On February 20, 2026, the Department of Gagauz Philology and History held a creative meeting with the artist and sculptor, professor at Haci Bayram Veli University (Ankara), and Doctor of Fine Arts, Afanasiy Karachoban. The event was attended by L. D. Marin, the elder sister of the artist and director of the National Gagauz Historical and Ethnographic Museum named after D. N. Kara Choban; Dmitriy Karachoban, the eldest son of the guest of honor and Doctor of Art History; artist and sculptor Vitaliy Manjul, as well as faculty and students of KSU.

During the meeting, A. D. Karachoban shared memories of his parents, especially his father, talked about his creative journey, recited poems by Dmitriy Nikolaevich and his own works, as well as a poetic dedication to Dmitriy Kara Choban by Andrei Voznesensky. The participants asked interesting questions, praised his professionalism, and shared their impressions of the guest’s work.

Thanks to his father, Afanasiy Dmitriyevich showed an interest in visual arts from an early age. Having received professional art education, he developed as a master working in two directions: drawing and sculpture. His artistic language was shaped under the influence of:

• folk culture,
• the historical memory of the Gagauz people,
• the classical school of fine arts.

His creativity is not imitation of tradition but its thoughtful continuation.

Afanasiy Karachoban was born on August 21, 1963, in the village of Beshalma, Comrat District. In 1978, after finishing the eighth grade, he entered the Republican Art School named after I. E. Repin in Chișinău, specializing in sculpture. In 1982, he continued his studies at the Kyiv State Art Institute. In 1983, he was drafted into the Soviet Army. In 1985, he returned to his studies. In 1990, Afanasiy Dmitriyevich graduated from the institute in Kyiv. In July 1990, the State Examination Commission recommended him for membership in the Union of Artists of the USSR.

His thesis, "Monument to D. N. Kara Choban," was graded "excellent." The sculpture was translated into marble and installed in Beshalma in May 1991. After graduation, he worked as a sculpture teacher at the Comrat Children's Art School. In 1992, he was appointed director of the Beshalma Historical and Ethnographic Museum, where he worked until 1997. In 2000, he moved to the Republic of Turkey. In 2003, he began teaching sculpture and drawing at Dumlupınar University (Kütahya). In 2009, he was accepted into the "Global Union of Scientists for Peace" and became a lecturer at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Gazi University (Ankara). In 2016, he received the degree of Doctor of Fine Arts (Sanatta Yeterlik). In 2018, he was transferred to Hacı Bayram Veli University (Ankara).

In Turkey, A. D. Karachoban has established 7 monuments, and in the Republic of Moldova, 9 monuments in Gagauzia. His total experience in visual arts and sculpture exceeds 40 years. He has created more than 100 sculptures and monuments and has drawn over 2,500 sketches. His drawings were used to illustrate the collection of plays by D. Kara Choban "Nüanslar" (1992), and the novel by M. Merjanki "Kadem kaynaa" (2008). The artist's works are held in private collections and state institutions in countries such as Canada, the USA, Turkey, Germany, Greece, Russia, and others, as well as in museums of the Republic of Moldova, including in Gagauzia.

In 2004, he was awarded the medal for the 10th anniversary of the Gagauz Republic, and in 2025, he will receive the medal for the 35th anniversary of Gagauz autonomy. In recent years, he has created a series of portraits of employees of the National Gagauz Historical and Ethnographic Museum named after D. N. Kara Choban, professors of Comrat State University, and residents of his native village.

We sincerely thank Afanasiy Dmitriyevich for the interesting meeting and wish him good health and continued success in his creative endeavors!