20
Chingiz Aytmatov
Textbook: pp. 93–94
GoalGet to know Chingiz Aytmatov’s life and work.
New words
Kyrgyz · qirg‘izwriter, man of letters · adibautobiography · avtobiografiyarepression · qatag‘on
Explanation
Chingiz Aytmatov was born on 12 December 1928 in the village of Shakar in Kyrgyzstan. In childhood he listened to his grandmother’s tales, and his father was repressed in 1937. At fourteen he worked as a secretary of the village council, and in 1956 he studied at the Higher Literary Courses in Moscow. Aytmatov wrote in Kyrgyz and Russian, and his works were translated into many languages, including Uzbek. He died on 10 June 2008; “Oq kema” is one of his famous novellas.
Worked examples
Example: tales heard in childhood live on in a writer’s work as legends and traditions.
Example: writing in two languages lets a writer reach the readers of two peoples.
Class activity
Choose one event from Aytmatov’s life and guess in a sentence how it might show in his works.
Practice
1
When and where was Aytmatov born?
On 12 December 1928 in the village of Shakar, Kyrgyzstan.
2
In which languages did he write?
In Kyrgyz and Russian.
3
When did he die?
On 10 June 2008.
4
Why were childhood tales important for the writer?
They brought him the people’s legends and wisdom, later used in his works.