P rominent t ajik f igures of the

Muhabbatzoda, Mehmon

Tajik creative artist Mehmon Bakhti Muhabbatzoda was born on

March 25, 1941, in the village of Shul in the district of Gharm. His

early education was in the Shul region.

He graduated from the State Pedagogical University Named after

Shevchenko with a degree in history and philology. Between 1963 and

1973, he worked in the division of literature and drama of television,

and later in the youth division. From September 1973 to June 1975, he

studied literature at the Gorkii Institute in Moscow. Between 1978 and

1980, he was the Director of the Tursunzoda Scholars' House. Between

1981 and 1991, he assisted the creative youth of Tajikistan at the Union

of Writers of Tajikistan. From 1991 to the present, he has been the

director of the Office of Promotion of Literature at the Union of Writers

of Tajikistan. At the same time, from 2000 to 2001, he was the head of

the Translation Division and the Publication Apparata of the Supreme

Soviet of the Republic. Between 1995 and 2000, Muhabbatzoda was a

member of the Parliament and the Head of the Committee on Culture.

Muhabatov's poetic career began in the 1960s. His contributions

include "Korvoni Dusti" ("Friendship Caravan," 1968), "Nuqra

Rahmatova Misaroyad" ("Nuqra Rahmatova Composes," 1970),

"Lahzai Jovid" ("The Eternal Moment," 1967), "Mushtoqi Muloqot"

("Eager for the Meeting," 1969), "Javoni Ai Javoni" ("Youth, Ah

Youth," 1973), "Rohzan va Kuzagar" ("The Thief and the Potter,"

1974). Between 1981 and 1987, he published two collections of short

stories, entitled Ohi Sabuk (Light Sigh) and Ruhi Tavono (Able Soul).

His other contributions include Khayoli Shirin (Sweet Images,

Dushanbe, 1987); Shoh Ismo'ili Somoni (Samanid Shah Isma'il, 1999);

and Firdavsi (Firdowsi, Tehran, 1999).

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