 |
Sharof RashidovSoviet party and statesman, Uzbek writer
Date of Birth: 24.10.1917
Country:  Uzbekistan |
Content:
Biography of Sharaf Rashidov
Early Life and EducationSharaf Rashidov was a Soviet party and state figure, Uzbek writer, and Hero of Socialist Labor. He was born in the city of Djizak in a peasant family, one day before the October Revolution. Rashidov graduated from the Philology Faculty of the Uzbek State University in Samarkand in 1941 and the All-Union Party School in 1948.
Career
After completing his education, Rashidov worked as a teacher in a secondary school from 1935 to 1941. He then served as the responsible secretary, deputy editor, and editor of the Samarkand regional newspaper "Lenin Yuli" ("Lenin's Path") from 1937 to 1941. During the period of 1941-1942, he served in the Soviet Army and participated in the Great Patriotic War. After being wounded, he returned to Uzbekistan and worked as an editor for the newspaper "Lenin Yuli" from 1943 to 1944. From 1944 to 1947, Rashidov served as the secretary of the Samarkand Regional Committee of the Communist Party. He later became the editor-in-chief of the republican newspaper "Kizil Uzbekistan" ("Red Uzbekistan") from 1947 to 1949 and the chairman of the Writers' Union of Uzbekistan from 1949 to 1950. In 1950, Rashidov published a collection of his poems titled "My Anger" and wrote the novel "Winners" in 1951, which depicted the people's struggle to develop virgin lands. He continued to write novels such as "Stronger Than the Storm" in 1958, which also explored the theme of land development, and "Mighty Wave" in 1964, which highlighted the heroism of the Soviet people during World War II. Rashidov's romantic novella, "Kashmir Song" in 1956, portrayed the struggle of the Indian people for liberation. He also published collection of articles on current issues in Soviet literature, titled "Verdict of History" in 1950 and "Banner of Friendship" in 1967.
Later Years and Legacy
In the later years of the Soviet Union, Rashidov's name became synonymous with corruption and nepotism, associated with the command-administrative apparatus of the Soviet Union during the "Era of Stagnation". He was widely criticized for artificially inflating cotton production numbers through "falsifications", which allowed the Uzbek leadership to receive significant additional funds from the central government and ultimately bribe the top leadership. Sharaf Rashidov passed away on October 31, 1983, and was buried in the center of Tashkent, near the Palace of Pioneers. A memorial complex was planned to be built in his honor, which would serve as a place of pilgrimage for the working people. However, due to the revelations of his corruption and misconduct, his remains were exhumed and reburied in the Chagatai cemetery. Today, Sharaf Rashidov occupies a place of controversy in the history of Uzbekistan, as he was both admired for his leadership and despised for his actions.
