Today, on February 17, 2025, the famous Crimean Tatar artist and ethnographer Mamut Churlu died at the age of 78.
On 21 January 2025, he got into a serious road accident near the village of Perevalne, after which he was hospitalised with numerous injuries.
The tragic event happened a few weeks after a serious road accident he was involved in on 21 January in the village of Perevalne near Akmesdzhit (Simferopol). He was seriously injured in the accident. After the accident, the artist was hospitalised in the intensive care unit of the 6th City Hospital of Akmesdzhit (Simferopol), and then to the Semashko Hospital, where doctors fought for his life.
Mamut Churlu was born on March 1, 1946 in Fergana, Uzbekistan. After returning to Crimea, the artist lived in the village of Perevalne.
He was known for his contribution to the development of Crimean Tatar culture and art, in particular the revival of traditional carpet weaving and the study of the Ornek ornament.
In 1996, he successfully implemented a programme of revival of the Crimean Tatar carpet weaving, teaching participants ornamentation, colour science and dyeing with vegetable dyes. He has organised numerous training seminars in Crimea on traditional ornamentation and dyeing techniques for artists and textile craftsmen.
His solo exhibitions have been held in various cities around the world, including Tashkent, Duisburg, Heidelberg, Cologne, Kyiv and other cities. In 2010, he was awarded the title of Honoured Artist of Ukraine, and in 2014, he won the first prize at the Fourth All-Ukrainian Textile Triennial.
The Crimean Tatar Resource Center expresses its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mamut Churlu. His contribution to the preservation and promotion of Crimean Tatar culture is extremely valuable and that is why his memory will live on forever.