"My grandfather's family was known as a mini Academy of Sciences," said the granddaughter of the writer Aibek.

The house-museum is located in the "Yangiarik" neighborhood of the Yunusabad district in Tashkent. You can find it at the address: Iftikhor Street, Dead End 1, House 26. At the entrance to the neighborhood, there is a sign indicating the direction to the museum. Following the sign, you will arrive at the dark brown gates with golden letters reading "Oybek uy-muzeyi."

Passing through the gates, you will see a two-story building; however, the main attraction is the one-story house built by Aibek and his wife. This house houses the main exhibits of the museum, which number over 10,000. The tour begins in the room where Aibek spent his childhood.

Aibek was born on January 10, 1905, in the "Gavkush" neighborhood to a weaver's family. He wrote about his parents, grandfather, and native neighborhood in his autobiographical story "Childhood." He received his first lessons at an old school in the "Okmasjid" neighborhood. From 1918 to 1921, he studied at the "Namuna" school, founded by Munavarkori Abdurashidkhonov. Historian and researcher of Jadidism Sirojidin Ahmad wrote: "In this school, talented young teachers with serious training taught. Among its graduates were later prominent figures such as Hamza, Kayum Ramazon, Aibek, and Mannon Uygur."

Continuing his education, Aibek studied at the Navoi Pedagogical Technical School, the Faculty of Social Sciences at Tashkent University, and the Leningrad Institute of National Economy. However, due to illness, he was forced to return to Tashkent in 1930 and complete his studies at Tashkent University.

Reflecting on his student years, Aibek wrote: "My path during my studies was the same as that of most representatives of Uzbek youth of that time. In 1921, I enrolled in the newly established Navoi Pedagogical Technical School in Khadra in the old part of Tashkent and continued my education."

The next hall of the museum is called "Kutlug kon" ("Sacred Blood"). This hall features the first editions of the book of the same name, as well as its translations into various languages. The novel "Kutlug kon" was written by Aibek in 1938 in a short period and published in 1940, during one of the most challenging times in his life. The work, filled with memories of childhood, describes the difficult life of the Uzbek people on the eve of World War I.

At that time, the politics of colonization and the beginning of capitalist penetration led to the impoverishment of the working class. The people, whose cup of patience had overflowed, protested and rose in rebellion. The decree of the tsarist authorities to conscript residents of Central Asia for rear services became the spark for the large-scale uprising of 1916. In the novel, through the images of Yulchi and Mirzakarimboy, Aibek artistically analyzes the causes of the uprising, showcasing the relationship between the working class and the wealthy class.

Here, you can also see the poet's literary works, his research, and memories related to the creation of works such as "Ulug yul" ("Great Path"), "Oltin vodiydan shabadalar" ("Breeze from the Golden Valley"), and "Kuyosh koraymas" ("The Sun Will Not Fade").

The "Navoi" exhibition is dedicated to an important part of Aibek's work. As a poet, prose writer, and literary scholar, he frequently addressed the life of Alisher Navoi. By studying not only Navoi's personality but also the culture of Khorasan in the 15th century, Aibek skillfully revealed the humanistic essence of the great poet. Against the backdrop of key historical events of that era, Aibek described the forces that supported the Timurid state and subsequently led it to decline. This novel marked the beginning of the historical-biographical genre in Uzbek literature and established its fundamental principles.

In the hall "Abadiyat va umr" ("Eternity and Life"), there is a small room reminiscent of the atmosphere of the 19th century. According to museum staff, it was here that the novel "Navoi" was written.

Upon exiting the museum, visitors can see a room dedicated to Saidnosir Mirjalilov, the father of Zarifa Saidnosirova. He was a well-known enlightener and one of the patrons of the Jadids, financially supporting their ideas. He also engaged in political activity as the treasurer of the Turkestan autonomy. After its dissolution, he spent 12 years in prison and exile, and on October 25, 1937, he was executed for political reasons.

Exiting the main halls of the museum into the courtyard, to the left, you can see a statue of Aibek. Passing by it, visitors enter the two-story memorial section. Here are the living room, the writer's desk, and a drawing room where Zarifa Saidnosirova worked.

The house was transformed into a museum in 1980 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Aibek's birth. A significant credit for this goes to his wife, Zarifa Saidnosirova, who is known as Uzbekistan's first female chemist and an artist. In the memorial section of the museum, you can see her paintings.

The writer's family

The writer's granddaughter, Oinur Tashmuhammadova, shared that her great-grandfather, Saidnosir Mirjalilov, gifted Aibek a book titled "Hazoin ul maoniy," written in beautifully calligraphic Arabic script, in honor of the birth of a daughter in the writer's family.

Aibek and Zarifa Saidnosirova raised four children: three sons and one daughter — Omon, Bekjon, Suyunbek, and Gulrang. According to granddaughter Oinur, their family was referred to by contemporaries as a "small academy." "My grandfather was an academic, a writer, and a scholar. My grandmother was the first female chemist. The eldest son, Omon, became a historian, while the father, Bekjon, was a biophysicist. Suyunbek and his wife also became doctors of chemical sciences, and my aunt Gulrang taught Arabic at the Faculty of Oriental Studies. Therefore, the family was compared to an academy," Oinur shared in an interview with Kun.uz.

After Aibek's death, his wife Zarifa Saidnosirova wrote the book "Oybegim mening" ("My Aibek"), where she shares memories of the years spent with the writer, the difficulties associated with his illness, and the creation of his works. This book allows a closer acquaintance with Aibek's life and creativity.

Zuhra Abduhalimova.