Critic, literary scholar A. Zhirkov was born on March 25, 1935, in the village of Ostrovskoye, Karaganda region of the Kazakh SSR, in the family of a rural teacher.
In 1951, he graduated from high school in Kok-Yangak (Osh region of the Kyrgyz SSR), in 1956 he graduated from the philological faculty of KSU, and in 1963 he completed his postgraduate studies at KSU.
In 1965, he defended his dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Philological Sciences.
He began his career as the responsible secretary of the KSU newspaper "Path to Knowledge" in 1956, then worked as a literary employee for the magazine "Literary Kyrgyzstan" until 1963, and from 1966 to 1984, he served again as the chief editor of "Literary Kyrgyzstan"; from 1964 to 1966, he was the deputy editor of the newspaper "Komsomolets of Kyrgyzstan."
Since 1984, he has been an associate professor at the Department of Literary Theory of Frunze PIRI.
His first collection of literary-critical articles "Poetry of Life" was published in 1967. He is the author of several standalone publications primarily dedicated to the issues of the interconnections between Russian and Kyrgyz Soviet literature, co-author of several collective poetry and prose collections, and scripts for documentary films "Our General," "Bolsheviks of Pishpek," "Origins," and others.
He translated into Russian the novellas "Road to Ketmen-Tyube" by T. Sydykbekov, "Loggers" and "Tale of the Native Land" by K. Dzhusupov, as well as articles by M. Borbugulov, A. Sadykov, and others.
A member of the CPSU since 1965, a member of the USSR Writers' Union since 1975.
He was awarded the Order of the "Badge of Honor," the medal "For Valorous Labor. In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of V. I. Lenin," Honorary Certificates, and Letters of Commendation from the Supreme Soviet of the Kyrgyz SSR, and the Central Committee of the Komsomol of Kyrgyzstan.
SEPARATE PUBLICATIONS
in Kyrgyz
M. V. Frunze and his connections with Kyrgyzstan and the Turkestan region: In honor of the 100th anniversary of M. V. Frunze's birth. — F.: "Bilim" Society, 1985. — 14 pages. M. V. Frunze in his connections with Kyrgyzstan and the Turkestan region.
in Russian
Russian Soviet satirical poetry of the 1930s. — Saratov: 1965. - 20 pages.
Poetry of Life: Literary-critical articles, notes, reviews. — F.: Kyrgyzstan, 1967. — 124 pages.
Ten Steps to the Rubicon: A Sketch of M. V. Frunze's Youth. — F.: Mektep, 1971. — 164 pages.
Wind from Ala-Bel: Essays. — F.: Kyrgyzstan, 1972. — 96 pages.
By the Fire Lit by Gorky: Studies, articles, reviews. — F.: Kyrgyzstan, 1975. — 188 pages.
Winged Youth: About M. V. Frunze. — F.: Mektep, 1977. — 194 pages.
Time, Hero, Literature: Literary-critical articles, notes, studies. — F.: Kyrgyzstan, 1979. — 176 pages.
Wings of Creativity — Unity and Diversity: A Book on Russian-Kyrgyz Literary Relations. — F.: Kyrgyzstan, 1982. — 208 pages.
Dear Fathers: Documentary-artistic novellas and essays. — F.: Kyrgyzstan, 1985. — 192 pages.
M. V. Frunze in his connections with Kyrgyzstan and the Turkestan region: To the 100th anniversary of M. V. Frunze's birth. — F.: "Knowledge" Society, 1985. — 14 pages.
M. V. Frunze and Artistic Literature. — F.: Kyrgyzstan, 1985. — 24 pages.
