Zulkhia Mukanovna Zhumatova, a poet, translator and one of the first anchors of Kazakh television, has died at the age of 106, the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan announced, infohub.kz reports.
The Ministry of Culture and Information expressed its condolences to the family and loved ones of Zulkhia Zhumatova, noting her contribution as a poet, translator and one of the first anchors of Kazakh television.
Zulkhia Mukanovna Zhumatova was born on February 20, 1920, in the Bayanaul district of Pavlodar region. On March 8, 1958, she and Nelli Omarova became the anchors who opened the first broadcast on Kazakh television.
"Zulkhia Mukanovna presented in Kazakh, while Nelli Omarova presented in Russian. In doing so, they opened the first page in the history of national television and laid the foundation for the development of Kazakh television broadcasting," the ministry recalled.
Working in television from 1958 to 1970, she made a significant contribution to the establishment and development of domestic television broadcasting, as well as to the art of anchoring in the Kazakh language.
Beyond her television work, Zhumatova pursued a literary career, writing poetry and works for children and working in literary translation. She also held a leadership position at the Gabit Musrepov Theater for Children and Youth.
On June 28, 2026, President Qasym-Jomart Toqaev awarded Zulkhia Zhumatova the Order of Qurmety for her outstanding contribution to the development of national television.