Roziya Ozod
Roziya Boimatovna Ghafurova, better known as Roziya Ozod, was a Tajikistani poet of the Soviet era.
Early life and career
Ozod was born in Khujand into the family of a merchant, and received her early education in the traditional schools before embarking on a career as a teacher. According to her own account of her biography as told through her poetry, she spent the entirety of her early life within the confines of Khujand, first in her family home and later in the house of her husband; she never even saw the outskirts of the city. It was only with the Russian Revolution that she first felt truly free, which was the reason she chose "Ozod" as her takhallus.She began writing poetry during World War II, composing patriotic works in which she urged warriors to continue fighting. She continued writing after the war; notable works include Qahramoni Odil, Mahabbat ba Vatan, Gulistoni 'Ishq, Az Vodihoi Taloi, Iqbol, and Zindabod Sulh. The theme of many of these later poems is the lot of women, especially in the time before the Revolution. Other work is dedicated to children. In 1944, Ozod joined the Union of Writers of Tajikistan. A collected volume of poetry, Ash'ori muntakhab, appeared posthumously in 1959.