Iashen, Kamil

(real surname, Nugmanov). Born Dec. 12 (25), 1909, in Andizhan. Soviet Uzbek writer and public figure. Honored Art Worker of the Uzbek SSR (1939), People’s Writer of the Uzbek SSR (1969), academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR (1969), Hero of Socialist Labor (1974). Member of the CPSU since 1943. Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan since 1960.

Iashen published works of poetry in 1925. In 1928 he wrote the play Two Communists (second version entitled Defeat, 1934), whose hero was the Communist Arslan. Iashen also wrote the musical drama Gul’sara (1934, with M. Mukhammedov; State Prize of the USSR, 1951), the drama Honor and Love (1935), the musical drama Nurkhan (1940), whose subject is the liberation of women from the oppression of ancient traditions, and the drama Khamia (1940, with A. Umari).

Iashen collaborated on a screenplay (1962) about Khamza and also wrote an opera libretto about him (1961, score by S. Baba-ev). During the Great Patriotic War (1941–45) he wrote two important plays: Death to the Occupiers (1942, with S. Abdulla) and the drama Farkhad and Shirin (1944). The drama Guiding Star (1958, Khamza State Prize of the Uzbek SSR) includes V. I. Lenin among its characters. Lenin was portrayed in greater depth in the drama Dawn of the Revolution (1972). Iashen’s works have been translated into several languages of peoples of the USSR.

Iashen has been secretary of the board of the Writers’ Union of Uzbekistan since 1958 and secretary of the board of the Writers’ Union of the USSR since 1959. He has been chairman of the Soviet Committee on Relations With Writers of Asia and Africa since 1969. He was a deputy to the seventh to ninth convocations of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Iashen has been awarded two Orders of Lenin, seven other orders, and several medals.