Before World War II, Tajik literature held a prominent position in Central Asia. However, after the war, Kyrgyz prose fiction took over the literary spotlight with Chingiz Torekulovich Aitmatov at its forefront. Aitmatov’s “Craftsmanship” provides an insightful account of his life and career. Born on December 12, 1928, in the village of Sheker (Talas Valley, Kirov district), Aitmatov came from a family named Torekul and Nagima Aitmatov, where traditions required him to be familiar with seven generations of his ancestors.
He had knowledge about every individual and their accomplishments, as well as how they were perceived by the community. The Aitmatov family was tightly bonded, and Chingiz Aitmatov’s paternal grandmother was also his closest friend. In order to educate him about Kyrgyz culture, she took him to traditional jailus (field festivities), weddings, and funeral repasts (osh). Aitmatov also joined her in meetings with storytellers, bards, and akin singers. Today, he often draws on these unique experiences when crafting his writing, combining Kyrgyz traditions and legends with new Soviet colors.
Despite his family’s efforts, they were unable to escape poverty. The reasons for their failure included oppressive feudal rulers, unpredictable political changes, and unfortunate circumstances. Aitmatov’s father, Torekul Aitmatov (1903-1937), came from a modest peasant family living near the Kurkureu River. He completed high school in 1917 and became the secretary of the Committee of the Poor in 1920. From 1924 to 1935, he held various roles within the Bolshevik Party before being sent to Moscow to study at the Institute of Red Professorship.
In 1937, Chingiz Aitmatov’s father, Aitmatov senior, a prominent Kyrgyz communist, literary figure, and politician, was executed on charges of “bourgeois nationalism.” Chingiz, who was nine years old at the time, took on the responsibility of holding the family together and dealing with the shame. When he turned fourteen, he left his studies to contribute to the war effort. Chingiz Aitmatov’s mother, Nagima Hamzaevna Aitmatova (1904-1970), was a product of the Soviet system. She became a member of the Komsomols in 1919 and held various positions, including being the Head of the Department of the Karakol cantonal Komsomol Committee.
In 1924, Torekul Aitmatov met her and she continued her efforts in promoting women’s rights, fighting illiteracy, removing remnants of Islam in the republic, and implementing land and water reforms. From 1938 to 1954, she worked in the Kirov Region Financial Department before retiring. From 1943 to 1952, Aitmatov served as the Assistant to the Secretary of the Sheker Village Soviet while also translating Katayev’s Sons of the Regiment and Babayevsky’s White Birch into Kyrgyz, only to discover that both works had already been translated. From 1952 to 1954, he wrote two stories in Russian: “The Newspaper Boy Dzinio” and “Ashim.”
The first Kyrgyz contribution made by him was “Ak Jann” (“White Rain”), which was published in 1951. From then until 1966, he works as a livestock specialist while attending the Animal Husbandry Division of the Kyrgyz Agricultural Institute in Frunze, USSR. He later attends the Gorky Literature Institute in Moscow and takes advanced courses in literature. After graduating, he briefly edits Literaturnyj Kirgizistan and, in 1958, becomes a roving correspondent for Pravda in Kirghizstan, a position he holds until 1964.
Aitmatov has held numerous positions throughout his career, including serving as the First Secretary and Chairman of the Cinema Union of Kirghizia, Frunze, from 1964 to 1985. He has also been the Chairman of the Writers’ Union of Kirghizia, Frunze, since 1985 and the Editor-in-Chief of the Foreign Literary Journal in Moscow since 1988. Aitmatov’s fiction draws inspiration from his own experiences as a young adult, such as his time working as a reporter for Pravda. He has also taken on various odd jobs, including working as a cotton weigher, wheat harvester, livestock breeder, shepherd, tax collector, and secretary of the village council.
By immersing himself in the lives of common people, Aitmatov enriched the authenticity and believability of his characters. For instance, his experiences as a tax collector and Secretary of the Village Council allowed him to intimately understand the daily struggles of peasants. They would present him with detailed lists of their household possessions for his review. On October 15, 1951, Aitmatov married Keres Shamshibaev, but their marriage was short-lived. He later wed Maria Urmatov on August 8, 1981, and together they had three sons and a daughter.
Despite being based in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the Aitmatov family cannot live there for most of the year due to Aitmatov’s busy schedule. Moreover, the renowned Kyrgyz writer leads a life that is more guided by his own choices than by society. For instance, he decided not to celebrate his 70th birthday in December 1998 but instead believed that May 1999 would be a more suitable time. Currently, although holding a position in the Kyrgyz parliament, Aitmatov resides in Brussels. He writes in both Russian and Kyrgyz languages; however, his output in the Kyrgyz language has gradually declined over time.
This is possibly because his own perspective has evolved and the philosophical and technological aspects of his work can no longer be determined solely by Kyrgyz audiences. He received the Lenin Prize for Literature in 1963 for his book of short stories called The Tales of Mountains and Steppes. In 1968, he was awarded the State Prize for his debut novel Farewell Gyulsary!, published in 1966. In 1978, he was honored as Hero of Socialist Labor.
Aitmatov’s Collected Works Volume Three is a comprehensive compilation of his publications. Aitmatov, who served as an advisor to Mikhail Gorbachev, the President of the USSR during the 1990s, has received numerous prestigious awards. These include the Gold Olive Branch from The Mediterranean Culture Research Center in 1988, the Academy Award from the Japanese Institute of Oriental Philosophy in Tokyo in 1988, and the Austrian State Prize for European Literature in 1994. In addition to these accolades, Aitmatov joined the Communist Party in 1959 and currently holds full membership in both the Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan and the European Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also associated with the World Academy of Science and Arts.
Chingiz Aitmatov serves as the Kyrgyz ambassador to EU, NATO, UNESCO, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Here is a brief chronology of his life:
Note: Chingiz Aitmatov’s works have been published in various versions in Kyrgyz, Russian, and English translations. Below is a list of his most frequently mentioned publications:
1928 – Aitmatov was born.
1937 – His father faced execution on charges of bourgeois nationalism.
1943-52 – Aitmatov assisted the Secretary of the Sheker Village Soviet and translated books.
1951 – He married Keres Shamshibaev, who worked as a physician.
