Soviet Union's ambassador to Luxembourg. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he was re-accredited by Russia to the same location. Later, from 2000 to 2008, he was the ambassador for Kyrgyzstan. He was accredited to the European Union, NATO, UNESCO, and the Benelux countries. He also served as an ambassador to France. This allowed him to connect his culture to global political systems.

Aitmatov passed away on June 10, 2008, at the age of 79. He died of pneumonia in Nuremberg, Germany, following kidney failure. His remains were flown back to his home country of Kyrgyzstan. He was buried in the Ata-Beyit cemetery in the Chüy Region.

Ata-Beyit Memorial near Bishkek 03-2016 img02
Ata-Beyit Memorial near Bishkek 03-2016 img02

This is a special place that Aitmatov had helped to found. He remains a symbol of Kyrgyz identity and a master of the written word.

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File:Tschingis aitmatow 20070309.jpg
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File:İlham Əliyev və Prezident Sadır Japarov Bakıda Çingiz Aytmatovun abidəsinin açılış mərasimində iştirak ediblər (1).jpg
İlham Əliyev və Prezident Sadır Japarov...
File:Ata-Beyit Memorial near Bishkek 03-2016 img02.jpg
Ata-Beyit Memorial near Bishkek 03-2016 img02.jpg
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