The first monument in Russia to the Uzbek poet, translator and playwright Usman Nasyr was opened in Mariinsk in the Kemerovo region. A monument made of bronze with a height of 2.1 m was installed on the territory of the memorial to the victims of the Siblag, the press service of the regional government reported
“We pay tribute to the memory and gratitude to the great talented poet of Uzbekistan. With his work, Usman Nasyr glorified his native land and its people, made a great contribution to the popularization of Russian culture in Uzbekistan. The opening of the first monument to Usman Nasyr in Kuzbass is an important historical event. This is our memory of a young poet who made a great contribution to the development of our common multinational culture. We have a lot in common with Uzbekistan, long-standing friendly relations and traditions have developed, we will preserve and continue them,” the press service quoted Governor Sergei Tsivilev as saying.
The head of the region added that the Opera and Ballet Theater, which is being built in Kemerovo, plans to stage a series of performances dedicated to Usman Nasyr. A memorial plaque dedicated to the poet will also be unveiled here. The author of the monument was Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts Konstantin Zinich, who was inspired to create the monument by the poem “My Garden” by Usman Nasyr.
The opening ceremony was also attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Russian Federation Botirjon Asadov, who believes that the opening of the monument is an important step in the development of cultural cooperation. “Perpetuating the memory of the famous poet and the fact that readings of the works of the great poet of Uzbekistan are held here in Kuzbass means a lot to us. This is a vivid example, evidence of our developing cooperation in general and in the cultural sphere, including,” Asadov said.
Nasyr was born in Namangan on November 13, 1912, and made his literary debut in early 1929. He also made a great contribution to the popularization of Russian culture in Uzbekistan, translating the works of A. S. Pushkin and M. Y. Lermontov into his native language. In 1938, he was convicted on denunciation as an enemy of the people. He spent the last years of his life in camps in the Far East, then he was transferred to a camp on the territory of modern Mariinsk, where he died in 1944 without learning about his rehabilitation.
A source: https://e-cis.info/news/566/111801/
