P rominent t ajik f igures of the

Ashrafi, Mukhtor
Tajik composer and conductor Mukhtor Ashrafuvich Ashrafi was
born in Bukhara on May 29, 1912. Known as one of the major figures in

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Iraj Bashiri

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opera in the East, Ashrafi's career began when, between 1934 and 1936,

he studied at the Moscow Conservatory.
In 1948, he graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory. Between
1944 and 1953, he served first as a teacher and then as a professor at the
Tashkent Conservatory.
Ashrafi moved to Dushanbe in 1930. Following the direction of
Radio Tajikistan, he prepared a series of twenty Tajiki songs. In 1932,
he accompanied the Tajikistan Ensemble to Leningrad. His most well
known contribution was Siuetai Raqsii Tojiki (The Tajiki Dance Suite).
At the end of his life, Ashrafi created several great works, including
Shamshir va Mahabbat (The Sword and Love, 1974), Dostoni Rustam
(The Story of Rustam, 1974), and the musical score for the Tajiki film
Az Gang to Kreml' (From the Ganges to the Kremlin, 1975), and others.
Ashrafi joined the Union of Writers of the Soviet Union in 1941. He
became a People's Artist of the Soviet Union in 1951. He also is the
recipient of two Orders of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner of
Labor, the Badge of Honor, and the Order of the Presidium of the
Supreme Soviet of Tajikistan.
Ashrafi died on December 15, 1975, in Tashkent.
Ashur Safar
See Safarov, Ashur.
Ashurmuhamadov, Yormahmad
Tajik actor and playwright Yormahmad Ashurmuhamadov was born
into a farming family in the city of Khorugh, Badakhshan, on March 1,
1919. He joined the CPSU in 1958.
Ashurmuhamadov graduated from the Khorugh Pedagogical School
in 1940. In the same year, he joined the Rudaki Music and Drama
Theater of Khorugh. From 1947 to 1971, he was the director, the actor,
and the head of the Youth Club of the region. In 1971, he became the
Director of the Badakhshan Museum.
As an actor, Ashurmuhamadov has skillfully created a number of
memorable characters including Tavakkalkhoja in Chanori Guyo
(Speaking Plain Tree), by S. Saidmurodov, 1958; Qozi in Kishloqi
Tilloi (Golden Village), by M. Mirshakar, 1967; Jallod in Dostoni Hofiz
(The Story of Hafiz), by F. Toshmuhammadov, 1968; Bonch Bruevisch
in Hurriat (Freedom), by Gh. Abdullo, 1970; and others.

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