Today the name of a member of the Union of Artists of Turkmenistan Ogulbayram Kulyeva is known outside our country. She was born in the city of Serdar in a large family. Since childhood, she was distinguished from her peers by her ability to embroider and weave various carpets and compose poems. And when she entered the history faculty of the Magtymguly State University, she did not leave her beloved work. Her skillful hands created various embroideries and carpet works were always exhibited at exhibitions held among students of that time.
But Ogulbayram considers the portrait of the classic of Turkmen literature Magtymguly Fragi to be her main achievement in carpet craft. Since childhood, he was her favorite poet, she even knew some of his poems by heart. Even in those days, she had a cherished dream, sooner or later, to weave the image of the great poet on the carpet.
In 1983, Ogulbayram finally decided to make her childhood dream come true. Therefore, she turned to Ashyr Atayev, who at that time headed the art department of the Union of Artists of Turkmenistan. After listening to her, he promised to help her in everything and asked to contact the carpet artist Juma Rezhebov. She was doubly glad that she, as a carpet weaver, would have to create a carpet portrait of Magtymguly Pyragy for the first time.
After a long creative search, Juma Rejepov prepared a sketch of the future carpet portrait of the great poet, the length of which was 1. meter. 40 cm and width 90 cm. He told Ogulbayram that she should choose about 38 different woolen yarns to convey the image of the poet on the carpet.
And so for her began at the same time a new but known from childhood creative work. She consulted the famous translator of that time Vadim Sergeev on the choice of a poem by the great poet, since in the sketch of the future portrait the poet was depicted in the image of writing a new poem. Vadim Sergeev not only helped in choosing the poet's poem, but he also acted in translating his well-known poem “Daň atmazdan burun” into the Arabic alphabet.
Ogulbayram chose the best woolen yarns to make her dreams come true and at the same time wanted to see the image of the great poet on the carpet in the middle of the primordially traditional carpet patterns. She also paid special attention to what Magtymguly Fraghi was wearing. Using her many years of experience and all her talent, she was able to accurately convey the patterns of the great poet's robe.
After six months of hard work, a new carpet appeared. It was a unique case in the ancient craft of the Turkmen people as carpet weaving.
Finally, that long-awaited day came. Ogulbayram brought a carpet portrait of Magtymguly Fragi to the exhibition hall of the Union of Artists of Turkmenistan. All those who came here were fascinated by what they saw here. Before them was a great poet in a new genre of art as carpet weaving. People's Artist of Turkmenistan Aykhan Khadzhiev, who created the canonical portrait of the poet in 1947, could not hide his admiration for what he saw, he warmly congratulated the author of the carpet. So this carpet portrait for more than a year and a half made everyone happy in that exhibition hall.
About forty years have passed since then. The carpet portrait of Magtymguly Fraghi is carefully kept in the house of Ogulbayram Kulyeva. Despite this, those who want to look at this essentially unique work are growing day by day. She is proud that she had to create in the first carpet portrait of the great poet and she is in demand as the very work of the great poet.
