20.07.2020

The literature and culture of Uzbekistan have suffered a grave loss. The People’s Poet of Uzbekistan, the eminent writer and playwright Shukrullo Yusupov died on July 19, at the age of 99.

Shukrullo Yusupov was born on 2 September 1921 in the city of Tashkent. In 1944, he graduated from the Uzbek Language and Literature Faculty of the Tashkent State Pedagogical Institute (currently the Tashkent State Pedagogical University).

Starting his career in general school No.1 in the capital city, Shukrullo Yusupov then studied at the Graduate School of the Central Asian State University (at present the Mirzo Ulugbek National University of Uzbekistan) as a PhD student. He worked as a literary consultant in the Union of Writers of Uzbekistan, and later as editor in the Ghafur Ghulam Publishing House of Literature and Arts.

An insightful poet, prose writer, playwright, Shukrullo Yusupov made a long creativity life and a significant input into the development of literature and arts with his meaningful works. Produced over almost eighty years of ingenious activity, the collections of works “Inspiration”, “While I Live”, “Human and Kindness”, “Particles”, “Human for Human”, “Support”, “I Want to Live”, “Your Happiness”, “Gift of the Spring”, “Stars”, the poems “Old Men”, “Two Rocks”, “Dawn of the 26th”, the prose work “The Treasure Chest” have earned a worthwhile place in the literary treasury of our nation.

These works skillfully glorify the noble qualities inherent in our people, high spiritual and moral values, the sense of love and devotion to the native land.

Many works of the celebrated poet have been translated and published in Karakalpak, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijani, Russian, Turkish, Arabic and other languages.

Shukrullo Yusupov worked fruitfully in the genre of literary drama. “Thieves of Smiles”, “The Dangerous Way”, “The Robber Robs the Thief”, “The Garden of Sorrow”, products of his pen, were staged with great success in theaters of our country and abroad.

Yusupov made a contribution to the consolidation of spiritual bonds among peoples of the world by translating the works of Carlo Gozzi, Sándor Petőfi, Taras Shevchenko, Kaisyn Kuliev and other foreign poets and writers into Uzbek.

In the early 1950s, Shukrullo Yusupov, along with a group of representatives of the creative intelligentsia, was subjected to political repression. Subsequently, his name and occupation were rehabilitated, and he continued to actively work on the development of literature. In the novel “Buried Without a Shroud”, the writer dispassionately reflects these hardships and injustice experienced by the people using life examples.

The poet Shukrullo greeted the independence of Uzbekistan with great joy. During this period, along with fruitful creativity, he proved active in public life, served to strengthen the spiritual and educational foundations of independence. In the art-journalistic collection “Revenge of the World” and the novel-memoirs “Living Hearts”, he skillfully reflected the best human qualities. These works are recognized as important phenomena in the Uzbek literature.

The writer, with his life experience, diligence, sincerity, concern for young people, earned great authority among the literary community.

Shukrullo Yusupov’s merits in the development of Uzbek literature and culture were highly appreciated. He was awarded the honorary titles of Honored Worker of Culture, People’s Poet of Uzbekistan, the Alisher Navoi State Prize, the Orders “Dustlik” (Friendship), “El-Yurt Hurmati” (Respect of the Nation) and “Mehnat Shuhrati” (Glory of Work).

The bright memory of the outstanding poet, compassionate mentor, hardworking and humble person Shukrullo Yusupov will forever remain in our hearts.

 

 Sh. Mirziyoyev, T. Narbaeva,
N. Ismoilov, A. Aripov, S. Saidov, Y. Ahmedov

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