Shirnengiin Ayuush (; 1903–1938) was a Mongolian composer, novelist and art historian, one of the leading composers of Mongolia in the 1930s. He was born in

Bayanzürkh Bayanzürkh ( ; ) is one of nine districts of the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar. It is subdivided into 20 subdistricts. It is the largest district in the capital and lies in the southeast of the city. It was established in 1965. In 2023 it h ...

, near the capital of

Ulaanbaatar Ulaanbaatar is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities in Mongolia, most populous city of Mongolia. It has a population of 1.6 million, and it is the coldest capital city in the world by average yearly temperature. The municipa ...

. He graduated from the Institute of Oriental Studies in Moscow in 1924, and was employed by the government in the 1930s, becoming artistic director of the Ministry of the People in 1934, and the Vice Minister of the Ministry from 1936. He is best known for composing operas which incorporated traditional folk melodies such as ''Arat Damdin and Princess Dolgor''. J. F. Conceicao describes ''Arat Damdin and Princess Dolgor'' as the "next experiment of the musical theatre", which dealt with "topical problems of that time". He was awarded for his services to

Mongolian literature Mongolian literature is literature written in Mongolia and/or in the Mongolian language. It was greatly influenced by and evolved from its nomadic oral storytelling traditions, and it originated in the 13th century. The "three peaks" of Mongol ...

in 1935. Ayuush, along with other writers such as Sonombaljiriin Buyannemekü and Mördendewiin Idamsürüng, was executed during a purge directed by communist leader

Khorloogiin Choibalsan Khorloogiin Choibalsan (8 February 1895 – 26 January 1952) was a Mongolian politician who served as the leader of the Mongolian People's Republic as the Prime Minister of Mongolia, chairman of the Council of Ministers (premier) from 1939 unt ...

in the late 1930s.

References

1903 births 1938 deaths 20th-century composers Composers from Ulaanbaatar Executed Mongolian people Great Purge victims from Mongolia Mongolian novelists {{Mongolia-bio-stub