Mukhtar Auezov

Mukhtar Auezov (1897-1961) a distinguished Kazakh writer, playright and statesman was born in Semey region of Kazakhstan. Auezov’s grandfather was a friend of the outstanding Kazakh poet and educator Abai Kunanbaev. He taught the future writer to read from Abai’s manuscript verses.

Mukhtar Auezov graduated from Semipalatinsk Teacher’s Seminary and in 1929, from Leningrad University.

His writing career began with the play “Enlik-Kebek” (1917), based on the folk legend of tragic love. In the course of his life he wrote over 20 plays and many short stories and novels. His best work rightly considered to be the epic novel “Abai”, which gives a mastery panorama of Kazakh life in the second half of the XIX-th century. The novel has had an enormous influence on Kazakh literature and has been translated into many languages. A famous story “Kokserek” was published in 1929. It reminds the readers of Jack London’s story “The call of the wild” and “White fang”. In his story Auezov portrays a wolf as the wild beast which although raised by men remains true to his own nature and opposed to the world humans. The story focuses on the relations between nature and men. It leaves room to reflection: causing good or cruel things to nature never passes without leaving a trace.

The name of Mukhtar Auezov is the brightest among the most remarkables names of his contemporaries. He is a prominent translator of Tolstoi, Checkhov, Shakespeare, London are masterpieces, that greatly enriched Kazalh literature.