One of the greatest man of letters, Kirgiz Turk
novelist Cengiz Aytamov was born on 12 December 1928 in Şeker village in Talas region of
Kirzis Country. His father, Törekul Aytmatov, was one of the important intellectuals of
Soviet revolution years. It is told that he had an important role in seperation of
Turkistan as Uzbekhistan and Kirgizistan Soviet Republics. His mother, Nagim Gamzeyova. is
a Tatar Turk. Being the first child of Aytmatov family, Cengiz showed his talent first
with his translation of Russian officials to Kirgiz language when he was five years old. In his childhood, he experienced the
world war II which met him real life in his early years. All adults were taken to Soviet
army and Aytamov worked as Municipality Secretary when he was twelve years old. Because
no-one could speak in Russian in the village, he write and read the letters between the
soldiers at war and their wifes and mothers. Besides, he collected and classified the
clothes and foods to be sent to military troops.
His family had to move
from town to town because of his father's work. These moves and the extraordinary
conditions of war formed his personality. Playing an important role in seperation of
Turkistan into two parts as Uzbekhistan and Kirgizistan, Törekul Aymatov was arrested and
killed in 1937 by the agents of Stalın who applied the so-known policy of "devide
and rule". After the collapse of Soviet Union, Cengiz Aytamov's father's corpse was
detected by DNA test when a massacre burial was found in the south of Bishkek city. There
he built a Ata Beyit "Father's Grave".
During the world war
II, he worked as a municipality secretary and had to go to the county centre very often.
Because of this, he could not receive an ordinary education. His childhood passed with
terrible memories such as death letters of the soldiers from the fronts, which he still
called "black paper". In those days, almost no children could have an ordinary
life as it should be. On the other hand, adults (namely elder people and women) worked at
farmers called kholhoz. Being a famous writer later, Aymatov told those years in his
works, such as "Son of Soldier", "Face to Face", "Cemile",
"Gülsari", "There Comes a Day Worth of a Century" etc.
After the war finishes
in 1945, Aymatov went on his education and graduated from Kirgizistan Agriculture
Institute in 1950. But his great ambition towards literature lead him to State Literature
Institute where he wrote his work, "Cemile", a starting point of his luminous
works. Famous French writer Louis Aragon prays this work as the "most beautiful love
story" ever written. Cengiz Aytamov wrote his works in Russian and Kirzig language.
He is one of the extraordinary talents who used a perfect style in his works which ha
dealt with natural destruction against modernism, Kirkiz Turks' lives, alienation, Russian
policies etc.
His works were taken
in movies and he worked as the President of Kirgiz Sinematography Institute for years.
These also helped much in improving Kirgiz Turk cinema and its reputation all over the
world. He was the theme of many researches and many conferences were organized forhim. He
was granted many titles such as Heroe of Solicalist Work, Kirgiz National Heroe,
Kirgizistan Lenin Konsomol Sign, Popla Neruda and USSR State Medal. He still serves his
country with success as a Luxembourg Consulate of Kirgizistan.
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