Zulfia Usmanova is a Muslim Tatar woman living in the village of Tatarskaya Kargala, in the Orenburg Region. She is a musician by education — a graduate of the Orenburg Regional School of Culture. For many years she taught singing at a correctional boarding school.
In addition to her classes, she managed the Yagodka (Berry) children's folklore ensemble, which periodically performed in competitions, including in the city of Orenburg. She also participated in a teacher's choir.
In 2005, she began working as a village librarian.
A librarian, according to her, "must be able to work with people, know the interests of each of his or her readers and understand their inner world".
Zulfia is a creative person, which is why in 2013 she got the idea to form an Internet group called "We are from Tatar Kargala".
Among the activities held by the group are competitions, friendly conversations, including about the basics of Islam, tea parties, as well as New Year celebrations for large families and orphans.
Recently, on International Knitting Day, she held a competition for the most beautiful knitted product, including the Orenburg downy shawl.
There is an expression: "Relationships rule the world."
This sums up Zulfia's relationship with people. To date, her Internet group boasts 3,111 followers.
Zulfia is also a talented poetess. Her favourite poems are those written by Tatar poets Musa Jalil and Gabdulla Tukay.
Zulfia has penned poetry
in Russian and Tatar, many of which are dedicated to relatives who fought for the freedom of their homeland in World War
Two and of her native village.
She recites some of her poems
in the form of songs, which she herself composed.
Her song, titled My village Kargala, has become the anthem of her village and is often performed at festive events. The song also signals the start of the annual Tatar holiday, Sabantuy.
In 2014, in the city of Sterlitamak of the Republic of Bashkortostan, a poetry collection titled Poets of the 21st century was published, in which Zulfia's poems were also printed.
In 2015, her poems were published in the collection titled Steppe Pen, dedicated to the 290th anniversary of the village of Sakmara.
In Southeast Asia, she is known for translating into Tatar an Indonesian poem, Dengan Puisi Aku, by Indonesian poet Taufiq Ismail. The Malay tale about the cunning kancil (mousedeer) can now also be read in the Tatar language, thanks to her work.
And that is not all! Her poem titled Native Village attracted the attention of the National Poets Association (Pemuisi). In January last year, the Malay translation of the poem was published in the association's monthly magazine.
As a librarian, Zulfia works with children who want to write poetry or stories.
She edits their essays and helps publish them in the local newspaper. She is also an active participant in the Tatar Song Festival, together with Russian language and literature teachers. She is also a member of the Literary Cafe dedicated to poets and writers.
Finally, Zulfia is a mother of two children whom she raised with her husband, Rais, who is a beekeeper.
Their son, Arthur, served in the army and now works as a police officer. He reads law by correspondence at a law university on a part-time basis.
Their daughter, Iluza, will be graduating from a medical college this year. Recently, there has been a new addition to the family: their granddaughter Yasmina.
This write-up of Zulfia is a celebration of her life, because her life is an example of the happy fate of a modern Muslim woman.
The writer, writing from Russia, is a former lecturer of Universiti Malaya