Uyghur Literature in the Kazakh Land

Among the numerous ethnic groups inhabiting our country, the Uyghur community has an exceptionally well-developed literature. At present, newspapers, magazines, and almanacs in Uyghur language have appeared in our country, and works by Uyghur prose writers and poets can be found in bookstores.   Our Head of State said, “Representatives of many nationalities were destined to come to the Kazakh Land. We welcomed them with our traditional hospitality. They have come to be our brothers. Today, we make one multiethnic country. The globalization era is the era of multiethnic states. It is a process happening worldwide. Every community of our country has contributes to its culture.” The Uyghur community of Kazakhstan is no exception, as it has been stipulating literary progress continuously.

In 1932, Uyghur departments of the Writer’s Union of Kazakhstan were founded.  Merited Uyghur writers still belong to the Writer’s Union. Let us look at some of them.

Yussup Aysarov was born in Almaty, Uyghur District in 1927. The following fiction works in Uyghur by the writer have been published: “The Unfinished Song”, “The Warrior”, “They Met Again”, and “Twelve Years’ Fear”.

Batur Arshitdinov was born in Zharkent, Almaty Region in 1926. His first poem appeared in 1947. In 1957, his book of poems titled “The Sentiment of Youth” appeared, followed by “The Steppe” in 1967, «The Chill of Mountains” in 1971,  
“Revenge” in 1981, and “Passion”  in 1986. Besides, he is the author of the following scientific works, “The Epic Genre in Uyghur Classic Literature”,   “Uyghur Folklore”, “A Trip to the World of Epic Literature”, “Four Derbies”, “Twelve Circumlocutions” (sayings and proverbs), “Golden Catfish” (fairy tales), and “An Anthology of Uyghur Folklore”.  

Adbumazhit Dulyatov was born in Shelek District, Almaty Region in 1949. The writer’s pen produced a number of poetic books.  For instance, “I am Twenty” appeared in 1973 and was followed by “The Spring Is Back” (1976), “The Love for the Man” (1980), “Homeland Song” (1986),  “Eloquent Thoughts” (1986), and  “White Dawns” (1990).  

Abdukerim Ganiyev was born in Panfilov District, Almaty Region in 1937. His first poems appeared in Kolkhozchilar Avazi Panfilov District Newspaper with Uyghur content in 1953. Kazakh State Fiction Publishing House published his first book of poems titled “The Sentiment of Youth” in 1962. In 1966, he worked as the Chief Editor in the editorial office of the International Broadcast Studio of Kazakh Radio, and in 1974-1987, he occupied the post of Senior Editor.  Some of his works were published in Moscow, Tashkent, and Almaty, and were included in the poetic series titled “Sycamores”, “The Voice of Uyghur Poets”, and “Uyghur Poets.” He is the author of “The Way of the Seniors”, “Kazakhstan”, “Decree on Land”, “My Dreams”, “The Truth about Truth”, “A Warrior’s Soliloquy”, “One Who Thins Is Supreme to Everybody”, and “My            Sholakay”.  

Ilakhun Zhalilov was born in Ketpen, Uyghur District, Almaty Region in 1942. He began his career as a teacher; later he worked as a proofreader and correspondent for the Communism Tugi Interrepublican Newspaper and was eventually appointed head of department. In 1973, a book of poems titled “The Echo of the Sea” appeared, followed by “The Call of the Ocean” in 1978, “A Bow to Land” in 1983, “Aspiration” in 1986, and the documentary “The New Sound of Melodies” in 1990.

Iziz Izimov was born in Avat, Uyghur District, Almaty Region in 1929. He began writing poems in 1948. In 1953, many poems by him were included in Uyghur anthologies.  They were translated into Russian and Kazakh. He translated poems by A. Pushkin and N.Nekrasov, the saga “Abay’s Way” by M.Auezov, the novel “Botagoz” by S.Mukanov (in cooperation with S.Asamdinov), the novelette “Timur and His Squad” by A.Gaidar (in cooperation with S.Mansurov), and selected poems by M.Gafuri into Uyghur. In 1955, his “Song of Youth” appeared. In 1963, his work “In the Mountains” was published, followed by “Aul Songs” in 1974 and “Thumbling” in 1984.

Khurshida Ilakhun was born in Kulja, China in 1940. Her career began as a correspondent at Communism Tugi Uyghyr Avazi, Yeni Khayat) in Almaty in 1970. The gifted girl wrote her first poems at the age of 12. The first poem of the author was published in Ili in Kulja in 1953. After the poet came to Kazakhstan, her art career began to progress. In 1970, the Zhazushy Publishing House printed the poetic book “Medkhiye” followed by “Cranes” (1978), “Anilar Avazi” (1983), “Lullaby” (1988), and the epic “Spring of Kindness”, “Prayer Hill”, and “Isyan”. Her poem appeared in the newspaper Kazak Adebieti and such newspapers as Zhuldyz, Parvaz, and Arzu. The poet was a prizewinner of the Zhambyl Zhabayev’s 150^th Anniversary All-Republican Poetic Competition and M.Auezov’s 100^th Anniversary Uyghur Poetic Competition.

Yusupbek Mukhlisov was born in Osten Boyi, Artush Area, Kashkar District, East Turkestan in 1929. He staged such plays as “The Rich Man and the Worker”, “One Worker for Two Rich Men”, and “Arshin Mal Alan”.  He wrote the first historical novelette “The Flare”. In 1980, the Zhazushy Publishing House published his historical novelette “Sadyr the Strong”, later converted to a novel. In late 1960, he left East Turkestan for Almaty to work in the Uyghur Studies Department, RK Academy of Sciences.

Avut Masimov was born in Shelek District, Almaty Region on March 16, 1953. He began his career as a layout designer for Yegemen Kazakstan, Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, and at the Kazakhstani Communist Party Central Committee Library in 1973; in 1975 he worked as a proofreader for Communism Tugi (now Uygyr Avazi); during the period of 1991–1996, he was the Executive Secretary of Arzu, which was the official magazine of the Writers’ Union of Kazakhstan. The writer’s pen produced “Dastarkhan” in 1992, which was followed by “The Argument of Signs” in 1993, the book of poems titled “A Week and Twelve Months” in 2004, “Agmikhan” and “Finger Games” in 2007, and “Five Idle Days and Two Days of Rest” in 2008.

Yakhya Tairov was born in Kulja, China on December 7, 1938. Having left secondary school in 1959, he entered Xijiang Pedagogic Institute, from which he graduated as a philologist in 1962. In 1963, he moved to the Kazakh Land. He started his career as a teacher in Shelek and Panfilov Districts. He moved to Tashkent in 1971 to work at a radio studio, at the Institute for History, and as a correspondent for Uygyr Avazi, a Kazakhstani newspaper. During 1989–1996, he was a senior correspondent for Uzbekistan television. In 1969, his first book titled “Kozlar” appeared.  

Apart from the abovementioned authors, people used to look for works by certain prose writers, including novelettes by Kh.Abdullin, Z.Samadi, Zh.Bosakov, T.Toktamov, M.Zulpykarov, A.Ashirov, N.Baratov, and P.Sabitova. Uyghur writers translated Kazakh works into their language too. For instance, K.Toktamov translated “The Songs” by A.Kunanbayev and “Baluan Sholak” by S.Mukanov into Uyghur in 1987, and Z.Samadi translated the novelette “The Missing Image” by G.Musrepov the same year.

It is safe to say that the friendship bridge connecting the Kazakh people to other ethnic groups is built of traditions, literature, and history. The Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan plays an essential role by uniting numerous ethnic groups and nationalities. That is why our Head of State said, “The Assembly is 17 million Kazakh people.” “The UNO, the OSCE, the Asian Confidence on Interaction and Confidence-Building, and the Assembly of National Representatives recognize the Assembly. This is what makes me a representative of the Assembly, and this is the reason why I call it the seventeen million citizens of our country,” – says N.Nazarbayev.

Gulmira Yerubayeva 

Қысқа да нұсқа. Жазылыңыз telegram - ға