Third Mallaev Readings Honor Poet-Musician Ilyas Mallaev’s 90th at Queens BJCC

This report was translated from Russian by Bukharian Jewish Post from coverage by The Bukharian Times.

On Oct. 1, 2026, the Union of Bukharian Jewish Writers, Poets, and Journalists held the third “Mallaev Readings” at the Bukharian Jewish Community Center in New York, marking 90 years since the birth of poet, makomist, and virtuoso musician Ilyas Efraimovich Mallaev (1936–2008).

According to Alla Aronova’s report in The Bukharian Times, the hall displayed portraits by artists Abram Pilosov and Yakov Kandinov, a mosaic panel by Nison Shimunov, and volumes of Mallaev’s poetry alongside related scholarship. Union chair Raphael Nektalov opened by stressing study and popularization of Mallaev’s poetry—from the early poem “Dogi Padar” in Tashkent in 1974 through the fuller flowering of his work after emigration to the United States.

Poet Roshel Rubinov, who called Mallaev his ustoz (mentor), recited dedicatory verse and performed an unaccompanied fragment of makom “Dugoh” to Mallaev’s text. David Mavashev analyzed poems’ civic and humanist themes and recalled that Mallaev was the first laureate of the Itzhak Mavashev Prize in poetry in 2005. Musician Yefim Abramov spoke about Mallaev’s early career, including work with Tamara Khanum’s ensemble and a tar part with Uzbekistan’s Gosteleradio orchestra.

Composer-singer Yuhan Benyaminov performed “Noni Padar” (“Father’s Bread”) to Mallaev’s words; director Boris Katayev and singer Tamara Katayeva recalled the Queens Theater staging of Mallaev’s play The Singer of His Excellency. Svetlana Khanimova of the Makom ensemble described U.S. and international tours and Silk Road programs. Family members including grandson Avi Benjamini and daughter Nargis Malayeva performed and read; son Raj Malayev thanked the BJCC and the Museum of Bukharian Jewish Heritage in America for hosting. Nektalov announced a November 2027 union session devoted to poet Larisa Yusupova.

Sources: The Bukharian Times (Russian); Mallaev Readings archive. Image: Sathyadeep / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.