Happy Abai Day – August 10!

The common pride of the Turkic world, a great figure of the Kazakh people — Abai Kunanbayuly.

As an outstanding scholar, thinker-poet, and enlightener-mentor, he is the towering pride of our nation. Abai is a philosopher of the steppe. Abai's creative works are the priceless heritage and spiritual nourishment of our people, having taken their place among world masterpieces. Abai is the great Abai of the Kazakhs, a giant of the entire world. For the young generation, Abai's teachings and art are a precious treasure.

His precious words, masterfully composed in verse, had an enormous influence on writers and poets of many generations and became a model to follow. The rich literary heritage of the great figure of Kazakh poetry, Abai, is considered a spiritual treasure not only of one people but of all humanity. The bright image and passionate poetry of Abai live with us forever.

Abai (Ibrahim) Kunanbayev Kunanbayuly (1845-1904) was a poet, enlightener, founder of written Kazakh literature and the Kazakh literary language, composer, translator, political figure, and reformer who sought to modernize Kazakh culture through rapprochement with Russian and European culture, drawing on liberal education and Islam. In his poetic works, Abai addressed the social, public, and moral issues of the Kazakh people.