Pen name Zulfiya (as takhallus) Language Uzbek, Russian Literary movement Socialist realism | Occupation Poet Spouse Hamid Olimjon Books Bulut ŭĭini | |
 | ||
Born Zulfiya Isroilova
زلفيه اسرائيل قيزى
Зулфия Исроилова
March 14, 1915
Tashkent,
Russian Empire ( 1915-03-14 ) Nationality Soviet Union, Uzbekistan Notable awards Hero of Socialist Labor, 1984; Order of Lenin, 1984 Died 1996, Tashkent, Uzbekistan | ||
Zulfiya Isroilova, known by her pen name Zulfiya (in Cyrillic Зулфия) (born 14 March 1915 in Tashkent then part of the Russian Empire – died 23 August 1996 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan) was an Uzbek writer.
Contents
Early life
Her name Zulfiya originates from the Persian word زلف zulf meaning 'a curl of hair' and '(in a mystic sense) the divine mysteries forming the delight of the devotee'.
Zulfiya was born in Mahallah Dergez, near Tashkent to a family of craftsmen. Her parents were very interested in culture and literature. Her mother used to sing her popular songs and tales.
Career
Her first poem was published 17 July 1931 in the Uzbek newspaper Ishchi (The Worker). Her first collection of poetry (Hayot varaqlari, "Pages of Life") was published in 1932. In the following decades she wrote patriotic works as well as propaganda, pacifist works, and works on nature and women's topics.
From 1938 on, Zulfiya worked for various publishers and was a member of several national and interrepublican organizations. She repeatedly was a leader or chief editor for various media. After the death of her husband Hamid Olimjon in an accident in 1944, she dedicated to him several works. In 1953 she joined the Communist Party and also became the editor of Saodat magazine. In 1956, she was part of a delegation of Soviet writers led by Konstantin Simonov to the Asian Writers' Conference in Delhi. In 1957 she participated in the Asian-African Solidarity Conference in Cairo.
Personal life
Zulfiya was married to the renowned Uzbek poet Hamid Olimjon. He died in a car accident on July 3, 1944, in Tashkent. He was 34 years old at the time of his death.
Death
Zulfiya died at 81 years, on 23 August 1996 in Tashkent.
Legacy
In 1999, the Uzbek National Award for Women was created and named after her. On March 1, 2008, a statue in her memory was uncovered in Tashkent.