biography of abai kunanbaev

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Biography of Abai Kunanbayev

Abai's philosophy and contributions.

Abai Kunanbayev was a Kazakh poet, philosopher, composer, enlightener, thinker, and public figure. He is known as a great poet, writer, and reformer of Kazakh literature. Abai was born on August 10, 1845, in the Chingiz Mountains of the Semipalatinsk region. He was the son of one of the four wives of Kunanbay, the elder sultan of the Karkaralinsk district. Abai came from an aristocratic family, and his grandfather and great-grandfather were rulers and biys in their tribe.

Abai was fortunate to have a loving and nurturing family. His mother, Ulzhan, and grandmother, Zere, were incredibly charming and talented individuals. It was his mother who gave him the nickname "Abai," meaning "cautious, thoughtful," instead of the name given by his father, "Ibrahim." This name stuck with him throughout his life and became his legacy.

Abai's exposure to oral poetry and home education began in his early childhood and continued in the madrasah of Imam Ahmed-Riza. He also attended a Russian school and started writing poetry by the end of his five years of education. At the age of 13, Abai started assisting his father in administrative duties as the head of the tribe. However, he gradually became disillusioned with administrative and political activities, leading him to completely dedicate himself to self-education at the age of 28.

It was not until he turned 40 that Abai realized his calling as a poet and a citizen. He put his name under his poem "Summer" (previously he attributed his works to his friend Jantasov Kokpai). His interaction with Russian exiles, such as E.P. Mikhailis, N. Dolgopolov, and S. Gross, played a significant role in unlocking his potential. Abai's turn towards Russian culture, which had undergone a period of "storms and pressure" in the 19th century, was natural because poetic language was highly valued in Eastern tradition. Abai was deeply moved by the poetry of Pushkin, Lermontov, Goethe, and Byron. He skillfully translated their works into Kazakh, capturing the spirit of the original poems and adapting them to the worldview of his compatriots.

For 20 years, Abai's genius flourished in various fields. He gained tremendous authority and unprecedented popularity in the steppe. Akyns, singers, composers, and talented young people flocked to him, and he became the center of a social, philosophical, and literary school. However, as a powerful thinker, Abai also faced intense envy and hostility, manifested in various destructive forms. The final blows of fate were associated with the deaths of Abdrakhman and Magavi. He rejected medical treatment and willingly sentenced himself to death. He was buried near his winter quarters in the Zhidebai Valley, near the Chingiz Mountains, at the age of 60.

Abai's works, particularly his collection of "Words of Wisdom," played a significant role in transforming the culture of his people. He introduced a stream of new ideas, forms, and stories from various cultures and traditions, integrating Kazakh culture into the world of classical civilizations and enriching their spiritual experiences. He drew inspiration from Arab culture, particularly the Quran and One Thousand and One Nights, as well as Hellenistic traditions from Aristotle and Alexander the Great. The millennia-old Persian culture and literature, deeply rooted in Abai's family tradition, also influenced his artistic development.

Abai's immersion in Russian culture, which underwent its own period of "storms and pressure" in the 19th century, was a natural consequence of his poetic sensibility. He found resonance in the works of Russian poets and authors such as Pushkin, Lermontov, and Gogol. In his translations, Abai captured the essence of their verses and adapted them to the sensibilities of his fellow countrymen.

Abai's contribution to Kazakh culture cannot be underestimated. He revolutionized the Kazakh literary tradition, introducing new genres, styles, and themes. His works resonated deeply with the people, inspiring a new generation of talented writers and thinkers. Abai believed that education, the mastery of languages, and the development of individual talents were essential for the progress of society. He emphasized the importance of moral example and advocated for the preservation and development of the Kazakh language, while also promoting the study of other languages and cultures.

Despite facing numerous obstacles and enemies, Abai's words and ideas continue to resonate with Kazakh people. His works have become an integral part of Kazakh national consciousness, inspiring generations of poets, writers, and intellectuals. Abai's legacy is a testament to the power of literature and the enduring impact of a great thinker and poet on a nation's cultural development.

© BIOGRAPHS

• Publications

Abai: A Poet for All Seasons

• Abai Peter Rollberg Publication

Abai Kunanbaev, the great thinker, enlightener, poet, and composer of the Kazakh people, was born on August 10, 1845 in the Genghis mountains of the Semipalatinsk region 1 . His father, Kunanbai Uskenbaev, was a highly influential elder of the Tobykty Clan, part of the Middle Juz. Abai was educated at home by a mullah, later in the Semipalatinsk madrasah (medrese), and in a Russian school. He studied the Holy Koran, foreign languages, including Arab and Farsi, and read the works of Eastern poets and scientists such as Firdousi, Navoi, and Avicenna. Although a deeply religious man, Abai has also been praised as Kazakhstan’s supreme enlightener.

Abai’s father had high hopes for his son, expecting that one day, he would be his loyal aide in all legal matters relating to other clans, which were often fraught with conflict. To some extent, Abai justified these hopes – he became one of the most famous law experts of his time. However, he was also influenced by classical humanistic ideas and suffered from the unforgiving cruelty of his environment caused by Russian colonial rule and native patriarchal tradition. Among Abai’s Russian acquaintances were several exiled intellectuals whose liberal ideas influenced him. Abai viewed it as his mission to acquaint Kazakhs with the accomplishments of world literature. He rendered some of the best translations of the works of Pushkin, Lermontov, and Krylov, as well as Byron, Goethe, and Heine into the Kazakh language. Another major influence on Abai’s thinking were classical philosophers – Socrates, Plato, Aristotle.

By the age of 35, Abai began to devote serious attention to his own poetry. His poems quickly gained fame throughout the steppes, being spread by word of mouth 2 . But due to Abai’s natural modesty and the questionable status of poets in society, he attributed his works to others, denying that he was the author. Only in the summer of 1886, he signed a poem (“Summer”) with his own name. Eventually, these poems made Abai hugely popular throughout the Kazakh steppes. He introduced a number of new prosodic forms into Kazakh literature, for example, the hexameter. Abai was the first to create a cycle of poems dedicated to the four seasons: “Zhaz” (“Summer”), “Kuz” (“Fall”), “Kys” (“Winter”), and “Zhazgytury” (“Spring”). He also created satirical verses mocking opportunism and kowtowing toward powerful administrators. His long narrative poems such as “Iskander” (dedicated to Alexander the Great), “Mazgud,” and The Legend of Azim,” solidified his reputation as the leading poet of the Kazakh people.

Abai’s  aul  attracted numerous akyns, but also foreigners – including Tatars and Russians – who wanted to witness Abai’s wisdom and artistry first-hand. While handwritten copies of Abai’s works were circulated among readers, it was the akyns who learned them by heart and performed them throughout the country. Abai also was a gifted composer who created tunes for his poems, which made them even more popular. As the great scholar and writer Mukhtar Auezov put it: “He carried his poetry like a burning torch through the gloom of ignorance and prejudice that enveloped the Kazakh steppes, revealing new horizons to his people and the promise of a new dawn.”

A major formative factor in Abai’s upbringing was his contentious relationship with his authoritarian father, whose plan it was to raise Abai as his successor. Kunanbai had four wives who competed against each other. But Abai’s mother, Ulzhan, and his paternal grandmother, Zere, showed Abai the possibility of a life based on values other than power: justice, truth, respect for all human beings, compassion, and mutual help. It was his mother who called him Abai, meaning “the thoughtful one”, rather than Ibrahim, his official first name. And since “thoughtful” was such a fitting description of the boy’s personality, it stuck to him forever.

Abai was a widely respected intellectual whose opinion was valued, including by the Russian administration, especially in legal conflicts. But in his life, he had to face numerous tragedies. He lost two of his sons to tuberculosis in 1895 and in 1904. Struck by grief, his own will to live waned quickly. Abai died on July 6, 1904 and was buried in Zhidebai. In the 1940s and 1950s, Kazakh writer Mukhtar Auezov turned Abai’s life into a four-volume epic, arguably the greatest achievement of Kazakh literature: The Path of Abai (Abai Zholy). Auezov created a veritable encyclopedia of Kazakh culture and customs, unparalleled in its richness and psychological depth. The Kazakh people’s multi-layered nomadic society with its complex relationships, encompassing both time-honored traditions and irrational excesses, is shown through the prism of Abai, a decent man, loyal friend, passionate lover, and deep thinker. This novel is more than a fictionalized biography: it is the portrait of a nation.

As with all great artists, Abai’s legacy has been interpreted differently in each subsequent period. Soviet specialists put the strongest emphasis on the social relevance of his work: whereas in the 1920s, the focus was more on the individualistic and spiritual aspects of his texts, in particular, the suffering of the intellectual in a world that largely disrespects education, in post-Soviet decades, the national specifics of Abai’s oeuvre became prevalent. Reading Abai’s poetic texts today, it is clear that they contain multiple elements and allow for a variety of interpretive approaches, all of which are legitimate in their own way. However, the surest method to understand Abai in a way that is true to his original intentions 3 . It is not an exaggeration to say that any exploration of Kazakhstan without an immersion in the legacy of Abai would be incomplete.

Abai used poetry to capture the atmosphere of the  aul  and the steppe during different times of the year. His cycle on the seasons is particularly remarkable as it deviates from typical perceptions of nature in other national literatures, giving Abai’s poetry an unmistakably Kazakh dimension. “Autumn” (1888), for example, emphasizes darkness and not the celebration of plentiful harvesting, whereas “Winter” reflects existential danger, conveying a unique attitude toward forces of nature that defines the life of Kazakhs for many months. In Abai’s poetic world, winter appears as a person, and it is not a friendly one:

His beetling eyebrows are knit in a frown. When he tosses his head — dismal snow starts to fall. Like a crazy old camel he acts in his rage, Rocking and shaking our yurt’s thin wall. The horses in vain try to shatter the ice — The hungry herd scarcely shuffle their feet, Greedy wolves — winter’s henchmen — have their fangs; Watch, or disaster your flocks may meet! 4

Unlike winter poems in other national literatures, Abai’s points to this season’s deadly consequences for people and animals alike: neither is it associated with the glittering beauty of fresh snow, nor the purity of the blue winter sky, nor the vastness of white fields or the joys of sleighing, skiing, and skating. Instead, Abai shows all the dangers that winter brings. Metaphors, such as wolves acting as “winter’s greedy henchmen,” point to an impending doom, a darkly existential dimension of this season in the Kazakh people’s perception. It seems safe to say that in his nature poetry, Abai is the authentic voice of his nation: he expresses the emotions that he, just like every Kazakh, experiences in his interactions with the forces of life. For the inner tension of these poems it is essential that the auctorial voice is not that of an outside observer. Rather, he and his people are one, his viewpoint is theirs.

Nature often serves as the backdrop for love and passion:

In the silent, luminous night On the water the moonbeams quiver. In the gully beyond the aul Tumultuous, roars the river. The mountains respond in a choir To the shepherd dogs hidden from view. You come in a flowery dress To your midnight rendezvous. At once both bold and meek Full of sweet girlish grace, You furtively look around, Blushes light up your face. Not venturing even to speak With a soft half-sigh, half-groan On tip-toe you rise and press Your trembling lips to my own. 5

In this poem, written in 1888, nature provides shelter, a hideout for the lovers. Human emotions live in harmony with the movements of the trees, the moon, and the river. In this and other love poems, passion is captured as an overwhelming, tormenting, but ultimately gratifying power. The erotic candor of Abai’s love poems is remarkable in itself, demonstrating how the poet fully embraces all aspects of love, including the physical.

Didacticism

In his didactic poems, Abai takes on the role of a teacher of life who explains to his listener, or reader, the rules of which principles they are to follow and which to avoid. The generalizations of these poems appear quite authoritative. However, the arguments expressed to the listener/reader are not normative in the conventional sense, verbalizing officially sanctioned rules for life. Rather, they are derived from what Abai himself learned in life, such as in the following poem written in 1889:

When your mind is as keen and as cold as ice, When hot passions burn in your petulant heart, Both fiery passion and patient thought Must be ruled by the will, lest they stray apart. (…) What use is the mind without passion and will? For a thoughtless heart even midday is dark. Be able to keep all three in accord. Let your will make your heart to your reason hark. 6

The poetic form gives these conclusions a crisp shape but also makes it more persuasive in its didactic purpose.

The Mission of Poetry

In his poetry, Abai often asks himself: why do I use the poetic form in the first place? Who is my target audience? And he answers with a stringently formulated credo:

Not for amusement do I write my verse, Nor do I stuff it full of silly words. It’s for the young I write, for those Whose hearing is acute, whose senses are alert. Men who have vision and are quick to give response Will understand the message in my verse. 7

Abai’s poem confirms his identity as a teacher of life, an identity he has acquired through many hard lessons. Being privy to hearing or reading his poetry is the right of those who are open to those lessons, to shared experiences; those who are eager for entertainment should look elsewhere.

Philosophical questions are at the center of several of Abai’s poems, addressing existential aspects of our life here on Earth and thereafter. One of these poems, written in 1895, begins with a seeming paradox: Nature may be mortal, but humans are not. For a Western reader educated in a rationalistic framework, this is a paradoxical statement, as the opposite seems to be true: human beings exist in the world for a limited time, while nature in its universality will always be there. But Abai’s worldview is rigorously anthropocentric 8 . The supremacy of humanity in the universe, the fundamental respect for human potential and accomplishments turns the relationship around: Nature is mortal, humans are immortal! Abai’s radical reversal of the conventional relationship between humanity and the universe is rarely found in Western poetry; it is hard to say whether this is a demonstration of the primacy of his religious views or whether Abai speaks strictly within a poetic paradigm. Conspicuously, his anthropocentrism has found a continuation in 20th-century Kazakh poetry, for example, in Suleimenov.

Maybe nature is mortal, but man is not. Though there is no coming back When he draws his last breath. The separation of I and Mine Only the ignorant regard as death. (…) This world and the other can’t both be loved. The divine and the earthly must be divorced. But a man’s no believer if he in his heart Loves this world all too much, and the other perforce. 9

Among the central themes in Abai’s poetry is his nation. The Kazakhs are his people, but who are they, what are their values? Whenever Abai ponders these questions, he is a stern judge; his directness in addressing national vices, as he sees them, is both awesome and terrifying.

Oh my luckless Kazakh, my unfortunate kin, An unkempt moustache hides your mouth and chin. Blood on your right cheek, fat on your left — When will the dawn of your reason begin? Your looks are not bad and your numbers are vast, Yet why do you change your favors so fast? You will never listen to sound advice, Your tongue in its rashness is unsurpassed. (…) Kinsmen for trifle each other hate. God bereft them of reason — such is their fate. No honor, no harmony, only dissent; No wonder cattle is scarcer of late. 10

The sternness and directness with which Abai chastises his nation is astonishing; it is hard to think of other poets revered by their nations who would be able to express such critical sentiments. Indeed, there is no hopeful outlook softening his message – the only way the poet can talk to his people is in uncompromising moral certitude, with a candor that is almost merciless. The fact that the Kazakh nation nonetheless loves Abai reveals a willingness to put up with harsh words as long as they are perceived as truthful.

Autobiographical Motifs

When Abai speaks about himself, his will to verbalize the experiences of his life with utmost honesty outweighs any other consideration. This is particularly true of a number of Abai’s poems that sum up the results of his life struggles, drawing a balance of what he has realized over the years. Such is the poem “It pains me now.”

It pains me now to realize that I have tinkered With nature’s gifts and lived my life in vain. I thought myself one of the rarest thinkers, But empty is my fame… Alas, I have no aim. Inconstancy and idleness are our greatest banes. We put no faith in loyalty of friends. Our warmth of feeling all too quickly wanes, We cool too soon: a trifling hurt offends. I have no one to love now, and no friend. In disillusionment I turned to writing verse. When I was sure in heart, how without end, How fascinating seemed the universe! My soul craves friendship, seeks it daily, My heart is aching for it, and while I Have never known a friend who’d not betray me, I sing a hymn to friendship for all time! 11

It is this uncompromising honesty about himself that earned Abai the right to judge his own people with unrelenting candor.

Abai harbored no illusions about humankind. He describes human behavior as dominated by greed, dishonesty, contempt for others, pride, and ignorance. But he insists that these same human beings, both as individuals and as a nation, are free to make moral choices. He knows human nature; he has observed it keenly and studied it deeply. He shares his insights, hard to accept though they may be, with those who are willing to accept harsh truths. These human beings can opt for the values that Abai holds dearly: education and knowledge, respect and decency, truth and honesty, peace and love. That is the message of Abai, Kazakhstan’s greatest thinker, an inconvenient sage. Because Abai’s poetry addresses such a wide array of themes, from nature and love to life, death, and the character flaws of the nation, it seems fair to say that Abai is a poet for all seasons. His universality, sensitivity, and truthfulness explain why Abai’s poetic legacy is alive and dear to Kazakh readers today.

• The region has been renamed Abai district, part of the Eastern Kazakhstani oblast.  ↩
• Only much later did Mursent Bekin write down Abai’s poems.  ↩
• This article deals exclusively with Abai’s poetry, not his major prose work, Words (Gaklii, 1890-1898), which will be the subject of another publication.  ↩
• Translated by Dorian Rottenberg; cf. Abai Kunanbayev, Selected Poems. Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1970, p. 58.  ↩
• Translated by Dorian Rottenberg, op. cit., p. 60.  ↩
• Translated by Dorian Rottenberg, op. cit., p. 76.  ↩
• Translated by Olga Shartse, op. cit., p. 74.  ↩
• In his opposition to a rationalist approach, he was followed by Olzhas Suleimenov’s poetic worldview: “Earth, bow down to Man [i.e., humankind]!” [Zemlia, poklonis’ cheloveku!”] (1961).  ↩
• Translated by Dorian Rottenberg, op. cit., p. 133.  ↩
• Translated by Dorian Rottenberg, op. cit., p. 32.  ↩
• Translated by Olga Shartse, op. cit., p. 44.  ↩

Life and Work of the First Kazakh Artist, Abilkhan Kasteyev

Biography of Abai

Abai was born in 1845 in Zhidebai of Semipalatinsk county (now Semipalatinsk region, since 1845), of West Siberian Governor-General (now administrative district of Abai region of the East Kazakhstan region), in the foothills of Shyngystau. His father is Kunanbai, grandfather is Oskenbai, great-grandfather – Yrgyzbai. Abai’s upbringing at a young age takes place with old grandmother Zere and with mother Ulzhan who has a softer character than his father. Abai grew up in the village until he was ten years old and studied under a local Mullah. When he was ten years old, his father brought him to Semey to study in Madrasah. Abai studied in Madrasah for three years. Reading is certainly old-fashioned; there were only lessons about religion. He was a more attentive, receptive, and diligent student compared to his peers. The children who studied with him were elder and younger than him.

He chooses great poets among the Arab, Persian and Turkish poets for reading. Also he gets acquainted with the works of great scientists of the East – Nauai, Nizami, Sagdi, Ferdowsi and others. He reads every word of their work and memorizes many poems. Then there are literary heritages such as fairy tales, legends, poems written in Arabic, Iranian, Chagatai languages. While studying for a third year in madrassa, Abai entered the “Prihodskaya school” in Semipalatinsk and began reading in Russian. But the learning will not continue here. His studies lasted only 3 months. Upon reaching the age of 13, his father took Abai from school. He accustomed his son to new responsibilities; and he saw his son as a follower in the rule of the people.

When he was thirty years old, he remembered all of his knowledge and took up for reading books in Russian. After learning a great deal of language, a variety of books are beginning to read.

After thirty years old, he remembers all his knowledge and begins to study Russian literature in depth. After a significant study of the language, he begins to read more meaningful books. Especially in order to study the books of the city library, he stays in Semipalatinsk during the winter months, and deepens his knowledge by his own efforts. At the age of 35-36 years, Abai met a young Michaelis, who was exiled from St. Petersburg in the 1870s. Due to Michaelis, he met other Democrats who had been exiled in the 1980s, among them gross, the young doctor Dolgopolov and Leontiev. Some of them went to the village of Abai to visit and became friends with Abai. Until that time Abai read everything, but then after Michaelis’s suggestion he put in a certain order and began to read according to plan fiction, criticism, philosophy, natural sciences, etc.

It should be noted that Abai broadens his horizons, worldview and honed his knowledge, of course, reading works of such prominent writers and public figures as A. S. Pushkin, M. Yu. Lermontov, L. N. Tolstoy, E. Saltykov-Shchedrin , N.A. Nekrasov, I. S. Turgenev, I. A. Krylov and directly getting acquainted with their advanced ideas. In addition, he read critical thinkers and democrats: Belinsky, Herzen, Chernyshevsky, Dobrolyubov, foreign poets: Goethe, Byron, philosophers: Spencer, Spinoza, Lewis, Darwin, Draper. In the 1860s, Abai was free to do creative work. At that time, Abai wrote his poems under other names, but only in 1886 began to write his name under the works, starting with the poem “Summer”. The poems “Summer”, “Autumn”, “Winter”, “Spring”, as well as “Jasymda Gylym bar dep eskermedіm”, “Gylym tappay maktanba”, “Internatta okyp zhur”, “Segiz ayak” are very important for understanding of social status of those times.

Due to Abai, the works of Krylov, Lermontov, Pushkin, Goethe and Byron sounded in the Kazakh language. From 1882, in 85-86, he began to translate some poems of Pushkin and Lermontov into Kazakh. Abai from 1886 to 1889 wrote a lot of works; in particular, he wrote his poems and also translated from the Russian language. It was 1889 that became the most fruitful and productive year for all of Abai’s work. The poems of that time are not just a legacy, but also love, pictures of nature, songs, music, his own sorrows and inner experiences.

Speaking about Abai’s works, we recall not only his poetry, but it is also important to mention his musical (composer’s) works, which occupy a significant place among the cultural heritage of the great thinker. Abai devoted several years of his life to writing songs. Abai wrote the 16-17 songs. Songs “Segiz ayak”, “Ayttym Salem, Kalamkas”, “Zhelsiz Tunde Zharyk AI” and others occupy a special place in the hearts of the Kazakh people. He also wrote the music for his translation of Pushkin’s letters of Tatiana and Onegin.

Since the 1890s, when Abai was engaged in teaching and mentoring, he wrote few poems, but wrote a lot of “Words of edification.” Abai was the founder of the new realistic written poetry, literature of the Kazakh people. Abai wrote 170 verses and 57 translations, poems, «Book of Words».

On June 23, 1904, Abai died in his native land. The poet was buried in Zhidebay near his wintering. To perpetuate the memory of Abai, there was awarded the State Prize of Kazakhstan in the field of literature. Many administrative districts, streets, theaters, libraries are named after Abay.

Literatures:

Abai. Encyclopedia.- Almaty: Main edition of «Kazakh encyclopedia», Atamura, 1995. – 720 p.

Akhmetov Z. Abai’s poetic world. – Almaty: Ana tili, 1995. – 272 p.

Alimkulov T. Mystery man: Literary criticism.- Almaty: Zhazushy,1993. – 221 p.

Auezov M. Abai Kunanbayev. Monographic studies and articles. – Almaty: Sanat, 1995. – 339 p.

Ashiri Akhmetzhan

• LITERARY PROCESS

Abai Qunanbaiuli

From Kazakhstan Encyclopedia

Template:Other uses Template:Infobox writer Abay (Ibrahim) Qunanbayuli ( Template:Lang-kk ) (August 10, 1845 – July 6, 1904) was a Kazakh poet, composer and philosopher. He was also a cultural reformer toward European and Russian cultures on the basis of enlightened Islam .

• 1.1 Early life and education
• 1.2 Contributions
• 4 Moscow protests in May 2012
• 5 References
• 6 External links

Early life and education

Abay was born in what is today the selo of Karauyl , in Abay District , East Kazakhstan Province ; the son of Qunanbay and Uljan, Qunanbay's second wife, they named him Ibrahim, but because of his brightness, he soon was given the nickname "Abay" (meaning "careful"), a name that stuck for the rest of his life. His father's economic status enabled the boy to attend a Russian school in his youth, but only after he had already spent some years studying at a madrasah under Mullah Ahmet Ryza. Template:Citation needed At his school in Semipalatinsk , Abay encountered the writings of Mikhail Lermontov and Alexander Pushkin .

Contributions

Abay's main contribution to Kazakh culture and folklore lies in his poetry, which expresses great nationalism and grew out of Kazakh folk culture. Before him, most Kazakh poetry was oral, echoing the nomadic habits of the people of the Kazakh steppes . During Abay's lifetime, however, a number of important socio-political and socio-economic changes occurred. Russian influence continued to grow in Kazakhstan , resulting in greater educational possibilities as well as exposure to a number of different philosophies, whether Russian, Western or Asian. Abay Qunanbayuli steeped himself in the cultural and philosophical history of these newly opened geographies. In this sense, Abay's creative poetry affected the philosophical thinking of educated Kazakhs.

The leaders of the Alash Orda movement saw him as their inspiration and spiritual predecessor.

Contemporary Kazakh images of Abay generally depict him in full traditional dress holding a dombra (the Kazakh national instrument). Today, Kazakhs revere Abay as one of the first folk heroes to enter into the national consciousness of his people. Almaty State University is named after Abay, so is one of the main avenues in the city of Almaty. There are also public schools with his name.

The Kazakh city of Abay is named after him.

Among Abay's students was his nephew, a historian, philosopher, and poet Shakarim Qudayberdiuli (1858–1931).

Statues of him have been erected in many cities of Kazakhstan, as well as in Moscow .

A film on the life of Abay was made by Kazakhfilm in 1995, titled Abai . He is also the subject of two novels and an opera by Mukhtar Auezov , another Kazakhstani writer.

Another film describing his father's life was made in December 2015, titled "Qunanbai".

Abay also translated into Kazakh the works of Russian and European authors, mostly for the first time. Translations made by him include poems by Mikhail Lermontov , Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , Lord Byron , Ivan Krylov 's Fables and Alexander Pushkin 's Eugene Onegin .

Abay's major work is The Book of Words ( Template:Lang-kz ), a philosophic treatise and collection of poems where he encourages his fellow Kazakhs to embrace education, literacy, and good moral character in order to escape poverty, enslavement and corruption. In Word Twenty Five , he discusses the importance of Russian culture, as a way for Kazakhs to be exposed to the world's cultural treasures.

Moscow protests in May 2012

Template:Main On May 9, 2012, following two days of protests in Moscow following Vladimir Putin's inauguration as President of the Russian Federation for the third term, protesters set up camp near the monument to Abai Qunanbaiuli on the Chistoprudny Boulevard in central Moscow , close to the embassy of Kazakhstan. The statue quickly became a reference point for the protest's participants. [1] OccupyAbai was among the top ranking hash-tags in Twitter for several days thanks to Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny who set up a meeting with his followers next to Abai Kunanbayev’s monument in Moscow that he called "a monument to some unknown Kazakh". This spurred a wave of indignation among ethnic Kazakhs who highly esteem Abai. This also brought Abai's poetry into the top 10 AppStore downloads. [2]

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Wikisource author Template:Commons

• Biography of Abay
• Site dedicated to Abay
• «Kara Sozder» (Book of Words) Template:Kk icon
• Poems by Abay Template:Ru icon Template:Dead link
• IMDB page for the 1995 biopic

Template:Authority control Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

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Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Institute of History and Ethnology named after Sh. Sh. Ualikhanov

Abai Kunanbauyly

Abai kunanbayuly (1845-1904).

Abai Kunanbay uulu was a well-known Kazakh poet, a great thinker, composer, philosopher, the founder of written Kazakh literature, and its first classic. The legacy he left his nation is rich in songs and poems, translations, and prose. His translations of the poetry written by Russian writers and poets such as Pushkin, Lermontov, and Krylov became the national inheritance of Kazakhstan. He translated the works of Schiller, Goethe, and Byron into the Kazakh language.  He also participated in the governing of the country and played a certain role in attempting to solve complicated problems justly. The name of Abai is known worldwide just as Shakespeare, Goethe, and Pushkin are well-known in many countries, because his great words became a spiritual patrimony of not only one nation, but of the entire humankind.

Ibrahim Abai Qunanbaaev was a Kazakh poet, composer and philosopher.  Abai was born in Karauyl village in Chingiz volost of Semipalatinsk uyezd of the Russian Empire, today it is Abai district in East Kazakhstan. He was the son of a rich and powerful Kazakh provincial prince, gave himself the pen-name Abai the Righteous.  He was sent to a Russian secondary school in Semipalatinsk. There he read the writings of Mikhail Lermontov ad Alexander Pushkin, which were influential to his own development as a writer. Further, he was fond of reading eastern poetry, including Shahname and 1000 and 1 night.

He was married against his will and had to bow to all his father’s whims. Henceforth, he vowed to dedicate all his work to the effort to liberate his nomadic people from ignorance. He took topics from his immediate environment, transformed them into poetry and put them into literary shape.

By translating them into Kazakh, Abai made important works from Russian and European literature accessible to his compatriots. He concentrated on Kazakhs’ national self-consciousness. As the best prerequisites for this he recommended education and moral integrity. His literary and philosophical masterpiece, the Book of Words, is dedicated to this theme. His work provided a powerful impulse to the development of Kazakh writing; today, Abai is honoured as the founder of Kazakh literature.

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Famous poet / 1845-1904

Kunanbaev ibragim abai.

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Book/Printed Material Verses of the Kazakh Poet Abai Ibrahim Kunanbayev.

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• Verses of the Kazakh Poet Abai Ibrahim Kunanbayev.
• Kazakhstan had a strong oral tradition in literature until the mid-19th century. Abai (Ibrahim) Kunanbayev (1845--1904) was a Kazakh poet and teacher, and the key figure in developing a new Kazakh national written literature. His father, Kunanbai Uskenbayev, was a landowner, and the family was prominent in eastern Kazakhstan. Abai studied at the madrassa led by Mullah Akhmet Riza in Semipalatinsk and also attended a Russian school. He spoke Arabic, Persian, and other Eastern languages. Abai Kunanbayev also translated into Kazakh works by major European and Russian poets, such as Goethe, Heine, Pushkin, Lermontov, and Krylov. His education enabled Abai to adapt Russian ideas and literature to Kazakh needs, contributing to the development of a secular culture. Abai Kunanbayev introduced novel themes and subjects into his poetry, and many of his verses are lyrical monologues. Themes of nature and love mix with philosophical reflections and ideas of enlightenment and humanity. Only a few of his poems were published during Abai's life. This is his first collection, Qazaq Aqyny Ibrahim Qunanbay Oghlynyng Olangy (Verses of the Kazakh poet Abai Ibrahim Kunanbayev), published in Saint Petersburg in 1909. In this example, the first few pages became so worn that handwritten text now substitutes for the perished leaves.
• Qūnanbaev, Abaĭ, 1845-1904 Author.

Created / Published

• Saint Petersburg : [publisher not identified], 1909.
• -  Kazakhstan
• -  1845 to 1904
• -  Kazakh literature
• -  Kazakh poetry
• -  Poetry
• -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
• -  Original resource at: National Library of Kazakhstan.
• -  Content in Kazakh.
• -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.
• 1 online resource.
• https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.wdl/wdl.7321

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• https://lccn.loc.gov/2021666152

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• National Library of Kazakhstan (4)
• World Digital Library - Partner Items (5,089)
• World Digital Library (19,390)
• Library of Congress Online Catalog (1,624,329)
• Book/Printed Material

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• Qūnanbaev, Aba
• 1845 to 1904
• Kazakh Literature
• Kazakh Poetry

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The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

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Chicago citation style:

Qūnanbaev, Abaĭ, Author. Verses of the Kazakh Poet Abai Ibrahim Kunanbayev . [Saint Petersburg: publisher not identified, 1909] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666152/.

APA citation style:

Qūnanbaev, A. (1909) Verses of the Kazakh Poet Abai Ibrahim Kunanbayev . [Saint Petersburg: publisher not identified] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666152/.

MLA citation style:

Qūnanbaev, Abaĭ, Author. Verses of the Kazakh Poet Abai Ibrahim Kunanbayev . [Saint Petersburg: publisher not identified, 1909] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021666152/>.

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Abai Kunanbaev: poems, quotes, biography

The great thinker, great poet, and consummate fighter for the prosperity of the Kazakh people, Abai Kunanbaev, became the founder of Kazakhstan's classic literature. The creative heritage of the writer became the spiritual heritage of the nation and enriched the culture of the Kazakh people.

Abay Kunanbaev: literary heritage

Abai's poems were written over a century and a half ago, but remain relevant in today's world. The works of the great classical have been recognized in different parts of the world and have been translated into many languages. Learn about the literary activity of the first classic of Kazakhstan, read the aphorisms and statements of the outstanding Kazakh. Photo: ru.wikipedia.org Abay Kunanbayev: Literary Legacy The Kazakh classical began his literary activities as a teenager. His first poems were written when he was 12, but few of his early works have reached his contemporaries. From the age of 28, the poet thoroughly studied the poetic creativity of Eastern nations and Russian classical literature.

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He was the first to translate into Kazakh the works of the genius poets and writers Krylov, Schiller, Pushkin, Byron, Mickevich, Geine, Lermontov, and Goethe. Thanks to the works of an outstanding person, Kazakh people got acquainted with the world's classical literature for the first time. During his creative activity, Abai Kunanbayev left a vast literary legacy to the world community. It included poems, conversations with readers, poems in which the author praised the beauty of native nature, wisdom, and diligence of the Kazakhs.

Abay Kunanbaev, whose poems are imbued with love for the homeland, realistically described the way of life of the nomadic Auls, condemned the imperial usurpers and village governors, convinced the people of the need for enlightenment, and called for a fight against social evils. Abai presented the most typical portraits of his contemporaries in his works "Kulembaya," "Kozheqbay," and many others.

Ideologically and thematically, the literary heritage of the prominent Kazakh is diverse. For example, in the poems, The Tale of Azim, Masgoode, the author reveals to the reader his own ideals, the central idea of which is to celebrate labor, social and moral justice, humanity, reason, and service to the people.

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In his poem "Iskander," the poet expresses his attitude toward the historical figure Alexander the Great. In the work the author condemns the conqueror's greed, setting him against the eminent philosopher Aristotle. In "Gacclia," the poet acts as a demanding mentor and thoughtful thinker. In wise aphorisms, the author presents to the reader issues of culture, morality, history, pedagogy, labor, and the community of nations.

Abai's writings were widely known even before they were published. His poems and poems were delivered word of mouth. Kunanbayev's aesthetic innovations had a huge impact on contemporary Kazakh literature. The way of life and creativity were covered by such artists as:

• writer Mukhtar Auezov (novel trilogy "Abay");
• director Georgy Roshal (film "Songs of Abay");
• and director Kurmanbek Jandarbekov (opera "Abai").

Abay's innovative literary achievements had a huge influence on the works of national Akyn's and figures of Kazakh literature.

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The main work of the writer was an epic philosophical work, The Words of Edification , which includes philosophical treatises and short proverbs. The prose poem raises questions of Kazakh worldview, morality, law, and national education. Abay Kunanbayev, whose biography is full of persecution, never lost faith in the strength of the Kazakh people.

Abai masterfully implemented the fresh ideas in his works in innovative literary forms. The author actively used the richness of national oral poetry and the Kazakh language. He introduced innovative poetic genres into literature, employed previously unknown techniques and forms.

In addition to his literary work, Abai Kunanbayev wrote music. More than 20 tunes were widely used by Soviet composers (Ahmet Zhubanov, Latif Khamidi, and Evgeny Brusilovsky) in creating the Abay opera and many symphonic poems. Tatiana's letter to Onegin accompanied by his tune has been adorning the song repertoire of the people of Kazakhstan for more than 100 years.

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Abai Kunanbaev: statements and aphorisms

In his works, the author touched upon various aspects of human life. In short and concise statements, there is the great wisdom of an unsurpassed thinker. Here's what the writer said about a person's inner condition and their life priorities, goals, aspirations, and relationships:

He who shouts in anger is harmless. Fear the one who is silent in anger.

Modesty, which derives from weakness, is not dignity.

The man who memorizes the words of the wise becomes wise himself.

Human dignity is determined by the path that one takes to the end, not by whether one achieves it.

Empty youth is a disaster.

Until you have achieved happiness, your dreams are shared by all. But fate lifted you up, and your well-wisher is you .

A bad friend is like a shadow: on a sunny day, run and fail, on an overcast day, seek and fail.

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The worst person out there is one with no aspiration.

The only reason, science, will, conscience elevate man. Only a fool would think otherwise.

The lazy are always hypocritical.

Labour is a joy, laziness a cruel scourge.

Educate the Will: it is the armour that preserves the mind.

Be reasonable, fortify your spirit in the struggle, only the untalented submit to fate.

The worthy settle for a little, although he desired more.

The insignificant are dissatisfied, even when he receives too much.

Human dignity is defined by its approach, not its completion.

Who labors only for himself is like a cattle that fill his belly. Decent works for mankind.

Pray not that you are the son of your father; pride yourself on being the son of a man.

Knowing another's language and culture makes a person equal to those people.

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If I were in power, I would cut off the tongue of anyone who claims that a person is irredeemable.

The most beautiful thoughts dim after passing through the people's mouths.

The man who challenged a hundred people and misled them is infinitely inferior to the man who guided one person to the way of truth.

Laugh enthusiastically, genuinely glad when you see a person who has found a good, has done good, worthy of emulation. A good example teaches restraint, will stop in time, will not allow intoxication.

If your knowledge cannot convince you, don't think that someone else will appreciate it. If you don't value your knowledge, how can you expect others to recognize you?

By the love of God, the nations are created, and you love them like yourself. Love people as brothers, like freedom, then truth and life are for you.

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At the first meeting he shakes hands, flatters, and swans but turns away.

Exuberance reveals a vice in everything.

Laughter with frustration is not joy, but sorrow.

In that, we find the joy we will find bitterness.

It is not just adversity that fills the world, but entertainment.

A person can become good by comparing himself only to good ones.

Share secrets with those who have no friends, befriend those who have many friends. Avoid someone who is careless, be with someone who is sad.

The glory is a high rock. The snake gets to it with a creep, but the falcon reaches it with a single wingspan.

Do good to the wise, and do good to the foolish.

If you want to be rich and learn the trade. Wealth drains away with time, but skills do not.

Over the years Abay Kunanbaev's melodies, prose, and poems have not lost their beauty and relevance. His belief that only understanding and peace among peoples, cutting-edge ideas of culture, science, and education can lead the world to universal prosperity remains vitally important for all the world's peoples and each individual.

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Source: Legit.ng

Adrianna Simwa (Lifestyle writer) Adrianna Simwa is a content writer at Legit.ng where she has worked since mid-2022. She has written for many periodicals on a variety of subjects, including news, celebrities, and lifestyle, for more than three years. She has worked for The Hoth, The Standard Group and Triple P Media. Adrianna graduated from Nairobi University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 2020. In 2023, Simwa finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach her through her email: [email protected]

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Kazakh Expert: Abai Kunanbayev’s Philosophy Deserves Special Recognition As Universal School of Thought

By Aidana Yergaliyeva in Society on 2 August 2020

NUR-SULTAN – Similar to Confucianism, Kazakh poet and philosopher Abai Kunanbayev’s works should serve as the foundation of an ethical philosophy and program of social values for contemporary Kazakhs and people all over the world, said Gultas Kurmanbay, the director at Ruhani Zhangyru (Modernisation of Kazakhstan’s Identity) culture center and a Kazakh language and literature professor at Nazarbayev University, in an exclusive interview to The Astana Times.

Gultas Kurmanbai (C in grey jacket) with her students at Nazarbayev University. Photo credit: Gultas Kurmanbai archive.

“The ideas of Abai and Confucius are very similar. Confucius dreamed of making a perfect world [so did Abai]. He shared his wisdom and later countries like China, Singapore, Japan and Korea gave him nation-level status that you would accord a religion,” she said.

Kazakhstan can also concentrate on popularizing Abai and his works to enrich the social spirituality and values. Similar to Confucious, Abai also ponders the concepts of social justice, meritocracy, honesty, and a balanced life – ideas that can transcend nations and go global.

“In the contemporary world, it is wrong to consider Abai as only a Kazakh thinker or poet. Because a person who deeply researched Abai’s works can see [that Abai discusses] universal problems rather than ethnic one. Therefore, we call Abai a world phenomenon,” she said.

Gultas Kurmanbai.

Abai’s works are an inseparable part of Kazakh literature course syllabus. From primary school onwards, Kazakh students are required to memorize and analyze poems and excerpts from his Words of Wisdom. According to Kurmanbai, however, this is a failed approach when it comes to introducing Abai’s philosophy. Like any philosophical concepts – they are hard to grasp when one is forced to memorize them.

“I have personally written screenplays that explain the Words of Wisdom to my students. When they try to memorize them word by word, they will eventually forget the words. But if they try to reenact scenes and cases, they begin to remember it,” she said.

The Kazakh education system, therefore, should introduce new, more interactive ways to help young minds to connect with Abai, she said. The classrooms should initiate big discussions, encouraging self research and analysis of Abai’s biography and state of mind.

“Abai’s poems are difficult, very difficult… Instead of his poems, the [pre-school and primary school] children should start with the easy-to-read anecdotes, fairy tales, legends and lullabies that narrate his life path,” she said.

Although all of these require a great deal of work and patience “we should invest into teaching children to love Abai. If Kazakhstan wants eternal life, then Abai should be eternal,” she said.

“Then, in fifth grade they can be introduced to Mukhtar Auezov’s ‘Abai’s Way’ novel. The material should be prepared taking into account the age of a child. We don’t have that system yet. That’s why children have an incomplete understanding of him. That’s why some children throw him away claiming that they do not understand him. It is because we failed to build a foundation for them,” she added.

Some young people also perceive the great thinker of his time as a critic and a social complainer. According to Kurmanbai, this is another sign that Kazakhstan has to change its approach to teaching Abai’s works.

“Abai was highly disappointed with Kazakh society,” she said. “But he never moved to another place… Later in life he wrote his Words of Wisdom out of love for his nation and because he wanted it to be added to the world’s great civilizations. He harshly criticized [Kazakh society for them to do better]. We cannot conclude that he did not love Kazakhs from what he wrote,” she explained.

Kurmanbai suggests a new strategy to popularize Abai’s school of thought on social media, to make him relevant and exciting to young people who may not be thinking-inclined.

“Everyone should know Abai’s happiness equation in his poem ‘Senbe zhurtka (Don’t believe what people say),’” she said. “I think a person who knows the three verses of the poem will never lose themselves and will grow stronger.”

According to her, the poem talks about how to deal with phony people, defend one’s dignity, sorrow, and encourages people to always trust in themselves and their abilities.

“…The person who learns to believe and trust one’s self is the one who will truly be happy. I teach my students that. Happiness is not abstract, but consists of many small actionable details. To collect this knowledge, you should read Abai. Abai can support you in any situation,” she concluded.

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