Baken Kydykeeva

Born Oct. 20, 1923, in the village of Oktiabr’, in Kant Raion. Soviet Kirghiz actress; People’s Artist of the USSR (1970).

Kydykeeva made her debut in 1936 with the Kirghiz Young People’s Theater (in the city of Frunze), playing such roles as Laurencia in La Fuente Ovejuna by Lope de Vega and Kuliaim in KokuV by Sarbagishev. During 1941–44 she worked in Przheval’sk and Naryn oblast theaters. In 1944 she became a principal actress of the Kirghiz Dramatic Theater (Frunze).

Kydykeeva’s major roles have included Jessy (The Russian Question by Simonov), Aiganysh (Kurmanbek by Dzhantoshev), Zhamal (Living Waters by Dyikambaev), Aikanysh (The Seed of Immortality by Tokombaev), Liubov’ Iarovaia (Liubov’ Iarovaia by Trenev), Seide (Face to Face, based on a work by Aitmatov), Katerina (The Thunderstorm by Ostrovskii), Anna (Anna Karenina, based on the Tolstoy novel), Sophia (Woe From Wit by Griboedov), Maria Aleksandrovna (Family by Popov), and Desdemona (Othello by Shakespeare).

Her acting is distinguished by psychological depth, national distinctiveness, and civic spirit. She made her motion-picture debut in 1955; her films include Saltanat, The First Teacher, The Mother’s Field, The Pacer’s Gait, and The Horseman of Revolution. Kydykeeva received the Toktogul State Prize of the Kirghiz SSR in 1970. She was awarded the Order of Lenin and various medals.