Amaldan Kukullu

Amal Danilovich Kukuliev, also known under his pen name as Amaldan Kukullu (; ; January 03, 1935 – May 25, 2000) was a Soviet and Russian poet, storyteller, folklorist, and researcher of the oral epic of the Mountain Jews ( Juhuri). One of the first systematizers and popularizers of Mountain Jewish folklore in the Soviet period. The author of more than 10 published books, both in his native language – Judeo-Tat, and in Russian.Asher Shaulov.

Biography

Amaldan Kukullu was born in 1935 into a Mountain Jewish family in the city of Khasavyurt, located in Dagestan, Russia.Anatoly Senin. Gutsayt L.E., Kukuliev D.A.

His father, Danil Kukullu, was an activist involved in the collectivization movement: he voluntarily donated large plots of land with vineyards and gardens for collective use. He died in 1970 and was buried in Makhachkala (Dagestan, Russia).

His mother, Shura (Alexandra Nikolaevna Shubaeva), was a leading actress and a key figure in the creation of the first Judeo-Tat theater in Khasavyurt. She died in 2003 and was buried in Netivot, Israel.

From a young age, Amaldan Kukullu devoted his life to collecting, studying, and preserving the epic traditions of the Mountain Jews. While studying in the journalism department at Rostov State University, he officially turned his attention to Mountain Jewish folklore for the first time, dedicating his 1969 diploma thesis to the subject. Following this work, he was recommended for postgraduate studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences.

In 1955, Amaldan Kukullu began his career as a correspondent for various media outlets in Dagestan. His first publications appeared in the republican newspaper '' Vatan''. Around the same time, he initiated regular expeditions throughout the Caucasus, aiming to systematically collect the oral folklore of the Mountain Jews in their traditional settlement areas.

In 1962, he enrolled in the Faculty of Philosophy at Dagestan State University. The following year, in 1963, his first books ''Scoot-scat!'' () and ''Baby Camel'' () were published in Moscow by ''Detsky Mir.'' That same year, he published a satirical feuilleton titled ''The Intrigues of the Cunning Amal'' (), which attracted criticism for " formalism" in his work and ultimately led to his denial of admission to the Union of Writers of Dagestan.

Also in 1963, Kukullu transferred to the Faculty of Journalism at Rostov State University. He continued publishing poetry, with his work appearing in the newspaper '' Dagestankaya Pravda'' and the magazine ''Don.''

In 1965, his poetry collection ''Choice of the Path'' () was published by ''Soviet Writer'' in Moscow. His poems also appeared in prominent newspapers such as ''Pravda'' and ''Izvestia.'' That same year, he moved to Moscow, married Mira Gadalyevna Nasimova, and welcomed the birth of their son a year later.

In 1966, his poetry book in the Judeo-Tat language, ''Man and the Sea'' (), was published by ''Dagestan Book Publishing House'' in Makhachkala. Two years later, in 1968, a collection of stories titled ''The Trial'' () was published in the same language by ''Daguchpedgiz.''

In 1969, Amaldan Kukullu defended his diploma thesis titled ''Judeo-Tat Fairy Tales'' and ''Historical Reality by Periods (Iranian Period)'' (), which marked the first official recognition in the USSR of the existence of Mountain Jewish folklore.

In 1972, his fairy tale collections ''Stubborn Sparrow'' () and ''Tell Me, Dad'' () were published by ''Malysh'' in Moscow. This was followed in 1974 by the release of ''The Golden Chest'' () through '' Nauka''.

In 1978, Amaldan Kukullu began publishing the literary almanac ''From the Russian Golgotha'' () in Moscow via samizdat ''(underground publishing).'' His work attracted the attention of Soviet authorities, and in 1983, his apartment was searched by the KGB. Portions of his collected folklore materials were confiscated, and he was imprisoned in Butyrka prison.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Amaldan Kukullu continued his literary and cultural efforts. In 1991, he founded his own publishing house, ''Amaldanik.'' That same year, he published two poetry collections: ''The Legend of the Song'' () and ''My Continuation'' (), both in Moscow through ''Amaldanik.''

In 1995, he released a collection of poems and songs by the defender of the Mountain Jewish people, Mordecai ben Avshalom (1860–1925). In 1997, he published a multilingual anthology of the Mountain Jewish proverbs and sayings titled ''Echo of the Past and Call of Future Epochs'' ().

Amaldan Kukullu died in Moscow on May 25, 2000. He was laid to rest at Vostryakovskoye Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kukuliev, Amaldan
1935 births
2000 deaths
Mountain Jews
Soviet Jews
Judeo-Tat poets
Judeo-Tat writers
Translators to Judeo-Tat
Soviet poets
Soviet writers
Soviet male writers
20th-century Russian writers
20th-century Russian male writers
21st-century Russian male writers
Poets from Dagestan
Writers from Dagestan
People from Khasavyurt
Burials at Vostryakovskoye Cemetery