Obituary — Raisa Kydyrbaeva

On January 10, 2026, at the age of 96, Raisa Zaitovna Kydyrbaeva passed away. She was a scholar who made significant contributions to the development of Manas studies and folklore. She was a corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, a professor, and a distinguished figure in science. Details about her can be found at the link: Kydyrbaeva Raisa Zaitovna.

Raisa Kydyrbaeva was born on November 30, 1930, in Frunze. In 1952, she graduated with honors from the Faculty of Philology of Kyrgyz State University. From 1953 to 1956, she studied in the graduate school of the A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature, where she defended her candidate dissertation in 1956. In 1983, Kydyrbaeva defended her doctoral dissertation, and in 1997 she was awarded the title of professor. In 1989, she was elected as a corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic.

From 1986 to 2025, Raisa Zaitovna worked at the Ch. Aitmatov Institute of Literature, where she held positions as head of the "Manas" department, as well as leading and senior research fellow.

In her monograph "Tradition and Individuality in the Epic of 'Manas'," she analyzed the poetic features of the epic, considering them in a broad spatial-temporal context.

Among her significant works are "Ideological and Artistic Features of the Epic 'Sarinji Bököy'," "Poetic Traditions of the Epic 'Zhanil Myrza'," "Performing Mastery of Manaschi," "Variants of the Epic 'Manas'," "Epochs, Generations, and Manaschi," and others. In total, Raisa Zaitovna is the author of 16 monographs and over 200 scientific articles and studies.

In 1988, she also served as a scientific consultant for the documentary film "The Great Manaschi" directed by M. Ubukeev.

Kydyrbaeva was an outstanding scholar who had a significant impact on the development of Kyrgyz folklore studies, Manas studies, and literary studies. Under her guidance, 22 candidates and 4 doctors of science were trained, and the scientific school she founded was recognized both in Kyrgyzstan and beyond.

In 1998, she was awarded the State Prize of the Kyrgyz Republic in the field of science and technology for her active participation in the preparation of the "Encyclopedia of 'Manas'" along with other leading scholars.

Raisa Zaitovna Kydyrbaeva actively participated in the development of both state and international programs, making a significant contribution to the preparation of materials for the inclusion of the art of Kyrgyz akyns in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. She also participated in the development of legislative initiatives concerning the epic trilogy "Manas. Semetey. Seitak," as well as in shaping the scientific and cultural policy of the country.

For many years, Kydyrbaeva actively participated in the life of the scientific community of folklorists, serving as a member of the dissertation council for awarding scientific degrees in the fields of "Folklore Studies" and "Literary Studies."

"Her rich legacy, high human qualities, and contribution to the development of national science will forever remain in the memory of the Kyrgyz people. We express our sincere condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of the deceased, sharing with them the bitterness of loss," the obituary notes, signed by many colleagues, including A. Kasymaliev, A. Koichiev, E. Baisalov, and many others.