The well-known journalist and public figure Ömirzaq Aqjigit has passed away. His daughter, Enlik Aqjigit, shared the news on Facebook, as reported by the national portal Adyrna.
*“Today, I lost my towering father. He was not just a father but also my friend, confidant, colleague, and greatest supporter. He loved me dearly. My father always said that when I was born, his sleep cycle changed—while he wouldn’t wake up for his other children’s cries, he would immediately check on me if I made the slightest noise.
We shared a great sense of humor, and he was always cheerful and kind to those around him. Though he entered journalism later in life, he was an outstanding journalist—my father. Writing about him in the past tense feels unbearably heavy. My heart feels torn apart, as if something vital has been ripped from within me. It’s getting harder to breathe.
He could hold a conversation with anyone as an equal. Fluent in both Kazakh and Russian, he wrote masterfully in both languages. He was well-versed in literature, language, politics, economics, history, and even mathematics. He once taught ‘Strength of Materials’ (Sopromat) at a university, and I remember him mentioning that Russians had a saying: ‘If you’ve passed Sopromat, you can get married.’ My father taught that very subject to students and was honored as ‘Curator of the Year.’
When I enrolled in university in Almaty, he was both happy and concerned about me. He would visit my dormitory to see where I lived. When I defended my diploma, he was there, and having him present filled me with pride. I will always be proud to be Ömirzaq Aqjigit’s daughter. But now, how will I face life without my father? He was the best, the most intelligent, the most caring, and the most positive father.
Once, when I was in the hospital, he taped the window shut from the outside so the wind wouldn’t blow in. What other father would do something like that? He always knew when I wasn’t feeling well and would rush home from work. Even after I started my own family, if I was sick, he would somehow sense it and check in on me. Who will feel that way about me now? Who will pamper me? Who will call me ‘Ainalayin’ and kiss my forehead? How will I go on without you, father?
He was the ideal father. If anyone asks what a father should be like, I will say with certainty: like mine. Rest in peace, dear father. Even saying these words feels unbearably painful.”*
Biography of Ömirzaq Aqjigit
Ömirzaq Aqjigit was born in 1954 in the Aqtöbe village council, Keles District, South Kazakhstan Region. He completed school in 1970 and graduated from the Moscow Institute of Engineering and Construction in 1976. He worked in factories, trusts, and associations and taught the subject of ‘Strength of Materials’ at the Kazakh Chemical-Technological Institute for four years. He also held administrative positions in the Arys and Sairam district administrations as a department head and advisor to the akim (mayor).
Since 2003, he had been active in journalism, working as a correspondent for Jas Alash newspaper, a special correspondent for Ońtüstik Qazaqstan, a section editor and executive secretary for Jalyn magazine, and the editor-in-chief of Jas Qazaq Üni and Qazaqia newspapers.
He authored several books, including Elińniń eri bol, Arda-Sherim (2013), which focused on child upbringing; Jaugaştı – istiñ adamı (2014), analyzing Kazakhstan’s political, social, and economic landscape from 1995 to 2010; and Tynyştıq jaqpaytın adam (2020).
From 2004 to 2023, he conducted over 200 interviews with prominent Kazakh figures and published numerous articles. His passing is a great loss to Kazakh journalism and intellectual circles. His contributions, wisdom, and dedication to his craft will be remembered by colleagues, readers, and his family. May he rest in peace.
