Tokhtakhodzhaeva Marfua.
"XX
century by
16.08.2008 17:10 msk
Aleksey Volosevich
Marfua Tokhtakhodzhaeva was born in
Marfua Tokhtakhodzhaeva wrote many
articles about events in the country, as well as researches about position of
the women in
She is an author of the following books: The Daughters
of Amazons. Voices from
The appearance of
new interesting books about
"Every of our heroine
has a world of feelings and knowledge in herself
formed under influence of the epoch. XX age was become a sign of the change the
epochs for
Marfua Tokhtakhodzhaeva has
told about that how an idea of making the book was appeared, where women were collective
authors, and how this book was created in conversation with correspondent of "Fergana.Ru".
My idea of the book was appeared at the end of the 90th years.
Fund Soros had such program as a collection of oral stories. Mariann Kamp collected such stories. It was stories about women,
who participated in khudzhum at one time. Khudzhum is an incineration of yashmak. Mariann
Kamp collected these stories recorded at soviet time, recorded at relating to
perestroika time, and that which were fixed at period of independence by us. And
the same women spoke of different things differently. And in soviet and at relating
to perestroika time they, mainly, spoke of that what it was expected from them.
And only after the 90th years they started to tell stories, can be, more
real to the real life. We always thought that Uzbek women were in yashmak, they
were such downtrodden and so on. But there were already women who never dressed
yashmak at the beginning of XX century, in the 10th and the 20th
years. These were daughters, wives of great people and their stories are
interesting because many of them participated in khudzhum
as organizers. So Mariann Kamp has collected stories of
these women or Uzbek ladies adapted to the Soviet reality changing their
identification. All of them were daughters of poor peasants or were from
worker’s family in stories told by them in the Soviet time, but it was not
truth.
XX century is very
ambiguous and very interesting for historians. I am surprised, why there are
not books about history of our country in the XX th century. One sides of life with ideological
viewpoint were described by the Soviet historiography. The ideology was become
another after independence. All these facts in another viewpoint were described
by it and what was white at Soviet time, suddenly became
black. But there were and white and black.
So I was interested
because I wanted to hear the truthful stories. When I worked in Women’s
Resource Centre worked about 12 years (it was closed at the end of 2005, when authorities have
forbidden an activity a majority of Uzbek NGO – note of ed.),
I have met with many women on kind of my work. However, the problem was that
to collect the truthful stories was very difficult (I do not already say about
men because I worked as journalist and I was given such interview, where
truths, probably was five percent not more). Working with woman, I have
understood that possible to obtain - do not say the full truth - but, anyway, almost
openness. I have chosen heroines, who were not famous by their own position at
job, their social level. Because I worked with such women but all their stories
were the same: women have said that they were so good, unselfish and they were offended
having taken away from one or another job position. So I have decided that it
should be another group of women. During the work I have met with them much times, sometimes about ten times with several women to
check up their information.
Fergana.Ru: It is noticed
that many women speak about their life place, everyday life, and family
relations hard and impartially…
- It is usual thing
that after getting the independence we come back to our tradition, to customs,
to our culture. But that intellectuals, who writes about these tradition, spoke
one at the Soviet time, but today they already speak quite another. Indeed,
there are traditions, which we need to save, and there are traditions, which were
outdated themselves. It is necessary to save those traditions, which are universal
values, but certainly, it is necessary to overcome those which are connected
with patriarchal everyday life, with medieval views, and with look at woman, as
on the secondary being. However, during these 17 years we see that propaganda, cultivation
of our uniqueness, custom, rituals has results today. At present there are many
Uzbek women considered that they should live only for their family and children
side by side with educated women. There is nothing bad in it if it their own
choice. Unless refuse from participation in the public life, from education and
in general desire to the development... On the one hand it is advertised that
young generation chooses "coca cola", and on the another hand the advertisement
says that young generation chooses yashmak. It is chosen as well as women and
men since men often force their own wives and daughters to dress such cloth.
Fergana.Ru: - Did you have to smooth over acute angles in your
book coming from ethical considerations?
- It was connected
with that, as tellers related to written tale themselves. There were
situations, when women spoke: “Well, may be, we should not write about it,
please you should strike off it because you can offend somebody”. Thereby, I
have known the censorship of participants of my project.
Fergana.Ru: - The life of women from
- Certainly, first
of all Uzbek reader must be my reader. And I have shown this book in
I must say that I am
very grateful to women, who have told me their own stories. I have opened absolutely
another world of these women for myself and my readers have said to me (these
were young people not remembering the Soviet time) when the book has been
already published: “There are much horrible things in their stories. But we envy
them because they are sure in tomorrow day”. This is one more theme what we
should think about. Because all my heroines had such the main purpose as own
development through education. Now the desire to the development is only
through money, through earning money. I like very much story of Gulnara Gafurova. The girl came
to
It has
been written by Aleksey Volosevich
Extracts from new publication are published by kind
permit of the compiler of the book
"In spring,
1926 when arrests of participants of
The camera was in semi-basement
and its window was in the street partly. Our father was in that camera. There
was a sentry with a gun there but we could come to the window when a sentry
walked to another side. We could not see our father but we could hear his voice
and speak to him quickly. There was one more prisoner Shakhobiddin-ishan,
son of the famous Sufi Master in father’s camera. He was here because he tried
to go the Turkish border illegally somewhere in
Only in year I have
understood meaning of this proverb. After liberation he has made the successful
escape from the country".
From tale of Zarifa Saidnosyrova. 1920th
years
* * *
"We have
brought the milk with my brother together in the mornings. I was seven years
that time. We went past institutions to the poor persons came and waited for
their openings. One day I have seen, as policemen and the other people without
the form collected by hooks the deceased from chill, but can be, and from
hunger. As at present I see one of them: quite young has frozen with opened eyes
in the oriental robe having leaned to the wall. The face was light, and hair
was light and eyes were light narrow, but hands were compressed. Probably, Kazakh. He was already adult; I heard that it was
such terrible hunger in
I could not regain
consciousness at home for a long time. It
is miserable is not that word, which possible name the constricting feeling,
which I has felt then, as if I have lost my native. This was a first death, and
terrible death, which I saw, terrible since unjust. Why is such young man so solitary
and loosed in the stranger city? I do not remember father’s death. I was too
little and this man unwept by his relatives is before my eyes.
Pages of
the diary book of Mahsudy M. 1920th years
* * *
"It was a last
year of the war. People was quite poor. Children came in
poor cloth to school, but one boy was quite naked from the 1st form.
There was a sewing machine "Zinger" at my mother (exactly due to it,
rather then teacher's salary, we have survived in war). Although
we ate badly, but we did not starve. Other people ate orach and olicake. We had a cover
from suitcase from severe material with marsh colour.
Then such covers were put on old suitcases. My mother has sutured cowards from it
for naked boy, they were as shorts and nice. Next day on the break she has invited
the boy to us, has dressed and has fastened on buttons. It was necessary to see
the joy of the little boy! This event was discussed long time, and all envied this
boy. Someone has named his "Komsomol", so
this name remained for him".
"Finally the Day
of the Victory came. We, children, started to run to houses to report that war was
ended. "War was ended, your son (brother, husband) would arrive soon. Give
a gift". People cried, patted us on the back, gave us food for instance,
corn small cake. Only once we were stunned. At the end we have solved to run to
house of the chairman of the collective farm although it was far. Mother of the
chairman, the old woman came up to us, keeping a whole white small cake in her hands, she has broken it and has distributed us. We were so shocked
with the condition of this small cake, what we did not see much
years that we have not immediately stretched the hands. I have taken its piece
and carried its to my mother".
From tale of Gulinara Gafurova. 1940th
years
* * *
"We were given
to ourselves: played, went to the cinema, learned as all. One day beside someone
have nearly wrested from my hands our tickets and has put me the money before cinema.
So we have found the source of the money: bought before tickets session and resold
them with markup, and these money spent on sweetness. Boys from our company
visited wounded, which were treated in
From tale of Rafoat Kuchlikova. 1940th
years
* * *
"Writing of new
boys for the 1st form was in summer. We go with mother to every
house and write children.
- How old is a
child?
Keeps
quiet.
- Has his teeth been
fallen out?
- Yes.
This was a
criterion: if the teeth has fallen out it means that it is possible to write for
the 1st form.
- What is a name of
the child? - Surname was written by father’s name.
Mother keeps quiet, she has no right to say the name of her husband. It
is a taboo husband’s name for young women. If there is someone else he names,
but if there are not the other members of family at home. Neighbour
is called and he says the name of child’s father. Mother makes the conversation
that it is necessary to wash, dress in net the child that it is impossible to
come to school in his present appearance. The young woman having after
first-born child else several children, tired by housekeeping perceives
it as one more heavy cargo, it is necessary to teach children and she silently
nods the head".
From tale Gulinara Gafurova. 1950th
years
* * *
"Father wanted
that all of us would learn; I have entered in polytechnic institute, worked
hard and interest in the geological faculty. In summer holidays I have been married,
I was proposed as a wife and have done the wedding quickly. So my parents have
solved since my sisters grew after me. It was necessary that I should be married
soon and I should have a strong family. Only in this case my sisters could be proposed
as a wife for boys from good families. In one year I gave birth to my child. I
managed and with studies, and with my child. Only after my sisters were married
I was divorced. At that time I have already worked and could pretend on
reception of the apartment".
From tale of Mukhtabar Akhmedova. 1960th
years
* * *
"We learnt in the
Russian school and spoke Russian each other. We only spoke Karakalpak
in every day life and with our mother. At that time children of intellectuals
have already spoke Russian, but if someone spoke Karakalpak
in this case everybody looked at him with surprise or asked: if he has arrived
from the village."
From tale of Zulifiya Shomuratova. 1960th
years
* * *
"We returned
(from
As I have known later,
they did inoculations for so many persons for one month. Each day it was
reported for 10-15 ones. Afterwards the main doctor has said to me: "Well,
you have done so it has been done. Other people will do it whole month. But you
write on 15 per day in report, too". I was stunned: it was possible to do it
for three days and write in the same way. One day when district doctor has left
on call, I also went with her. One day the main doctor has invited me and said:
"Are you so simple-hearted? Why do you need all these calls? Say that you
are busy and do you own work. Or go to call and go home to your children".
But I could not tell lies. Everybody told lies around me, and every time I felt
awkwardness because of it. And I was said: "Here, in
From tale of Muborak Gafarova. 1960th
years
* * *
"Capital
investments in the republic in the 60th years have been allowed to
master the Hungry steppe and subsoil
of gold, to lay gas pipelines. Everybody felt an economic growth through growth
of the individual incomes, and all it has been linked with the personal work of
Rashidov. He was in zenith of the glory by the 70th
years. Glory has disturbed him to realize that it began the new complex stage
of the development of the republic, when comes short water and the land, falls
the fertility of our oasis, and it is necessary to think about intensification
of the production. There were promises from high tribunes about increasing of the
rate of growth of cotton industry instead of it.
There were many officials
around Rashidov. They managed all machinations and
"rates and amounts" of stocking of cotton in the necessary direction.
There was not cotton, but the plan was made as on fairy-tale. The gaping holes
in economy were closed because of the single deductions of the union government
and because of the renewing circulating assets of the Ministry of Cotton from the
budget of the republic. Many millions possibilities for enrichment and payment
for "service in codicil" were appeared because of the fictitious
documents on collection and delivery of the cotton and because of the
conferring finance got for collection of the cotton by town population, students
and schoolboys, which labour was not paid".
From prison notebooks of Rano Abdullaeva. 1980th years
* * *
"Let speak about
our slogan "Without past is not future". It works and for them, who
want the development of their country and for them, who want to sink the
country in the past. The great past are great scientists for ones. All what kept
us in ignorance, in fear, constrained our mind are for others. Today living
people live in society created in the XX th
century. So it is our past and we must not forget about it. We lived in European
culture in the XX th century
and it is possible to consider to be participial to it. To forget about it is
dangerous for youth. Modern education is key to
future; what it will be such it will be a new generation. In XX age we veins in
European culture, and us possible to consider to be
participial to her. Not to remember this - dangerously Corruption in education is
a way downwards".
From tale of Shakhnoza Ganieva. 2000th
years
* * *
"Father was
died in 2003. I arrived in
But I enjoyed the
life in
Every day guests came
or I was called. All of my natives were interested, if I liked
From tale of Hamida Ishanova. 2000th
years
* * *
"I work whole
my life and think, why I do not have my apartment. I have already worked 27
years and why did I not create the condition for myself till this time? My
colleagues-men have and houses, and cottages though they worked at the same job
positions as me. Now they have main managing job positions.
I always wanted to
create the family and more-less reasonable conditions for life, to have my own
house at least and deal with that what I love. To listen to the beautiful
music, to read books, to communicate with interesting people, but, to my shame,
I have nothing from all of it now. And
there is no prospect that someday I can earn all of it by my labour".
From tale of Zulifiya Shomuratova. 2000th
years