{{Short description|Kyrgyz sociologist (1941–2015)}} {{Infobox academic|name=Rakhat Achylova|native_name=Рахат Ачылова|native_name_lang=ky|birth_date=30 May 1941|death_date={{Death date and age|2015|03|05|1941|05|30}}|birth_place=[[Govsubar]], [[Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic]]|citizenship=Kyrgyzstan|occupation=Sociologist; politician|education=Jalalabad State University|discipline=Sociologist|thesis_year=1988|academic_advisors=Asanbek Tabaldiev|alma_mater=Saint Petersberg State University|workplaces=Kyrgyz National University|image=Rakhat_Achylova.jpg}} '''Rakhat Achylova''' in [[Kyrgyz language|Kyrgyz]]: '''Рахат Ачылова''' (30 May 1941 – 5 March 2015) was a [[Sociology|sociologist]] from [[Kyrgyzstan]], who studied the roles of women and the family, as well as Islam in her country. She was a member of the [[Supreme Council (Kyrgyzstan)|Supreme Council]] from 1995 to 2000.
== Biography == Achylova was born on 30 May 1941 in the village of [[Govsubar]], in the [[Batken Region|Batken region]] of the [[Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic]]. She graduated from [[Jalalabad State University]] in 1958. In 1963 she joined the History Department at [[Kyrgyz National University]] as a lecturer. She then moved from the History Department to the Department of Sociology.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Скончалась заслуженный деятель науки и образования Рахат Ачылова|url=https://www.vb.kg/doc/305617_skonchalas_zaslyjennyy_deiatel_nayki_i_obrazovaniia_rahat_achylova.html|access-date=2021-08-08|website=Вечерний Бишкек}}</ref> Here she worked in the first social sciences laboratory under the supervision of [[Asanbek Tabaldiev]] ([[:ky:Табалдиев, Асанбек|ky]]).<ref name=":1">{{Cite thesis|title=From 'truth in strength to strength in truth': sociology, knowledge and power in Kyrgyzstan, 1966-2003|url=http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/id/eprint/5476/|publisher=London School of Economics and Political Science|date=2005-12-25|degree=phd|language=en|first=Sarah|last=Amsler}}</ref> In 1975, after the death of Tabaldiev, she became Head of the Department of Social Sciences, until 1987.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Кыргызский национальный университет имени Жусупа Баласагына|url=https://www.knu.kg/ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5170:2016-07-29-09-45-17&catid=78:2010-03-01-05-42-27&Itemid=552|access-date=2021-08-09|website=www.knu.kg}}</ref> In 1988 she graduated with a PhD from [[Saint Petersburg State University|Saint Petersberg State University]].<ref name=":0" /> She later was appointed Rector of the V. Mayakovsky Kyrgyz Women's Pedagogical Institute.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> She was also chair of the Centre for Independent Women in Development in Kyrgyzstan.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Dawisha|first1=Karen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4o0YDQAAQBAJ&dq=Rakhat+Achylova&pg=PT361|title=The International Politics of Eurasia: Vol 7: Political Culture and Civil Society in Russia and the New States of Eurasia|last2=Parrott|first2=Bruce|date=2016-09-16|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-315-28707-2|language=en}}</ref>
In 1995 she was elected to the [[Supreme Council (Kyrgyzstan)|Jogorku Kenesh]] (Supreme Council) of Kyrgyzstan.<ref name=":0" /> Her tenure on the Council ended in 2000.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=2015-03-05|title=Рахат Ачылова көз жумду|url=https://www.bbc.com/kyrgyz/kyrgyzstan/2015/03/150305_rahat_achylova|access-date=2021-08-09|website=BBC News Кыргыз Кызматы|language=ky}}</ref> In 2006 she was a member of the Presidential Commission for National Ideology.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last=Laruelle|first=Marlene|url=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10130177/1/Central-Peripheries.pdf|title=Central Peripheries: Nationhood in Central Asia|publisher=UCL Press|year=2021|pages=107}}</ref>
Achylova died on 5 March 2015, after suffering a heart attack.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kyrgyzstan Honored Scientist Rakhat Achylova dies at age of 74|url=https://akipress.com/news:556323/|access-date=2021-08-09|website=akipress.com}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> Her civil funeral was held on 7 March at the Kyrgyz National Academic Theatre named after T. Abdumomunov.<ref name=":0" /> She was later buried at Baitek Cemetery.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
== Awards and honours ==
* Honoured Worker of Science and Education of the Kyrgyz Republic.<ref name=":0" />
== Legacy == [[Ala-Too International University]] has named an annual prize after Achylova. The prize is awarded to researchers working in the fields of sociology, economics and philosophy.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ala-Too International University|url=http://alatoo.edu.kg/view/public/announcements/announcement.xhtml?id=6965#gsc.tab=0|access-date=2021-08-09|website=alatoo.edu.kg|archive-date=2018-05-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517112504/http://alatoo.edu.kg/view/public/announcements/announcement.xhtml?id=6965#gsc.tab=0|url-status=dead}}</ref> The award was founded by the economist, [[Beishenaly Nazik]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-05-25|title=Beishenaly Nazik|url=https://cabar.asia/en/beishenaly-nazik|access-date=2021-08-09|website=CABAR.asia|language=en-GB}}</ref>
== Selected works ==
* 'Political culture and foreign policy in Kyrgyzstan', in Tismaneanu V., ''Political culture and civil society in Russia and the new states of Eurasia'' (1995).<ref>{{Cite book|title=Political culture and civil society in Russia and the new states of Eurasia|date=1995|publisher=M.E. Sharpe|others=Vladimir Tismaneanu|isbn=1-56324-364-4|location=Armonk, N.Y.|oclc=32467734}}</ref> * Achylova, R. (1995) ‘Bednost' v Kyrgyzstane: v anfas i profil'’ [Poverty in Kyrgyzstan: In full-face and profile], ''Kut Bilim'', 6. * Achylova, R. (1987) ''Нация и семья'' [Nation & Family].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ачылова|first=Рахат|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bPhNAQAAIAAJ|title=Нация и семья|date=1987|publisher=Izd-vo "Ilim"|language=ru}}</ref>
== Historiography == Achylova's research covered the role of state formation in former Soviet Socialist Republics, as well as the role of women and the role of minority groups within them.<ref name=":0" /> She recognised that there were considerable obstacles to the creation of a civil society in Kyrgyzstan.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Carter|first=Stephen K.|date=1996|title=Review of Striving for Law in a Lawless Land. Memoirs of a Russian Reformer|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/152791|journal=Europe-Asia Studies|volume=48|issue=8|pages=1426–1428|jstor=152791|issn=0966-8136}}</ref> Despite this she also recognised the independence and autonomy are central to Kyrgyz mentalities.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Everett-Heath|first=Tom|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aPuQAgAAQBAJ&dq=Rakhat+Achylova&pg=PT208|title=Central Asia: Aspects of Transition|date=2003-12-08|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-79822-2|language=en}}</ref>
As a sociologist, she was part of a movement in the 1980s and 1990s to a movement that had an increasingly critical and analytical role.<ref name=":1" /> In the 1990s she organised the first programme of study on Kyrgyz family life and marriage.<ref name=":1" /> Achylova also considered the role of Islam in Kyrgyz society, and its place in nationalist discourse, discussing how aspects of [[Tengrism]] were adopted into Kyrgyz Islam.<ref name=":3" />
== References == <references />
== External links ==
* YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvixMPuTcdk Светлой памяти профессора,доктора философских наук Ачыловой Рахат. Dr.Achylova Rahat]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Achylova, Rakhat}} [[Category:1941 births]] [[Category:2015 deaths]] [[Category:Kyrgyzstani sociologists]] [[Category:Members of the Supreme Council (Kyrgyzstan)]] [[Category:Academic staff of Kyrgyz National University]] [[Category:Women sociologists]]