Pride of the Kazakh people

From 14 August to 30 September, an exhibition "Pride of the Kazakh people" devoted to the 115th anniversary of the Kazakh writer Mukhtar Auezov runs at the National Library of Belarus (3rd floor, circular corridor).

Mukhtar Auezov (1897–1961), a famous Kazakh writer, scientist, teacher, public figure, member of the Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, was born in the village of Chingiz-Tau (Abay District, Semipalatinsk Region) on 28 September, 1897. A great influence on his upbringing had his grandfather Auez who taught his grandson to read and write, imbued a love of poetry of the great Kazakh literature classics Abai Qunanbayuli.

The book exhibition “Pride of the Kazakh people” offers an opportunity to see about 50 publications on the life and work of M. Auezov. The exhibition consists of three main parts. The first shows the writer's work as a whole and includes the collected works in the Kazakh and Russian languages.

The second part is devoted to the height of Auezov’s literary heritage – an epic novel "The Path of Abai" that describes the life of the great poet and educator Abai Qunanbayuli (1845–1904). The whole work consists of four books. The first one tells about the poet’s youth. The second book tells about the development of social consciousness and his poetic talent. The third one shows him as an adult fighter. The theme where Abai is a philosopher and a citizen is opened in the fourth book. During the author’s lifetime writer Sobolev translated the novel into Russian. In 1945, to the centenary of the birth of the great poet A. Qunanbayuli M. Auezov wrote a libretto for an opera "Abai" and a script for a feature film Pesni Abaya (Abai’s Songs). The novel "The Path of Abai" is translated into 30 languages.

The third part of the exhibition includes journalistic works of M. Auezov, as well as publications devoted to the figure and literary heritage of the writer. After visiting America in 1961, he began to work on a series of essays (American impressions) and a novel Plemya molodoye (Young Tribe). In the summer of 1961 Auezov came to Moscow for treatment. He died during an operation on 27 June, 1961.

One of the main streets in Alma-Ata and a city in Semipalatinsk Region were named after Auezov. Members of alpine expedition named one of Tien Shan peaks after his name. In Belarus, the Minsk secondary school № 143 has the name of this Kazakh writer.

The exhibition contains many illustrations – copies of photos, articles and book covers.

Telephone numbers: (+375 17) 293 28 86, 293 29 80.