Amen Kaidarov

Amen Abzhanovich Kaidarov (June 3, 1923, Zhinishke village, Nura district, Karaganda region - February 5, 2015, Almaty) - the first Kazakhstani television animator, artist, film director, professor, Honored Artist of the Kazakh SSR (1974), laureate of the State Prize of the Kazakh SSR (1980) and the "Platinum Tarlan" prize, holder of the "Barys" and "Parasat" orders, veteran of World War II, an outstanding figure in the field of culture and information of Kazakhstan. In 1941–1946, he served as a radio operator-communicator on the South-Western, Don, Stalingrad, First Ukrainian fronts. After the war, he graduated from the Almaty Art School named after N. V. Gogol in 1951, worked as an art editor of the magazine "Women of Kazakhstan" and as an employee of the magazine "Ara". In 1965, he graduated from the Department of Animation Production Artists of the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography in Moscow, and in 1966, he completed the Higher Courses of Scriptwriters and Directors. Since 1965, he founded and headed the animation workshop at the Kazakhfilm film studio; since 1970, he was the artistic director of the animation association, since 1975, the secretary of the Union of Cinematographers of the Kazakh SSR, and from 1983 to 1991, the secretary of the board of the Union of Artists of Kazakhstan. Since 1993, he has taught animation at the T. Zhurgenov Educational Institution, which later became the Kazakh National Academy of Arts, and made efforts to form a national animation school. As a figure who laid the foundation of Kazakh animation, he laid the foundation of domestic animation with the first color animated film, "Why is the Swallow's Tail forked?" (1967); This film won a prize at the All-Union Film Festival in Leningrad in 1968 and at the International Festival in New York in 1975. Amen Kaidarov was the director and author of such animated films as "Kuyyrshyk" (1969), "Zhanar" (1972), "Kun rasuliyenen pol'd gulna kozhek" (1975), "Aksak kulan" (1968), "Kozhanasyr - kurylyshy" (1970), "Kyryk otsor" (1978), "Siqyrly kilep" (1981), "Laula" (1981, screenwriter), "Tagdyr"; he also worked productively in the genres of graphics, posters, and caricatures, creating about forty political posters in 1952–1967, and became the author of many portraits and landscapes. On his initiative, Kazakh animators not only developed national art, but also provided creative support to the first steps of Kyrgyz, Turkmen, and Tajik animation; This period is considered the "golden age" of Kazakh animation, the number of graphic and puppet films reached about a hundred. As a teacher, he opened a department at the Academy of Arts, and later became the initiator of the creation of the animation department, and guided many young directors and artists. In recent years, he has made the creation of an independent national animation studio in Kazakhstan a priority, and has zealously defended the idea of ​​\u200b\u200benriching the children's screen space with domestic characters.

His achievements were highly appreciated by the state: in 1971 he was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor of the USSR, in 1974 the title of Honored Artist of the Kazakh SSR, in 1980 he was awarded the State Prize of the Kazakh SSR for the series of films "Aksak Kulan", "Kozhanasyr - Builder", "Forty Lies" and others, in 1985 the Order of the Patriotic War, and festive medals of the USSR; During the period of independent Kazakhstan, he received the medals "10 Years of Kazakhstan's Independence" (2001) and 20 Years (2011), the "Platinum Tarlan" award (2002), the "Parasat" order (2003), the "Zhukov" medal (2004), the "For the Defense of Ukraine" medal (2005), the "Excellence in the Sphere of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan" and "Excellence in the Sphere of Information" badges (2012), the "Barys" order of the 3rd degree (2012), the "Person of the Year - Golden Man" national award (2013); he was the owner of the "Labor Veteran" medal and the "Kurmet" diplomas. He is a member of the Unions of Artists, Cinematographers, Designers, Journalists of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the International Association of Animators (ASIFA). Kazakh society honors him as a person who introduced the national art of animation to the world half a century ago; The creative path of Kaidarov, who passed away at the age of 92, is a legend that left an indelible mark on the spirituality of the country. His life's struggle - the mission to strengthen the institutional foundation of national animation and fill the children's screen space with Kazakh fairy tales and characters - does not lose its relevance today.

In the family, his father Abzhan Khaidarov (1890–1975) and mother Zeynep Khaidarova (1900–1983) were teachers. His wife is Valentina Konstantinovna Khaidarova (born in 1928), a creative worker. Sons and daughters: Karim (born in 1952) and Vera (born in 1954); grandchildren Daniyar (born in 1977), Anel (born in 1974), Aizhan (born in 1980); great-grandchildren Anuar (born in 1999), Timur (born in 2000), Varvara (born in 2005).

Amen Kaidarov, the first Kazakh television animator, is named after one of the streets in the Bostandyk district of Almaty. The street is 800 meters long.