People’s Artist of Kazakhstan and Beloved Uyghur Actress Rikhangul Makhpirova Passes Away

By Ozgur Uyghur

Kazakhstan People’s Artist, the famous Uyghur performer Reyhangül (Reixangül) Makhpirova — well-known and celebrated across Uyghur regions and the stages of Central Asian countries — passed away in Almaty on November 29, 2025, at the age of 79.

After the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan announced her passing, condolences spread across social media platforms such as Facebook. Uyghurs living in the diaspora expressed their sorrow and their prayers for her final journey.

According to available information, Reyhangül Makhpirova was born on August 1, 1946, in Chilek village of the Emgekshi-Kazakh district in the Almaty region. Her early artistic career began in the S. Seifullin District Theater Ensemble in the Kazakh region of Qaraghandy. Later, from 1971 to 1977, she worked at the Abay–Jambyl District Theater. In 1977, she was accepted into the Republican State Academic Uyghur Musical Comedy Theater named after Quddus Khojamyarov as a solo soprano singer and artist, where she built her long professional artistic career.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 and Kazakhstan’s independence, Reyhangül Makhpirova, together with members of the Kazakhstan Uyghur Theater, traveled to Uyghur homeland (East Turkistan). There, she performed many comedy plays and sketches, receiving enthusiastic praise and winning the hearts of Uyghur audiences. Her solo and collective performances became widely loved and had a strong impact on the public. With the support of various companies, she toured many provinces, cities, and villages of the Uyghur region, performing mobile shows. Many video tapes of these performances were produced and widely distributed.

Within just a few years, Reyhangül Makhpirova became a familiar face to all — young and old — across even the most remote corners of the Uyghur homeland. To this day, people remember the characters she portrayed, recall her humorous and witty lines, and cherish her presence. The main reasons for the public’s deep affection were her mastery of acting, her natural and life-like style, her talent in creating vivid characters, and her admirable personal qualities.

Throughout her nearly 80-year life, Reyhangül Makhpirova served her people through the art of performance. She played many lively and unforgettable roles in films and theater, becoming an important part of Kazakhstan’s cultural heritage. Noteworthy among her roles are: Nargiz in Yumagulov’s novel “Nargiz,” the lawyer in K. Mukhamedzhanov’s play The Prisoners, Altynay in Chingiz Aitmatov’s The First Teacher, Aksinia in Mikhail Sholokhov’s Quiet Don, Nazugum in J. Busakov’s Nazugum, and Leyli — the main character — in the classical work Leyli and Majnun.

For her contributions to art, Reyhangül Makhpirova was awarded honorable titles such as “Honored Artist of Kazakhstan” and the highest artistic distinction in the country, “People’s Artist of Kazakhstan.”

Although the master artist Reyhangül Makhpirova has left us forever, the Uyghur people will always remember the beloved daughter who brought them joy and laughter!