P rominent t ajik f igures of the

Rasulova, Muharram

Tajik botanist Muharram Rasulovna Rasulova was born into a family

of workers in Ichujand on June 17, 1926. She joined the CPSU in 1951.

Between 1941 and 1943, Rasulova was a Laboratory Assistant at a

Leninabad cotton factory. Then, from 1943 until 1945, she was a stu-

dent. From 1945 to 1947, she was a Laboratory Assistant at the

Women's Pedagogical Institute, when she became a Lecturer and Senior

instructor of the Department of Geography of the same institute (1947-

1951). From 1951 to 1958, she began as a post-graduate student and

later became a Scientific Worker. Between 1958 and 1976, she was Di-

rector of the Flora and Taxonomy of the Institute of Botanics of the Re-

public. In 1977, she became the Director of the same institute. She be-

came a member of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan in 1981.

Rasulova's research deals with the flora, taxonomy, and the geogra-

phy of plants in Tajikistan. She has provided botanical descriptions for

over thirty types of beans. Her contributions include Opredelitel' odno-

letnikh bobovikh Tadzhikistana (The One-Year Old Tajik Bean Deter-

minant, Dushanbe, 1967).

Rasulova received the Honorary Order of the Presidium of the

Supreme Soviet of Tajikistan.

---

Iraj Bashiri

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

276

Raufova, Nigina

Tajik singer-composer Nigina Raufova was born on May 21, 1945 in

the village of Shirmon in Faizabad.

Raufova began her career in the 1960s among the amateur artist

groups of the Kombinat of Weavers of Dushanbe. In 1971, she began

her career as a singer as part of the Ensemble of Rubob (lute) players. In

1975, she began singing for Radio and Television of Tajikistan.

Raufova's repertoire includes many of the popular songs of the peo-

ples of the Soviet Union (especially the Tajiks, Uzbeks, Azeris, Turk-

mens, and Russians) and abroad (Afghanistan, Iran, and the Arabian

lands). As part of the Ensemble of Rubob players, she traveled to Bela-

rus and Maldova. In 1978, as a member of the Lola Dance Ensemble,

she traveled to France where the group gave a concert. Her skill is par-

ticularly apparent when she works with the creations of traditional

Tajiki lyrics like "Askarbacha" ("Boy Soldier"), by Kh. Abdulloev;

"Bui Gul" ("The Fragrance of Flower"), by Z. Shahidi; "'Ishqi Khubon"

("The Love of the Beloved"), by Safarmamadov; "Sarzamini Mo" ("Our

Land"), by M. Jum'aev; "Kosh Mididam Turo" ("I Wish I Could See

You"), by J. Obidov; and others.

Raufova became Tajikistan's Popular Singer-Composer in 1977. She

is a recipient of the 100

th

 Anniversary of the Birth of Lenin Prize, and

the Honorary Order of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of Tajiki-

stan, as well as the Red Banner of Courage.