Literature of the Kyrgyz during the Soviet Period
The foundation of Kyrgyz written literature was the rich oral folk creativity. Therefore, it is not surprising that the first works of Kyrgyz akyns and writers continued the traditions of folklore in both form and content. Before the establishment of national writing and printing, gifted Kyrgyz poets and writers wrote and published their works in Kazakh and Tatar languages.
On November 7, 1924, based on reformed Arabic script, the first issue of the first national newspaper “Erkin Too” (“Free Mountains”) was published in Tashkent with a circulation of 3,000 copies. Its publication marked the beginning of the development of Kyrgyz writing.
At the forefront of the founders of Kyrgyz Soviet artistic literature was Aaly Tokombaev (literary pseudonyms Chalkar and Balka). He received his education in Tashkent. The national writer of Kyrgyzstan led the Writers' Union of the republic for many years. His first poem “The Era of October” was published in the first issue of the newspaper “Erkin-Too”.
Over many years of creativity, the classic of Kyrgyz literature has written many works that have gained wide recognition among the people. In the novel “Bloody Years,” the writer vividly depicted the life of the Kyrgyz people in 1916, their plight, hopes, and aspirations for a better fate.
A whole galaxy of talented Kyrgyz poets emerged — Djoomart Bokonbaev, Jusuup Turusbekov, Kubanychbek Malikov, and others. In their poems, they reflected the life of the Kyrgyz people, the changes occurring in their lives, and celebrated creative labor.
A special place in Kyrgyz poetry belongs to poet Alykul Osmonov (1915—1950). Whatever he wrote about: love for his native Kyrgyz land, nature, his native language, or his contemporaries — it was a small creative miracle, an encounter that fills the reader's soul with pure, bright, and lofty feelings. The poems of Alykul Osmonov are still very popular among the youth.
The development of Kyrgyz Soviet literature is closely associated with the name of the outstanding writer Tugelbai Sydykbekov. He is the author of about a dozen major works, in which he vividly depicted the life and everyday life of the Kyrgyz aiyl, told about social transformations, and the formation of a person in a new era. For the novel “Our Contemporaries,” the writer was awarded the State Prize of the USSR and given the title of People's Writer of the Kyrgyz SSR. T. Sydykbekov was one of the first to be awarded the title “People's Hero of Kyrgyzstan,” established by the parliament of the sovereign Kyrgyz Republic.
The writer Tologon Kasymbekov has rightfully been called the unrivaled master of the historical genre in Kyrgyz literature. His novels “The Broken Sword,” “Kelkhel” (“Symbol of Good”), and others have become beloved books among Kyrgyz readers.
The creativity of the national writer of Kyrgyzstan Chinghiz Aitmatov has become a unique phenomenon in Kyrgyz and world literature. The heroes of his works — the teenager Sultanmurat and his friends from the story “Early Cranes,” the boy from “The White Steamship,” the Bolshevik Duyshen from the story “The First Teacher,” and many others — are people filled with a sense of responsibility towards their conscience, towards people, and towards the future. His works and his heroes are close and understandable to everyone — to Kyrgyz, Russian, German, and Arab alike, because the writer, through the voices of his heroes, speaks to the concerns of all people on Earth. The works of this great master of words have been translated into many languages of the peoples of the world. Beautiful films have been made based on his works, and theatrical productions have been realized. For his immense contribution to the spiritual revival of the Kyrgyz people, Ch. Aitmatov was awarded the title “People's Hero of Kyrgyzstan.”
