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World's Most Forgotten Voice of Freedom?

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World's Most Forgotten Voice of Freedom?

Central Asia's most popular poet was virtually unknown in the West.

James Jay Carafano
Nov 23, 2022
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World's Most Forgotten Voice of Freedom?

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Choʻlpon (1897-1938) arrest photo before his execution

For centuries, Central Asia was a space largely unknown to most Westerners, a blank map shadowed by the spheres of influence of other powers. That’s changing. As we have written before, today the people of Central Asia have an opportunity to chart their own destiny, an opportunity unprecedented in modern history. Not surprisingly, the peoples of Central Asia are forging national identities all their own. For Uzbeks, one important source is Abdulhamid Sulaymon oʻgʻli Yunusov, known by his penname Choʻlpon. The Uzbek poet and novelist has been credited with shaping the modern Uzbek language and serves as an important figure of national independence.

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Choʻlpon writings are almost completely unknown in the West. In this respect, he may well be one of the most influential forgotten voices of freedom in modern history.

Who is Choʻlpon? In the 19th century, Uzbeks lived under the shadow of the Russian Empire, the world into which Abdulhamid Sulaymon oʻgʻli Yunusov was born (birth date is disputed, but generally accepted as 1893).

Like many young, educated liberals he was swept up in the promise of the 1917 Russian Revolution that overthrew imperial rule. The so-called “Jadids” (reformers) advocated for the independence of the indigenous peoples, establishing a national congress and autonomous government. In February 1918, the Red Army under the command of the Soviet government moved in.

By 1921, communist officials directed by Moscow had consolidated control. At the time, Choʻlpon worked as editor-in-chief of a newspaper. He was associated with “nationalist” circles that blamed Soviet rule and “colonialism” for the lack progress and backward conditions.

A “Red Caravan” in the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, (photo by Max Penson)

Cho’lpon’s primary interests, however, were art-literature and theater. His first works were published in 1922. He became a preeminent poet and an important literary voice in Uzbekistan in the 1920s and 1930s. He also translated foreign works, including Shakespeare, into Uzbek.

What happened to him? His criticisms of Soviet power made him the target of persecution. He went into hiding and didn’t return home until 1934, when he entered a “socialist prose” writing contest. The jury recommended his novel, Night, purportedly the first of two novels, Night and Day, for publication. It appeared in 1936. The following year the book was denounced as subversive. Cho’lpon was arrested, convicted, and then executed in 1938 at the height of Stalin’s “Great Purge.”

Estimates of deaths from Stalin’s Great Purge range up to 1.2 million

In the 1950s, after the death of Stalin, Choʻlpon’s reputation was rehabilitated. Still, his work was not widely published and remained virtually completely unknown in the West, though Night was translated into both French and Chinese.

The fate of the manuscript of the second book, Day, is unknown. It may have never been written or destroyed by authorities. There are also rumors a copy of the manuscript was smuggled into China.

Why is he a symbol of freedom? What Cho’lpon may have been trying to achieve is unclear. Some speculate that in the novels he was attempting to reconcile with Communist rule, that his primary goals were artistic, not political freedoms. Nevertheless, his brutal treatment at the hands of authorities and his significant impact on Uzbek culture and language have established him as a hero in contemporary Uzbekistan. Today, his works are widely read and studied.

Why is this important in the West? There are two reasons.

For one, as many Westerners flirt with a return of Marxist ideology (we have written on this before), it is important to remember the innumerable cruelties perpetrated under the banner of communism. An important resource for this is the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.

A second reason, to pay attention is that Central Asia is a part of the world that deserves the attention of the West.

As for the legacy of Cho’lpon—the American scholar Christopher Fort recently translated Night into English.

The English edition of Night was published in 2019

Also, here is a short documentary. There are no English subtitles, but the visuals are interesting. In addition, apparently, a full length documentary appeared in 1921 and there is a feature film in the works. In addition, a volume of Cho’lpon’s poetry is available in English.

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World's Most Forgotten Voice of Freedom?

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1 Comment
Leigh
Nov 26, 2022

Very informative! Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

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