Ahmed Erikeev

The famous poet Ahmed Erikeev (Ahmed Fazilovich Erikeev) was born on December 16, 1902 in the village of Ulkundy in the Duvansky district of Bashkortostan, the son of a poor peasant. During winter he attended the village school and in the summer worked as a hired shepherd. He independently studied Russian. After the October Revolution he was a member of revolutionary committee in the township, the Komsomol and the party.

Erikeev’s first published piece, “The Proletarian Thought,” appeared in the newspaper in 1921.

Erikeev moved to Moscow in 1927. There he studied at the Institute of Journalism and became Executive Secretary of the journal, “Eshche (Work).” He was one of the founders of the magazine "Drummers," the Tatar section of the Moscow Association of Proletarian Writers, head of the department of Literature of the People of the USSR at State Literature Publishing House. Erikeev, with Jalil, took an active part in the Tatar Opera Studio, organized at the Moscow Conservatory, and wrote lyrics and opera librettos. Even before the war, many of the songs of the poet were popular among the people.

During World War II he served as editor for a front-line newspaper. From 1945 to 1950 he served as the chairman of the Union of Writers of Tatarstan.

The first book of the poet, Rocky Waves, was published in 1930, in Tatar, Russian and other languages. Sixty of his books were published, of which several editions were, "Collected Works." The main part of his work consists of lyrics and songs. Particularly fruitful and inspiring were his works in the musical genre. Many composers reference his poetry. They have written over three-hundred songs using his poetry. For outstanding service in the field of literature he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner and two "Badge of Honor" medals.

A. Erikeev died on September 15, 1967, in Moscow.

Last updated: 12 December 2012, 10:28

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