MUNAVVARA SOLAYEVA – THE OWNER OF SCIENCE AND CREATIVITY
Munavvara Solayeva is the first female PhD holder in philology from Urgench State University. The scholar was born on February 2, 1925, in the city of Khiva. In 1954, after successfully defending her PhD dissertation, she was assigned to the Khorezm State Pedagogical Institute. Munavvara Solayeva was one of the pioneers of this prestigious institution, dedicating her entire career to its development. She was among the first women to boldly travel to Moscow, where she defended her dissertation in Russian on the topic “The Lyrics of Uyg‘un”. She devoted 34 years to scientific and teaching activities at the institute where she began her career.
In 1993, her monograph titled “Navoi and the Poets of Khorezm” was published. In recognition of her lifelong contributions, academic achievements, and ethical qualities, the university administration established a state scholarship named after Munavvara Solayeva.
One of her exceptional qualities was her poetic talent. Over the years, her numerous scientific, journalistic articles, and poems covering relevant social and literary topics were published. These works, including poems and ghazals, have been compiled in a collection titled “A Heart in Love with Science”, prepared by poet, writer, and member of the Uzbekistan Writers’ Union, Qurbon Muhammadrizo. The book was published by Ogahiy Publishing House in 2023. The presentation of the book took place at Urgench State University named after Abu Rayhan Beruni in a highly spirited atmosphere. As a student, I also participated in the event, where we expressed admiration for Munavvara Solayeva’s courage and remarkable achievements as a woman. We aspire to become brave, active, and dedicated educators and scholars like her.
The collection “A Heart in Love with Science” includes Munavvara Solayeva’s journalistic articles on important topics such as “What is Humanity?”, “The Literary Relations of the Two Shores”, “The Sultan of Poetry”, “The Owner of Bright Creativity”, and “The Scholar of Poetry and Art”. It also features her scientific articles such as “One Poem”, “The Pain of Poetry, the Love of Science, the Magic of Art”, “The Spirit of Navoi Protects Me…”, “May Your Flight Be High”, “The Evening Came to My Hut”, “The Tragedy of the Ghazal”, “Navoi’s Traditions in Ogahiy’s Lyrics”, “The Image of Women in “Khamsa” “, and “Navoi’s Spring Melodies”.
By reading these works, readers gain a deep understanding of the historical period, the life, and the creative path of each literary figure discussed, along with new and comprehensive reflections on their legacies. The collection also presents her heartfelt poems such as “To My Mother”, “My Father”, “Navoi and Ogahiy”, “Fable”, “Ode to Spring”, “The Book”, “The Muse of Inspiration”, “Winter and Spring”, “Black Eyes”, as well as her ghazals with refrains “Are You My Beloved?”, “I Am Devoted”, “I Seek”, “Regret” and her muvaššah (poetic form) “The Teacher”. The poetic garden of her works stirs the hearts and touches the souls of readers, undoubtedly leaving a lasting impression on every admirer of literature.
Iroda Rakhimova Islombekovna was born on August 8, 2005, in the city of Khiva, located in the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan. She graduated from the School number 11 in Khiva with a gold medal and was admitted to Urgench State University named after Abu Rayhan Beruni on the basis of a state scholarship. Currently, she is a second-year student at the Faculty of Philology and Arts at the same university. Her poems, short stories, and articles have been published in both national and international journals. She is an active member of the “Mushoira” literary club established at the university and continues her creative work through this platform.