Abay Kunanbaev who will celebrate 175 years this year

Abay (Ibrahim) Kunanbayev is a famous Kazakh poet, philosopher, composer, educator, thinker, public figure, founder of the Kazakh written literature and its first classic.Abai Kunanbayev (29.07.1845 — 23.06.1904) was born in Chingis mountains of Semipalatinsk region. He received home education at the Mullah, then was sent to the madrasah. While studying in madrasah, he attended a Russian school in parallel. He was fluent in Arabic, Persian and other Oriental languages. He read in the original works of the classics of the East - Navoi, Firdousi, Nizami.  He believed that first and foremost education and science, are able to change the existing system. Abay's literary and aesthetic heritage is the national pride of the Kazakh people. The city, streets, theaters, libraries and other objects on the territory of Kazakhstan are named in honor of Abay. The Kazakh state academic Opera and ballet theatre, the Kazakh national pedagogical University in Almaty, the Central avenues of the cities of Kazakhstan, the peak in the spur of the ridge or Alatau are named after Abay. On the square of Abay in Almaty there is a monument to the great poet.

                     Spring

Spring came and melted the snow and ice.
The earth was covered in soft velvet.
Freed from winter's hibernation and heartache
all that lives dings with its heart to warmth and light.

The birds fly in and spring entered the blossoming garden,
and the youths made a racket like fledglings.
The old men rose again as from the grave
and are honestly happy to meet again their friends.

The families hurry to their kinsmen in the nearby aul:
embraces, exclamations—a happy commotion.
Young laughter is carried on the air in triumph.
The people have shaken off the winter worries.

Sharp cries come from the she-camels and the lambs.

Mukanova S.B.