Tuychi Oripov

Tuychi Oripov (Russian spelling: Tuychi Aripov) was born in Tashkent in 1924. He graduated from the Tashkent Theatre and Art Institute in 1953. Some reference works give his name as Mirhosil Tuychi Oripov.

He began working in the theatre at the Hamza Uzbek Drama Theatre (1951–1953). After graduating he served at the Kokand theatre from 1953 to 1958, then returned to the Hamza Theatre and performed on its stage until 1987. From 1987 to 1994 he was an actor of the Abror Hidoyatov Drama Theatre, and from 1994 he again belonged to the company of the Hamza Theatre, now the Uzbek National Academic Drama Theatre.

On stage he played dramatic, tragic and comic parts; the national encyclopedia singles him out as a master of sharply drawn, chiefly negative characters. His roles include Hakimboyvachcha in Oybek’s “Qutlug' qon”, Solihboy in Hamza’s “Boy ila xizmatchi”, Mahmud of Ghazni in Uyg'un’s “Abu Rayhon Beruniy”, Mahkam in Said Ahmad’s “Kelinlar qo'zg'oloni” and Shaybani Khan in Pirimqul Qodirov’s “Yulduzli tunlar”.

Besides the theatre he appeared in many films, mostly in character and supporting parts. In 1963 he played Eshmat in “Farg'onalik beshovlon”, and later appeared in “Sayyod qo'ng'irog'i”, “Shum bola”, “Bomba” and “Abdullajon”. In the film “Osmondagi bolalar” and its sequel he played Bobojon, Bakhtiyor’s grandfather.

In 1979 Oripov was named People’s Artist of the Uzbek SSR; in 1989 he received the Hamza State Prize of the Uzbek SSR, and in 1998 he was awarded the Order “El-yurt hurmati”.

Tuychi Oripov died in Tashkent on 12 June 2015, in his ninety-first year.