IN MEMORY OF A GREAT MASTER

Kyrgyz culture and traditional folk crafts have suffered an irreparable loss. On May 31, at the age of 69, an outstanding figure, artist, and public activist who made an immense contribution to the culture of Kyrgyzstan — Dinara Ilimbekovna Chochunbaeva — passed away. We received this news with deep sorrow.

Dinara Ilimbekovna was born on September 5, 1956, in the city of Frunze. In 1971, she graduated from a decorative arts college, and in 1978, from the Printing Institute in Moscow. She began her career at the “Kyrgyzstan” publishing house, where she worked as an art editor.

Since 1980, she was a board member of the Union of Artists of the Kyrgyz Republic. In 1986, she founded the Republican Center for Aesthetic Education, which she led for 16 years. On her initiative, the “School for Special Children” was opened in 1995, followed by the cultural center “Kyrgyz Style” in 1996. From 2004, she served as the coordinator of the UNESCO/IFAW program in Central Asia.

In 2006, Dinara Chochunbaeva founded the international festival "OIMO", and in 2009, the CACSARC-kg Resource Center Foundation. Under her leadership, traditional arts — the making of shyrdak, ala-kiyiz, and yurts — were inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

She was honored with the titles “Honored Cultural Worker of the Kyrgyz Republic,” “Excellence in Public Education,” and received numerous state and international awards.

She was also widely recognized for her role as Asel in the film I Am Tien Shan, based on the story My Little Poplar in a Red Headscarf by Chingiz Aitmatov.

Dinara Ilimbekovna’s contribution to the preservation of Kyrgyz culture and traditional crafts is immeasurable. Her legacy and bright memory will forever remain in our hearts.

Department of Design, Media, and Communications Team