Muratbek Ryskulov

Born Nov. 23, 1909, in the village of Chaek, now in Dzhumgal’skii Raion, Kirghiz SSR; died Feb. 1, 1974, in Frunze. Soviet Kirghiz actor. People’s Artist of the USSR (1958). Member of the CPSU from 1947.

In 1936, Ryskulov joined the troupe of the Kirghiz Music and Drama Theater; at the same time, he studied in the theater’s drama workshop, from which he graduated in 1937. From 1941 he worked in the Kirghiz Drama Theater in Frunze. His best roles included Teiitbek in Dzhantoshev’s Kurmanbek, the title role in Dzhantoshev’s Kanybek, Akylbek in Dzhakiev’s The Father’s Fate, Shermat in Abdumomunov’s He Who Laughs Last, the Mayor in Gogol’s The Inspector-General, Famusov in Griboedov’s Woe From Wit, Bulychov in Gorky’s Egor Bulychov and the Others, and the title roles in Shakespeare’s Othello and King Lear.

In 1950, Ryskulov made his film debut. His best film roles included Tugel’baev and Asan in Saltanat (1955), Gadma in Song of the Horse-herd (1957), Kerim-bai in Toktogul (1961), and Ba-kai in The Sky of Our Childhood (1967).

Ryskulov was a deputy to the fifth through eighth convocations of the Supreme Soviet of the Kirghiz SSR. He received the Toktogul State Prize of the Kirghiz SSR in 1969 and was awarded the Order of Lenin, two other orders, and various medals.