Remembering Shamshad Abdullaev, the world-class Uzbek poet too few knew
Briefly

Shamshad Abdullaev's name represents a blend of cultures, embodying the unique diversity of ex-Soviet Uzbekistan, a region historically pivotal to the Great Silk Road.
Despite his modest artistic output, Abdullaev's work provoked deep questions about art's role in conflicts, cultural decolonization, and the complexities of writing in a colonizer's language.
Abdullaev, with an aristocratic demeanor, faced criticism for his lack of adherence to Russian poetic traditions, which further complicated his identity as an apolitical artist.
In the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, Abdullaev's legacy raises crucial discussions about the implications of embracing a language associated with historical oppression.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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