Online post “The Great People-The Great Abay”

Abai Kunanbayev is a Kazakh poet, philosopher, musician, national educator, public figure, founder of Kazakh written literature and its first classic, cultural reformer in the spirit of rapprochement with European culture based on the culture of enlightened Islam. The great poet was born on August 10, 1845 at the foot of the Chingiztau mountains in the Abai region. His real name is Ibrahim, but the affectionate nickname Abai, given by grandmother Zera, stuck with him for life. Translated from Kazakh, Abai means “prudent“, “thoughtful“. Abai‘s legacy is an invaluable treasure. The poet wrote about 170 works and made more than 50 translations. Thanks to Abai‘s work, the Kazakh versification has been enriched with new sizes and rhymes. He introduced new poetic forms: eight-line, six-line. Abai‘s works are relevant in modern times. He sought to instill new values that would radically change the thinking of the entire nation. In 2020, on the eve of the 175th anniversary of the great thinker, a new holiday was approved in Kazakhstan – Abai Day. By the end of his five-year studies, Abai began writing poetry, attributing their authorship to another. From the age of 13, his father begins to teach Abai to the post of head of the family. He had to delve into inter-family lawsuits, quarrels, intrigues. Gradually, the poet became disillusioned, and at the age of 28, Abai retired from administrative activities. It was only by the age of 40 that he realized his vocation as a poet. For the first time, he acknowledged his authorship under the poem “Summer“. Abai created about 170 poems and 56 translations, wrote poems, “Words of edification“ (“Kara Sozder“). In addition to poetry, Abai was fond of music and wrote compositions for his own poems. He has created about two dozen melodies that are popular nowadays. Abai Kunanbayev set some of his poems to music, and the song to his poems is “Kozimnin karasy“ (“You are the pupil of my eyes“) It became popular. After burying Magash‘s son, Abai fell ill himself. 40 days after the departure of the youngest son, on July 6, 1904, the great poet and thinker also died. At first, they wanted to bury his body in the village of Akshoky, where Kunanbai‘s father, sons Abish and Magash were buried, but in the end they buried him in Zhidebai. Now Abai‘s Mausoleum is located there, where Kunanbayev‘s brother Ospan, nephew Shakarim and the latter‘s son Akhat also found their last refuge.