May 18 is the birthday of the outstanding poet, People's Writer of Kazakhstan Olzhas Suleimenov. He is widely known as a linguist-researcher, Turkologist, popular politician, prominent statesman and public figure.

Olzhas Suleimenov was born on May 18, 1936 in the city of Alma-Ata. His father was an officer of the First Kazakh Cavalry Regiment. Stalinist repressions did not bypass the Suleimenov family. When Olzhas was one year old, his father was shot, like many of the best representatives of the command staff of the Red Army. The ancestors of O. Suleimenov on his father's side were poets, musicians and warriors, and on his mother's side - builders-adobe makers. Olzhas received his name from an ancestor in the seventh generation Olzhabai batyr, who commanded the right wing of the cavalry of Khan Abylai.

In 1954, after graduating from secondary school No. 28 named after Manshuk Mametova, Olzhas Suleimenov entered the Geological Exploration Faculty of the Kazakh State University named after S. M. Kirov. However, his poetic gift made him reconsider his life path and postpone his diploma as a geological engineer.

In 1958, he entered the Higher Literary Courses at the A. M. Gorky Literary Institute in Moscow.

After graduating from the courses, he worked as the head of the poetry department of the magazine "Prostor", the editor-in-chief of the script-editorial board of the film studio "Kazakhfilm", the first secretary of the Writers' Union of Kazakhstan, the first secretary of the board of the Union of Cinematographers of Kazakhstan, the secretary of the Writers' Union of the USSR.

From 1991 to 1994, O. Suleimenov was on a creative leave. O. Suleimenov's authority as a political figure is enormous. His official dossier includes: he was a member of the Committee of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Ecology and Nature Management, from 1995 to 2001 he was on diplomatic work as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Italy, then to Greece, Malta. Since 2001, he has been the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to UNESCO (UNESCO). He is a deputy of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan of the 10th and 13th convocations, a Deputy of the Supreme Council of the USSR of the 11th convocation, a People's Deputy of the USSR (1989–1991).

Olzhas Suleimenov's creative path is most closely associated with two major unions of Kazakhstan – the Writers' Union and the Union of Cinematographers. It was Olzhas Suleimenov who became one of the initiators and organizers of the 5th conference of writers from Asian and African countries in Almaty. Under him, domestic cinema gained international fame. The Kazakhfilm film studio produced such films as Kyz-Zhibek, Anxious Morning, The Shot on the Karash Pass, and Gray Lyuty.

A special merit of Olzhas Suleimenov, as a public figure and politician, is the creation of the Nevada-Semey movement, which in a short time achieved the establishment of a moratorium on explosions at the Semipalatinsk test site. On August 28, 1991, the President of Kazakhstan N. Nazarbayev signed a decree on the closure of the test site.

Olzhas Suleimenov and the Nevada-Semipalatinsk movement

Engaged in extensive state and public activities, Olzhas Suleimenov never forgot that he is, first of all, a poet and writer. O. Suleimenov's poetry teaches the reader the truth, an understanding of the historical development of the people. O. Suleimenov's poems are distinguished by depth of thought and greatness. They have bright expression, visible imagery, subtle humor, sharp satire, unexpected twists and many other facets. Poetic works have received high praise from readers and critics. Such masters of words as M. O. Auezov, K. Simonov, R. Gamzatov, G. Musrepov, Ch. Aitmatov, E. Mezhelaitis and others wrote about the author's work.

The first book of poems and poems "Argamaks" was published in 1961. In the same year, his poem "Earth, Bow to Man" was published, which was among the best works of Soviet poetry and brought the author wide fame. The poem reflects the poet's reflections on the fate of man, on his aspirations.

In 1962, the poetic collection "Sunny Nights" was published, followed by "Night Parisian", "Good Time of Sunrise", "Year of the Monkey", "Selected Lyrics", "Clay Book", "Repeating at Noon", "Every Day Morning", "Round Star", "Transformation of Fire", "Definition of the Shore", "Az and I", "The Language of Writing".

"Clay Book" is one of the most important works of Olzhas Suleimenov. This is an ancient love story that makes a person above all else. It is based on deep historical associations, it contains the Eastern spiritual and philosophical tradition. The books "Az and I", "The Language of Writing" and articles devoted to the interaction of Turkic, Slavic and other cultures sparked lively discussions and contributed to the formation of new approaches to the history of Turkic cultures.

Olzhas Suleimenov at the celebration of his 85th birthday at KazNU named after Al-Farabi

O. Suleimenov's literary talent was widely revealed in film dramaturgy. He wrote scripts for which the feature films "Land of Fathers", "Blue Route", "Winter is not a Field Season", "Accept Adam", "Last Transition" and a number of documentaries were created.

Olzhas Suleimenov was awarded the Order of "Barys" 1st degree. He is a laureate of the State Prize of the Kazakh SSR and the Prize of the Lenin Komsomol of Kazakhstan, a laureate of the Tarlan Prize, etc.

The creative and life path of Olzhas Suleimenov is fully described in his personal archive, which in 1996 was transferred to the state storage in the Central State Archive of the Republic of Kazakhstan as a gift.