15
Mirkarim Osim
Textbook: pp. 93–94
GoalLearn about Mirkarim Osim’s life and work.
New words
writer · yozuvchihistorical work · tarixiy asartranslator · tarjimonnovella, short novel · qissa
Explanation
Mirkarim Osim was born in 1907 in Tashkent into an educated family. He studied at a teacher-training school in Tashkent, became a friend of Oybek, and later graduated from the history faculty of a pedagogical institute in Moscow. Interested in the country’s history and the fate of great people, he wrote many historical novellas and stories; “Astrobod”, devoted to Alisher Navoiy, was his first large historical work. He was also a translator and rendered works such as Sholokhov’s novel “And Quiet Flows the Don” into Uzbek. He was arrested in January 1950 and was imprisoned until 1955. He died in 1984 and was awarded the Order “For Great Services” in 2002.
Worked examples
Example: 1984 − 1907 = 77 – roughly the years Osim lived (not counting the exact birthday).
Example: a historical novella is about a real person and era, but the writer shapes the details himself.
Class activity
“Writer’s card”: write name, birth year, profession, three works and an award on a card.
Practice
1
When and where was Mirkarim Osim born?
In 1907 in Tashkent.
2
What is his first large work devoted to Navoiy?
The novella “Astrobod”.
3
What other job did he do?
Translation.
4
Why did the writer turn to historical themes?
So that the people would know their past and be proud of it.