Mukhtar Omarkhanuli Auezov (, Мұхтар Омарханұлы Әуезов, مۇحتار ومارحانۇلى اۋەزوۆ, ; , ''Mukhtar Omarkhanovich Auezov;'' 28 September 1897 – 27 June 1961) was a Kazakh writer, a social activist, a Doctor of

Philology Philology () is the study of language in Oral tradition, oral and writing, written historical sources. It is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics with strong ties to etymology. Philology is also de ...

, and an honored academician of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

(1946). Auezov's writings were influenced by the Kazakh poet

Abai Qunanbaiuly Abai Qūnanbaiūly () was a Kazakh poet, composer and Hanafi Maturidi theologian philosopher. He was also a cultural reformer toward European and Russian cultures on the basis of enlightened Islam. Early life and education Abai was born in K ...

. Mukhtar's father and grandfather Omarkhan Auez both highly revered the poet, who was a neighbour and a friend of the Auezov family. His grandfather was a storyteller of folk tales, and taught his grandson to read and write.

Biography

Auezov was born in a nomadic

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

family from an area known today as Abay District, in East Kazakhstan Province. His grandfather taught him how to read and write, using both the

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

and

Cyrillic The Cyrillic script ( ) is a writing system used for various languages across Eurasia. It is the designated national script in various Slavic, Turkic, Mongolic, Uralic, Caucasian and Iranic-speaking countries in Southeastern Europe, Ea ...

script for the

Kazakh language Kazakh is a Turkic language of the Kipchak branch spoken in Central Asia by Kazakhs. It is closely related to Nogai, Kyrgyz and Karakalpak. It is the official language of Kazakhstan, and has official status in the Altai Republic of Russia ...

. Auezov was educated at the

Semipalatinsk Semey (; , formerly known as Semipalatinsk ( ) until 2007 and as Alash-Qala ( ) from 1917 to 1920, is a city in eastern Kazakhstan, in the Kazakh part of Siberia. When Abai Region was created in 2022, Semey became its administrative centre. I ...

Teacher's Seminary and

Leningrad State University Saint Petersburg State University (SPBGU; ) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the Great, the university from the be ...

. Auezov is best known for the plays he wrote. The first play he authored was ''Enlik-Kebek'', a story of two young lovers that resembles the story of

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

. He authored more than twenty plays that dealt with the issues relevant to

Socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

in Kazakhstan. After writing plays, Auezov changed his focus to writing novels. Two novels – '' Abay'' and ''The Path of Abay'' – dealing with the life of Kazakh poet Abai Qunanbaiuly were the product of the last twenty years of his life. Auezov's other projects included drawing and translating literature into the

. Some translations made by him include

Nikolai Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; ; (; () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright of Ukrainian origin. Gogol used the Grotesque#In literature, grotesque in his writings, for example, in his works "The Nose (Gogol short story), ...

's ''

The Government Inspector ''The Government Inspector'', also known as ''The Inspector General'' (, literally: "Inspector"), is a satirical play by Russian dramatist and novelist Nikolai Gogol. Originally published in 1836, the play was revised for an 1842 edition. Base ...

'' and

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's ''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...

''. Mukhtar first studied in Kaskabulak, then later a Muslim

madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes Romanization of Arabic, romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any Educational institution, type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whet ...

. At age of eleven, he moved to a nearby, five-year grammar school. His father Omarkhan died in 1900, and his mother Nurzhamal in 1912. The young Mukhtar was raised by his uncle Kasymbek and his grandfather Auez and grandmother Dinas. In 1907, after a year of study in the

, he was sent to the large Russian school in

. Mukhtar Auezov attended the Semipalatinsk Pedagogical

Seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...

after graduating from the City College. In the 1912–1913 academic year, Mukhtar finished the first seminary class with an award and went on to complete his studies at the Semipalatinsk Seminary in 1919. Around this time he began his acquaintance with Russian and other foreign classics of literature. At the same time, Auezov wrote short stories, poems and articles that began to be published. "The young Auezov, according to the testimonies of the pedagogues, was marked for his impeccable attention, extraordinary gifts, slim build and aristocratic self-belief. He was an extraordinary sportsman and represented "Yarysh F C", which at the time was the best football team in the city." Mukhtar Auezov joined the faculty of a large state school, and he also worked holding various positions in the local government in Semipalatinsk with the Kazakh Central Executive Committee and in

Orenburg Orenburg (, ), formerly known as Chkalov (1938–1957), is the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies in Eastern Europe, along the banks of the Ural River, being approximately southeast of Moscow. Orenburg is close to the ...

. In the summer of 1917, Auezov married a 15-year-old girl named Raihan. They had a daughter together in 1918 who they named Mugamilya (she lived until 2009), and a year later, in 1919, a son (who died in infancy). They got divorced in 1920. In 1928 Mukhtar Auezov graduated from the Philological Faculty of Leningrad State University and completed his PhD at the University of

Tashkent Tashkent (), also known as Toshkent, is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uzbekistan, largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of more than 3 million people as of April 1, 2024. I ...

. During the 1930s, his endeavors as a professional writer began to take off. Mukhtar Auezov died during an operation in Moscow on 27 June 1961. He was buried in the Central Cemetery,

Almaty Almaty, formerly Alma-Ata, is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area. Located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains ...

. On his grave there stands a bust created by Yevgeny Vuchetich. After his death in 1961, the Government of the Republic

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

decided to perpetuate the name of the writer. The Institute of Literature and Art of the Academy of Sciences was renamed as the Auezov Institute of Literature and Art of the Academy of Sciences. The Kazakh State Academic Drama Theatre, the Auezov Home Museum, a school, a street and an urban area in

also bear his name. Also the M. O. Auezov South Kazakhstan State University in

Shymkent Shymkent (, ; ) is a city in southern Kazakhstan, located near the border with Uzbekistan. It holds the status of a city of republican significance, one of only three cities in Kazakhstan with this distinction, alongside Almaty and Astana. As of ...

was named after him. On 21 July 2022,

President of Kazakhstan The president of Kazakhstan, officially the president of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the executive head of state of the Kazakhstan and the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. As the highest-ranking official ...

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev (born 17 May 1953) is a Kazakhstani politician and diplomat who has served as the second president of Kazakhstan since 2019. He previously served as Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 ...

unveiled a bust of Mukhtar Auezov in

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...

. A selection of his stories were translated by Simon Hollingsworth and Simon Geoghegan and collected in ''Beauty in Mourning and Other Stories'', published by Qazaq Pen Club.

Writings

Auezov wrote numerous essays, short stories, and plays (many translated into other languages) in different genres. In 1917, while he was studying at the seminary, he wrote "Enilik-Kebek" (a play based on folk legends). The "Enilik-Kebek" play and the story "Korgansyzdyn Kuni", which was written in 1921 demonstrated to the world his great talent as a writer. From 1923 he began to devote all his energy to the literary arts and to work productively. In the period 1923–1926 he authored stories such as "Okygan azamat", "Kyr suretteri", "Uilenu", "Eskilik kolenkesinde", "Kinamshil boizhetken", "Karaly sulu". During the period 1923–1928 years he studied and then graduated from

Leningrad University Saint Petersburg State University (SPBGU; ) is a public university, public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the Great, the uni ...

in the Faculty of Language and Literature. During the last two years of his studies in

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

, he wrote two highly acclaimed novels: "Karash-karash" and "Kokserek". Auezov began working in depth with themes of Kazakh history. His fixation with history is demonstrated in his works "Enilik-Kebek", "Khan Kene", "Kily zmaan", "Aiman – Sholpan", and "Karakypshak Kobylandy." For 20 years he devoted himself to prose and plays, which have become classics of Kazakh literature. In the thirties, he wrote a series of stories, such as: "Kasennin kubylystary", "Izder", "Shatkalan", "Kum men Askar", "Burtkiwi", and plays like" Aiman-Sholpan", "Tas tilek", "Shekarada", "Tungi saryn". In 1936 he published a piece of prose called "Tatiananyn kyrdagy ani" in the Kazakh press "Kazak adebieti", that was a section from the future novel of the same name. Some years after that(around 1940), with the cooperation of Leonid Sobolev, he wrote the "Abai"

tragedy A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a tragic hero, main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsi ...

. The great scientist and teacher, Auezov, worked on the history of Kazakhs literature, and the training of personnel. He was the founder of the Abai studies and the principal author and editor of the multivolume "Kazak adebiet Tarihy". He also wrote a monograph on the Kyrgyz epic Manas. After the Abai Joly epic, he began writing a new, large-scale epic that described a new era in the future. His first book of that period is called "Osken orken" and was first published posthumously in 1962. A period of blooming of Kazakh drama is associated with the works of Auezov. He wrote over twenty plays and translated such classic works of world and Russian drama as '' The Inspector'' by

Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; ; (; () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright of Ukrainian origin. Gogol used the grotesque in his writings, for example, in his works " The Nose", " Viy", "The Overcoat", and " Nevsky Prosp ...

, ''

Othello ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'', often shortened to ''Othello'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulat ...

'' and ''

'' by

, Aristocrats by Nikolai Pogodin, Spring Love by Konstantin Trenyov, and Officer of the Navy by A. Kron. In 1960, together with a group of Soviet writers, he visited the United States. In the summer of 1960, he started work on the series of essays named "The American Impressions". From mid-summer 1960, he began work on the novel named "The Young Tribe". In March 1961, Auezov embarked on a visit to India that included participation in the work of the III International Congress for Peace in Delhi together with a delegation headed by

Nikolai Tikhonov Nikolai Aleksandrovich Tikhonov ( – 1 June 1997) was a Soviet Russian-Ukrainian statesman during the Cold War. He served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 1980 to 1985, and as a First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers, ...

. In June of that same year, he planned to visit England, the land of Shakespeare, but his untimely death meant that his wish to travel to England did not occur. On 3 June 1961, he traveled to Moscow for medical tests. On 27 June 1961 – his heart failed during a

surgical operation Surgery is a medical specialty that uses manual and instrumental techniques to diagnose or treat pathological conditions (e.g., trauma, disease, injury, malignancy), to alter bodily functions (e.g., malabsorption created by bariatric surgery ...

"Abai Zholy" (The path of Abai)

In his formative years, Mukhtar listened to the memories of his grandfather that told of Abai and Kunanbay. The destiny of Mukhtar Auezov was linked by many threads to the life of Abai the hero great inspiration of his life. Abai himself graced family celebrations, arranged for Auez to mark the birth of his grandson. Nurganym, one of the wives of Kunanbai father of Abai, was the sister of Auez. Mukhtar later became friends with the son of Abai Turagulom and married Camille, granddaughter of the great poet, that is the daughter of Magauov. Auezov met Dilda, the first wife of Abai with whom he received a great deal of information. More information about Abai was forthcoming from Eigerim another of Abai's life partners who survived her husband for more than a decade. Mukhtar Omarhanuly for 15 years wrote his famous four-volume epic historical novel called "Abai Joly". It was translated into Russian. In 1949 two books of the novel "Abai" received the first level award of the

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until it dissolved in 1991. During its existence, it was the largest country by are ...

. This epic, which ended with four books, was awarded the

Lenin Prize The Lenin Prize (, ) was one of the most prestigious awards of the Soviet Union for accomplishments relating to science, literature, arts, architecture, and technology. It was originally created on June 23, 1925, and awarded until 1934. During ...

. was translated into 30 languages, and received rave reviews from readers all over the world. "Abai Zholy" is one of the most popular and valuable novels written by Mukhtar Auezov. The first book of the series was published in 1942 and after five years in 1947 "Abai", the second of the series was published, then came the third book in 1952 called "Abai aga" (Brother Abai). Finally, the fourth book was released in 1956. Later all of the books were repackaged and renamed as "Abai zholy" (The Path of Abai). The first book and second books each have 7 chapters and one epilogue. The third book has 6 chapters as has the Fourth and one epilogue entire epic is divided into 20 short chapters each of which includes uniquely interesting situations. Each chapter's name precisely demonstrates the psychological state of the events within the story. If we compare there is much more drama,

, sadness and sorrow than positive and happy moments. In the first book we can clearly see how the young and inexperienced boy grows up and at the end of the fourth book we see how he became an adult and changed and who ultimately fails. Mukhtar Auezov wrote the libretto of the opera '' Abai''.

Filmography

* "Raihan" – 1940, Film of 8 parts. Studio, "Thumbnail". Screenplay: M. Auezov; Director: M.Levin.; Operator: H.Nazaryants Cast: E.Omirzakov, D.Bokeeva, S.Kozhamkulov. * "Abai әnderі" – 1945. Film in 10 parts. Studio " Kazakhfilm". Screenplay: M.Auezov, G. Roshal.; Director: G.Roshal; Operator: G.Pyshkova; Artist: K.Hodzhikov; Cast: K.Kuanyshpaev, K.Badyrov, Sh.Aymanov, S.Kozhamkulov. * "Shyndagy Shynar" – 1966. Film in 10 parts. Studio "Kazakhfilm". Screenplay: K.Muhamedzhanov; Director: S.Hodzhikov; Operator: A.Ashrapov; Cast: S.Panov, G.Adilova, N.Zhanturin, Y.Nogaybaev. * "Caras-Caras" – 1969. Studio "Kazakhfilm" zhane "Kyrғyzfilm". Screenplay: Akim Tarazi; Director: B.Shamshiev; Cast: S.Chokmorov, S.Zhumadylov, M.Ryskulov, B.Kydykeeva * "Kokserek" – 1973. Studio "Kazakhfilm". Screenplay: A.Mihalkov-Konchalovsky, E.Tropinin; Director: T.Okeev; Operator: K.Kydyraliev ;Cast: S.Chokmorov, K.Ualiev, K. Sataev * "Caral sulu" – 1982.Studio "Kazakhfilm". Writer, director: E.Shynarbaev; Cast: N.Arynbasarova, N.Zhanturin * "Abai" 1995. Studio "Kazakhfilm". Screenplay: A.Amirkulov, L.Ahynzhanova, A.Baranov, S.Aprymov; Director: A.Amirkulov.; Operator: A. Suleev. Composer: Kuat Shildebaev; Cast: G.Turykbaev, T.Zhamankulov, B.Rimova, F.Zhantileuova

Studies of his writings

In Russian and Kazakh, here have been a number of books and articles about his writings. There are now works written in English, also. *Abdurakhmanova, A. "SCIENTIFIC WRITER-MUKHTAR AUEZOV." ''Science and Innovation'' 1, no. 3 (2022): 772-774. *Alina, A. D. "“National idea” in the short stories of Mukhtar Auezov and Kim Dong-in: cognitive perception and narrative analysis." ''Вестник КазНУ. Серия Востоковедения'' 90, no. 3 (2019). *DILNOZA, KHILKEYEVA. "SOCIAL THEMES IN THE PROSE OF MUKHTAR AUEZOV. ''Proceedings of the 1st International Scientific Conference «Research Retrieval and Academic Letters»(January 26–27, 2023).'' Warsaw, Poland, 2023. 317p, p. 184-187. University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 2023. *Kenzhebekova, Gulnaz, Baktiyar Smanov, Nurgul Tutinova, Orhan Soylemez, and Gulzhan Tulekova. "Religious Worldview in the Works of Auezov." ''The International Journal of Literary Humanities'' 22, no. 1 (2023): 35ff *Mashakova, A. "CREATIVITY OF MUKHTAR AUEZOV IN CHINESE LITERARY STUDIES." Annali d’Italia 23 (2021): 30-31. *Mashakova, A. "RECEPTION OF MUKHTAR AUEZOV'S CREATIVITY IN EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES." ''Sciences of Europe'' 88-2 (2022): 56-58. *Mashakova, A. "RESEARCH WORKS ON MUKHTAR AUEZOV'S CREATIVITY IN TURKEY." ''The Scientific Heritage'' 74-3 (2021): 41-44. *Mashakova, A. K. "PERCEPTION OF LITERARY HERITAGE OF MUKHTAR AUEZOV IN GERMANY." ''Deutsche Internationale Zeitschrift für zeitgenössische Wissenschaft'' 16 (2021): 46-48. *McGuire, Gabriel. "Aqyn agha? Abai Zholy as socialist realism and as literary history." ''Journal of Eurasian Studies'' 9, no. 1 (2018): 2-11. *Nurgali, Kadisha R., Shynar B. Suleimenova, and Yuliya V. Bogdanova. "Conflict and ways of individualising mass images in early Kazakh prose." ''Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies'' 17, no. 3 (2021): 1277-1289. *Omarova, A., A. Kaztuganova, A. Sultanova, S. Tatkenova, and Z. Kdyrniyazova. "MO Auezov and musical art of Kazakhstan in the coordinates of the global world." ''Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities'' 12, no. 5 (2020): 1-14. *Pirali, Gulzia and Aizhan Kurmanbayeva. 2023. “Story of the Use and Study of Kazakh

Proverbs A proverb (from ) or an adage is a simple, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and are an example of formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbial ...

in the Soviet Period: The Use of Proverbs in the Works of the Writer M. Auezov.” In ''Contemporary Kazakh Proverb Research'', ed. by Gulnara Omarbekova and Erik Aasland, pp. 75-8

Awards

*1945 – Medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" *1948 –The Medal "In Memory of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow" *1949 –

Order of the Badge of Honour The Order of the Badge of Honour () was a civilian award of the Soviet Union. It was established on 25 November 1935, and was conferred on citizens of the USSR for outstanding achievements in sports, production, scientific research and socia ...

*1955, 1959 – deputy of the

Supreme Soviet The Supreme Soviet () was the common name for the legislative bodies (parliaments) of the Soviet socialist republics (SSR) in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). These soviets were modeled after the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, establ ...

of the

Kazakh SSR The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Kazakhstan, the Kazakh SSR, KSSR, or simply Kazakhstan, was one of the transcontinental constituent republics of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1936 to 1991. Located in northern Centr ...

*1957 – The title "The Honored Figure of Science of the

" *1959 – The

for the novel-dialogue ''The Way of Abai''.

Diplomas and certificates

*1946 – The Diploma of Doctor of Science (the scientific degree of doctor of science (philology) *1946 – The Certificate of Professor (Professor at the Chair of "Kazakh literature") *1946 – The Member of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR. *1953 – The Certificate of Professor of the Moscow State University after M.V.Lomonosov.Mukhtar Auezov Fund. Diplomas

References

External links

Almaty Expatriate Site Biography of AuezovSite Biography of Auezov
{{DEFAULTSORT:Auezov, Mukhtar 1897 births 1961 deaths People from Abay District, East Kazakhstan People from Semipalatinsk Oblast Recipients of the Stalin Prize Recipients of the Lenin Prize Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Kazakh-language writers Opera librettists Kazakhstani male writers Kazakhstani dramatists and playwrights Kazakhstani short story writers Soviet male writers Male dramatists and playwrights Male short story writers Soviet dramatists and playwrights Soviet short story writers Kazakhstani novelists Soviet novelists Male novelists Muslims from the Russian Empire