Shukur Xolmirzayev

Shukur Xolmirzayev was born on 24 March 1940 in the Boysun district of Surxondaryo region (the village of Shahidlar). He studied in the journalism department of Tashkent State University, graduating in 1963. He worked as an editor at the “Yosh gvardiya” publishing house (1963–1967), a literary staff member of the Muqimiy Music Theatre (1967–1969), and a literary staff member and head of department of the magazines “Guliston” (1969–1975) and “Sharq yulduzi” (1978–1980).

His first stories and sketches were printed from 1958. His first novella, “Oq otli” (“On a White Horse”), appeared in 1962; the second, “To‘lqinlar” (“Waves”, 1963), won the attention of Abdulla Qahhor. His novellas of the 1960s are counted among the best Uzbek novellas of the decade. His stories were collected in “Olis yulduzlar ostida” (1971), “Hayot abadiy” (1974), “Og‘ir tosh ko‘chsa…” (1980), “Bodom qishda gulladi” (1986) and “Tog‘larga qor tushdi” (1987).

Xolmirzayev is known as the writer who brought elements of “merciless realism” into Uzbek prose. Life in Boysun and among the people of Boysun became the main theme of his work. His novels “So‘nggi bekat” (1976), “Qil ko‘prik” (1984), “Yo‘lovchi” (1987), “Olabo‘ji” (1991) and “Dinozavr” (1996) show how Soviet society began to decay from within in the 1970s and 1980s. He was one of the first writers to turn to the period called the “basmachi movement”; the theme is found in the novel “Qil ko‘prik” and the play “Qora kamar”.

The production of “Qora kamar” was staged at the Abror Hidoyatov Youth Theatre, and his play “Ziyofat”, about the tragic fate of Uzbek women under Soviet rule, was staged there in 1990. In his last years he wrote essays and critical articles on Sh. Burhonov, B. Zokirov, R. Choriyev, O. Yoqubov, O‘. Umarbekov, A. Oripov, M. Qo‘shjonov and other figures of literature and art.

In 1991 Xolmirzayev was given the title People’s Writer of Uzbekistan. He died in Tashkent in 2005 and was buried in the Chig‘atoy cemetery. In August 2021 he was posthumously awarded the Order “Fidokorona xizmatlari uchun” by presidential decree. A scholarly conference marked his 80th anniversary.