Chinghiz Aitmatov (1928)

Chinghiz Aitmatov is famous Kyrgyz writer whose books are known and loved in many countries of the world. He was born 12 December 1928 in Kyrgyz village Sheker in the family of communist. But in 1937 Chizghiz’s father Torekul became a victim of Stalin’s repressions so future writer was raised by his grandmother who gave him first impression of Kyrgyz traditional way of life. His family spoke both: Kyrgyz and Russian languages and it influenced bilinguity of Chinghiz’s works.

In 1948 Aitmatov graduated from veterinary technical college in Jambul and enrolled into Agricultural Institute without exams. Being a student he wrote short articles and stories published in local newspapers. He successfully graduated from institute in 1953 and worked in Cattle Breeding Research Institute for three years during which he kept on writing stories.

In 1956 Chinghiz went to Moscow for an extensive literature studies. Upon completion of th e course he came back to Kyrgyzstan and served "Literary Kyrgyzstan" at the position of editor.

Also he was a "Pravda" newspaper’s correspondent in Kyrgyzstan for 5 years.

His narrative "Djamilia" written in 1957 made him famous and became a part of "Stories of mountains and steppes". Other stories of Aitmatov "First teacher", "Mother’s field", "Welfare, Gulsary!", "White Steamship" and more. First novel of Aitmatov was "A day lasts more then a hundred years".

Chinghiz Aitmatov succeeded to build a diplomatic career: during soviet time he was a USSR ambassador in Luxemburg and now works as ambassador of The Kyrgyz Republic in Belgium.

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