How a Russian-Kyrgyz bilingual writer opened Central Asia to the world
Chingiz Aitmatov (R) in Kyrgyzstan, 1973
I.Dronov/TASS
Chingiz Aitmatov’s books that were set in the valleys of Kyrgyzstan and steppes of Kazakhstan gave the world a rare glimpse into the culture, psyche, traditions and landscapes of the heart of Asia.
The expansion of the Russian Empire towards the gates of Afghanistan and India and the subsequent incorporation of Central Asia into the Soviet Union resulted in the spread of the Russian language to Turkic-speaking peoples. And Kyrgyzstan produced one of the finest Russian language writers of the 20th century - Chingiz Aitmatov.