IRGIZ

IRGIZ (Yrgyz), a novel. Written in 1942–52 by H.L.Davletshina. The basis of the work was laid down in the story The Fiery Years, which depicts the hard life in the village of Aydakay in Bashkortostan. Against the background of the events of the early 20th century, such as the Revolution of 1917, the Civil War, the formation of Soviet regime, there is revealed the ideological awakening of the people and the emergence of a totally new breed of individual. The best traits of such characters of the novel as Aybulat Aydarov, Kutluyar, Timergali, Umar and others are clearly reflected in the author’s faith in a brighter future, as well as his dedication and devotion to the cause and interests of the people. The awakening of Aybulat’s consciousness and his perceiving of the new ideas under the influence of communist Grigory Valgin are followed by his selfless struggle for their assertion. His ideas gain a more social character as he opposes the despotism and cruelty of Niyazgul bay and his son Imay. This opposition turns into a struggle against social inequality and for his personal happiness with Gulyuzum, a woman he loves. She, like Shagida, Maghrufa, and others, rises against the old traditions of oppression and experiences spiritual growth along the way.The moral and philosophical issues raised, the scale of the characters, and the richness of the language define the genre-style originality of the work. The novel became a significant event in the Bashkir literature and had a great impact on the development of the Bashkir novels in the 1960—80 time period. In the 1960’s, a play based on the novel was performed at the Salavat Drama Theatre (directed by L.V.Valeev). It became the winner of the All-Russia Show of Drama Performances at Musical and Children’s Theatres (Moscow, 1967). Also, an opera titled Dauyl was performed at the Opera and Ballet Theatre – which was based on the same novel.

Literary translation into Russian was done by V.S.Vasilevsky.