Prominent Crimean Tatar Artist Mamut Churlu Dies at 78

A prominent Crimean Tatar artist and ethnographer Mamut Churlu died in the temporarily occupied Crimea at the age of 78.

This was reported by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center.

He passed away on February 17, 2025, a few weeks after a serious accident he got into on January 21 in the village of Perevalne near Simferopol. Having been seriously injured, the artist was under the care of doctors who fought for his life.

Mamut Churlu was born on March 1, 1946 in the Uzbek city of Fergana. After returning to his homeland, he settled in Perevalne, where he devoted his life to the revival of Crimean Tatar art. In particular, he made a significant contribution to the development of traditional carpet weaving and the study of the Ornek ornament.

In 1996, the artist launched a program to revive Crimean Tatar weaving, teaching masters of ornamentation, color science, and natural dyeing techniques. His training seminars for artists and textile craftsmen were held throughout Crimea.

Churlu's work was highly appreciated not only in Ukraine but also abroad. His solo exhibitions were held in Tashkent, Kyiv, Duisburg, Heidelberg, Cologne and many other cities. In 2010, he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Ukraine, and in 2014 he won the first prize at the Fourth All-Ukrainian Textile Triennial.

Recently, one of the elders, Reshat Belyalov, the father of political prisoner Memet Belyalov, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison by the Russian occupation authorities, died in Crimea.

On January 12, Arsen Alchykov, a veteran of the Crimean Tatar national movement, a political prisoner of the USSR, a delegate to the Kurultai of the Crimean Tatar people of several convocations, died at the age of 84 in Russian-occupied Crimea.

In August 2024, Bronislav Danilovych, the father of civilian journalist Iryna Danilovych, who was sentenced to 7 years in prison on charges of "possession of an explosive device," died in occupied Crimea.

Ірина Глухова