Bishkek, 26 October. Roza Aitmatova, the younger sister of writer Chinghiz Aitmatov, a scientist and public figure, has died in Kyrgyzstan at the age of 89, the writer's foundation said.
"It is with deep sorrow that we announce that Roza Aitmatova has passed away at the age of 89. The bright memory of Roza Torokulovna will forever remain in our hearts," the foundation said.
Roza Aitmatova was born on 8 March 1937 in Moscow into the family of statesman Torekul Aitmatov. She graduated from the Mayakovsky Kyrgyz Women's Pedagogical Institute, worked as a researcher at the Academy of Sciences of the Kirghiz SSR and taught; she held a PhD in physics and mathematics and was an Honoured Education Worker of Kyrgyzstan. With her nephew Asan Akhmatov she wrote "White Pages of History", a book about her father, repressed in the 1930s, and about Chinghiz Aitmatov's childhood.
In 1996 she co-founded the public organisation Women's Support Centre and headed it for many years. She was a laureate of the Chinghiz Aitmatov Prize and was awarded the Manas Order and the Dank Medal.
What it means: One of the last keepers of the Aitmatov family memory, who linked the family's personal history to the tragedy of the 1930s repressions, has died.
Who benefits: Not applicable: this is an obituary.
Background: Chinghiz Aitmatov is a classic of Kyrgyz and Russian literature; his and Roza's father, Torekul Aitmatov, was repressed in the 1930s. Roza Aitmatova told the story of her father and the writer's childhood in her book "White Pages of History".
