BISHKEK, June 10 (RIA Novosti) - Chingis Aitmatov, a well-known writer in Russia and his home country of Kyrgyzstan, died on Tuesday at the age of 79 in a German hospital.
Aimatov's spokesman Alimzhan Mirzayev said: "The funeral will take place in [Kyrgyzstan's capital] Bishkek, most likely on Saturday."
A special state commission will be set up to prepare for the funeral for the national hero, and is likely to be chaired by Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.
Aitmatov was hospitalized on May 16 with lung and kidney failure after catching pneumonia. His health seriously deteriorated on Tuesday.
Aitmatov belonged to the post-war generation of Soviet writers and wrote both in Kyrgyz and Russian. His works have been translated into more than 150 languages with over 40 million copies sold worldwide. He also served as Kyrgyzstan's ambassador to European countries, NATO, and UNESCO.
