Aykhan Annamukhamedovich Khadzhiyev is a People's Artist of Turkmenistan, Makhtumkuli State Prize Laureate, Candidate of Art Criticism and Professor.  He is at the threshold of the 70th springtime.

   Aykhan Khadzhiyev was born in April 1924 in the village of Bagir, not far from Ashkhabad.

    Aykhan Khadzhiyev is the creator of images of three titanic classical authors ofturkmen literature: the great poet and philosopher of t'he 18" Century Makhtumkuli (in the year 1947); Makhtumkuli's father, the poet, thinker and teacher Azadi (in 1992); and the lyric poet of the I g,h Century Mollanepes (in 1964).

    These portraits have become such an integral part of the people's consciousness that today each of them has become inseparable from the name of Aykhan Khadzhiyev.

    In addition to his work on canvas, Khadzhiyev always found time for teaching, to which he has devoted 44 years.  He has made a considerable contribution to the emergence and iformation of a Turkmen school of painting.  For a long time he headed the studio of the Union of Artists of Turkmenistan, a studio which was known as the "Lesser Academy'.  He is one of the founders of the first architectural school in Turkmenistan.

   Aykhan Khadzhiyev started to master his artistic skills in 1935 at a primary school in Ashkhabad, and later at the College of Art.  He was the first of the Turkmen artists to enjoy higher professional artistic education.  He is a graduate of Moscolvs VI Surikov Art Institute.  There he wrote his candidate's thesis and became
the first candidate of Artistic Studies in Turkmenistan.  Later he became the first professor in the field of culture also.

   The painter produced his first serious picture ("Landowner and Labourer") in 1941, as a student of the Turkmen College of Art. Another important work dates from 1955 ("Science in the Service of
the Cotton Growers").

   In his works "Makhtumkuli" (I 947), "Makhtumkuli the Jeweller" (1959), "Unbowed" (1960), "Makhtumkuli and Mengli" (1983), "In a United Family' (1983) and "Generatiot@' (1991) Aykhan opens
up to us the richness of the spiritual world of the great Makhtumkuli. Khadzhiyer was the creator of the modern lineage of Makhtumkuli.

   Practically all the master's canvases have become part of the treasured heritage ofturkmen art and have represented Turkmen art with honour at international exhibitions.  The artist's services to the development of
Turkmen fine art and teaching activity have been recognised with many government awards.