On August 10, the village of Ayet hosted events dedicated to the 180th anniversary of the birth of the great poet, thinker, and enlightener Abai Kunanbayev.
11.08.2025 09:41:07 186
At 10:00 a.m., the snow-white monument to Abai welcomed the villagers who came to pay tribute to the genius. A flower-laying ceremony was held at the monument. Words of sincere gratitude and respect for the great heritage were expressed by Olga Nurgalieva, Head of the Department of Internal Policy, and Gauhar Asanova, Head of the Central Library System of the district. The speakers noted that Abai’s 180th anniversary is not only a reason for pride, but also an invitation to a serious dialogue with his legacy. It is an opportunity to reread The Book of Words not as a historical document, but as a roadmap for self-improvement—both for the individual and for society as a whole. The path Abai began is not complete. Each new generation must walk it again, finding in his words wisdom, strength, and, most importantly, heart.
The atmosphere of the event was filled with pride for the great son of the Kazakh people and respect for the spiritual values he left to posterity.
The celebration continued at the District House of Culture. The musical and poetic event “Abai – wise, Abai – unique, always!” was opened by hosts Tanatkan Zhursin and Diana Abzhanova. They noted that by celebrating Abai Day, we honor not only the memory of one man, but also the eternal values he left to all of us. In them is embodied his entire life and his dreams of a bright future. His pen was the sword of justice; his thought, the voice of reason. Abai is a poet whose words still inspire today. His philosophy, his Kara Sozder (“Words of Edification”), are a treasure for all generations, translated into many languages. It consists of 45 brief parables on morality, law, and history.
On stage, in the image of Abai, appeared Marhabat Nokishov, an actor of the People’s Theater. He recited the First Word of Edification. The artistic director of the House of Culture, Aiman Zybaleva, spoke about the childhood years of the genius. She emphasized that to understand the essence of Abai, one must start with his name. The ocean of Abai’s wisdom is, in essence, contained within his short name—Abai. By immersing ourselves in it, we find not only beautiful poetry and culture, but also ourselves. Answers to questions not about yesterday, but about today. For a classic is a classic precisely because he is our contemporary.
A. Zybaleva continued her speech with the poem Be Discerning in Your Path. Daryga Aisagalieva tenderly and delicately performed Abai’s work Zhelsiz tünde zharik ay (“A Bright Moon on a Windless Night”).
The audience was able to touch the wisdom and spiritual heritage of the great poet through the vivid performances of the participants, filled with deep meaning and love for their native culture.
Maira Myrzagalieva spoke about the youth and mature years of Abai, as well as the Fifteenth Word of Edification. Young musicians Alibek Zharylkasynov and Aibek Baltabayev performed the well-known kyuis Tory zhorga and Kerbez sulu.
Abai Kunanbayev translated about 50 works by A.S. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, and I.A. Krylov. His poetic translations from Russian literature became a national treasure. Tatyana’s Letter from Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin was performed by Daryga Aisagalieva.
Abai often wrote about the mighty power of love and about beauty, which transforms and uplifts a person. Love in the poet’s verses is elevated and noble. One of Abai’s most famous and beloved works among the people, Ayttym Salem, Kalamkas, was performed by Talgat Shakeldikov.
Once again, Abai’s verses were heard from the stage. This time, the image of the genius—again in the performance of Marhabat Nokishov—addressed the youth with advice on what a true person should be in If You Wish to Be Human.
It has been 180 years since Abai’s birth, yet he is still with us—in our songs, in our thoughts, in our hearts. May Abai’s word lead us toward the light of knowledge, love, and harmony!
