“Some people continue to spread false rumors about my brother, even 17 years after his death. They criticize him as if they were his close friends. There is a saying: ‘Of the dead, either good or nothing.’ But slander continues to disturb his peace. I wonder if the enemies of the Kyrgyz people are trying to incite conflict?” Roza wrote, emphasizing that she does not harbor malice towards them but feels it is necessary to warn the slanderers.
“This year I will turn 89. I have experienced much: both joys and sorrows. However, nothing saddens me as much as the current situation. After my father’s arrest, we faced terrible living conditions, suffered from hunger and deprivation. We endured a lot of suffering. The Soviet power treated us harshly, calling us ‘children of the enemy of the people.’ But I am immensely grateful to the people of Kyrgyzstan and everyone who supported us in difficult times,” Roza continued.
She noted that it upsets her that Chingiz is now being blamed for all sins.
“If he could say, ‘That’s not true!’, the gossip would stop. Chingiz introduced the Kyrgyz people to the world; his works are known for the epic ‘Manas’. He fought for the establishment of Kyrgyz schools and achieved this. Now he is criticized, and this makes me ashamed. Yesterday I received a call from Kazakhstan asking why there is so much controversy around Aitmatov’s name. I felt ashamed,” she shared.
“I assert that none of the rumors on the internet are true, and I can confirm this,” she added.According to her, one of the rumors states that “Chingiz wrote in Russian because he did not know Kyrgyz.” In reality, his books have been translated into 185 languages, and he ranks third in the world for the number of publications after Shakespeare and Tolstoy. The reason for his switch to the Russian language was the persecution he faced from some Kyrgyz officials in 1957, who received orders from Moscow to remove him from the literary scene. He was persecuted, and eventually ended up in the hospital. His books were banned from publication, and he was threatened that he would meet the same fate as his father. As a result, he could not write in his native language for a long time. He received support from the Russian poet Alexander Tvardovsky, who suggested that Chingiz write in Russian since the Kyrgyz authorities did not grant him freedom. After that, Chingiz began writing in Russian, and his works were not published in Kyrgyzstan for over 15 years.
“My brother grew up in Shekera and knew his native language very well; he wrote his first works in Kyrgyz. He was proud of his language and fought for it,” Roza emphasized.
She also dispelled the myth that Chingiz enjoyed life in Europe while the Kyrgyz suffered in the 1990s. “In fact, he was the ambassador of Kyrgyzstan in Europe and established important connections with the West, representing our people,” she added.
Roza also addressed the claim that Chingiz was on the side of the Uzbeks during the Osh conflict. She recounted that during the events in Osh, he was in Moscow and, upon learning of a potential threat, immediately contacted Uzbek President Islam Karimov to prevent war. “Karimov promised that none of his soldiers would cross the border,” Roza noted, emphasizing that Chingiz saved Central Asia from conflict.
“He was elected to parliament when three other candidates did not pass. But Chingiz did not run for office and did not come to Kyrgyzstan during those elections,” she added, urging people not to criticize or praise him so that his soul may rest in peace.
Roza also expressed hope that the funds allocated for Chingiz’s centenary will be directed towards improving the lives of ordinary people, which would be a true tribute to his memory.
She noted that their mother, Nagima, taught her children to read the Quran, even though it was forbidden, and strictly observed religious rituals. “My grandfather Hamza built mosques and madrasahs, and my great-grandfather was a mufti. The claims that Chingiz distanced himself from religion are false. He respected the rituals of Islam,” Roza added.
She assured that all the characters in his works had prototypes from their lives. “There was no falsehood in his stories. He always remained a human being, which was his main duty,” Roza concluded.
“Dear Kyrgyzstanis, let us not tarnish Chingiz’s name, respect our culture, and live in peace,” she addressed the people.
It is worth reminding that on January 16, a podcast by journalist Ernis Kyazov featuring Syimyk Japykeev was released on YouTube. During the discussion, the concept of "mankurtism" and Aitmatov's works were discussed, and Japykeev referred to the writer's works as "five-kopek stories," which sparked much debate.
His statements were criticized, and MP Gulsharkan Kultaeva, as well as the Union of Writers of Kyrgyzstan, called for a legal assessment of his words.
