WELCOME TO KAZAKHSTAN

There are authors who seem to be rediscovered by each generation. They are read in different eras, prompting new questions and finding meanings in familiar lines that are particularly resonant with their time. For Kazakh culture, Abai remains such a conversationalist.For Abai Day, Qazaq Culture spoke with Aizhan Kartayeva, Doctor of Philology and Director of the Abaitanu Research Institute at Sarsen Amanzholov East Kazakhstan University. For over thirty years, her scholarly work has been connected with the legacy of Abai and Mukhtar Auezov. Her teachers included the renowned educator Kanipa Bitibayeva and one of the leading Abai scholars, Mekemtas Myrzakhmetuly. In an interview, Aizhan Kartaeva discussed what Mekemtas Myrzakhmetuly taught her, why the concept of the "Abai school" is significantly broader than the circle of his direct students, what questions modern Abai studies still need to explore, and why the idea of ​​"Tolyk adam" is no less relevant today than it was in the thinker's time.– You are a student of the renowned Abai scholar Mekemtas Myrzakhmetuly. What principle did he primarily demand in the study of Abai?– For me, being a student of Mekemtas Myrzakhmetuly is not only a great honor but also a tremendous responsibility. He created his own school of thought, deeply researched the history of Abai studies, and brought many areas of this discipline to a new level.Under his supervision, I defended both my dissertations: my candidate's dissertation on Abai's legacy in the works of Mukhtar Auezov, and my doctoral dissertation on spiritual continuity in the worlds of Abai and Auezov. The main thing he taught us was never to be satisfied with a superficial reading. Abai demands depth. One must know not only his poems and "Words of Edification," but also understand the origins of his worldview, his intellectual milieu, his spiritual quest, and his historical context.Mekemtas Aga constantly drew on Abai's words and knew how to make them a source of reflection on one's own life. At the same time, for him, scholarship never existed separately from human qualities. Honesty, conscience, and inner purity were no less important to him than professional knowledge.Perhaps this is one of my teacher's most important lessons: a scholar of Abai must not only explain his ideas to others but also understand the moral responsibility of these ideas themselves.– Speaking of Abai's school, what is its main value?– When we speak of Abai's school, it's important to understand that we are not simply talking about a group of poets who were close to him.Even during Abai's lifetime, a special creative environment developed around him. Akylbay, Magauiya, Kokbay, Shakarim, Arip, Aset, and others didn't simply listen to their senior mentor. They received his advice, discussed his works, explored his themes, and developed the poetic tradition he had established.Abay essentially created a space for literary dialogue. He could propose a plot, analyze a work, and point out its weaknesses. His students, in turn, became disseminators of his work: they knew his poems by heart, performed them like songs, copied them, and passed them on to others.Mukhtar Auezov also considered the concept of Abai's school more broadly. In this sense, it refers not only to the poet's immediate students but also to those authors of the early 20th century who continued the direction he established. Among them are Sultanmakhmut Toraigyrov, Magzhan Zhumabayev, Sabit Donentayev, and others.Therefore, the main legacy of Abai's school, in my opinion, is that it changed the trajectory of Kazakh literature. Along with it, themes, forms, and the very understanding of the role of literature expanded. Abai formed more than just a circle of followers—he created a tradition of thought that lived on after him.— The history of Abai studies is over a century old. What questions require new research today?— Abai studies has a history of over 130 years. If we count from the first publications about Abai in print, we see a vast journey: from early articles and memoirs to fundamental monographs, textual studies, and independent scholarly schools.But precisely for this reason, we cannot think that everything has already been said about Abai.Every era poses its own questions to him. Society changes, the intellectual context evolves, new sources and research methods emerge. And a familiar work sometimes begins to reveal itself in a completely different way.Textual criticism remains one of the most relevant areas. It is necessary to continue working on Abai's texts, comparing various versions, and studying the history of their publications.There is great potential in researching his connections with the East, his social views, and his civic position. A separate and very interesting topic is Abai's intellectual circle: what he read, which authors and philosophical traditions influenced the formation of his worldview.Another important issue concerns translations. Today, Abai's works are read in many languages. But it's not just the number of translations that matters here. We need to examine how accurately the original's thought, imagery, and philosophical depth are conveyed in different linguistic and cultural environments.Abai truly remains an eternal theme precisely because it's impossible to read him once and for all. Each generation encounters its own Abai.– You yourself continue the scholarly school of your mentors. What amanat (faith) from them do you try to pass on to your students?– My path to Abai began in school. From the seventh grade, my teacher was Kanipa Omargalievna, who introduced me to the world of Abai and Mukhtar Auezov. Later, Mekemtas Myrzakhmetuly became my academic mentor. Therefore, the topic of "Abai and Auezov" truly became a kind of amanat (faith) for me. Over the years, I have produced over 300 scientific, methodological, and educational works. My primary research focuses on the spiritual continuity of Abai and Auezov, the development of Abai studies during the period of independence, teaching methods, and the concept of "Tolyk Adam."But today, it is equally important to me that this research continues in the next generation.Our university has the Abai Research Institute, an Abai Auditorium, and is developing international cooperation. An Abai Center has been opened in Świecie, Poland. Schoolchildren receive annual Abai Readings, and teachers take special courses in teaching Abai studies.Under my supervision, two PhD dissertations and over 250 master's theses have been defended. Now I strive to teach young researchers not just to collect material, but to independently pose scientific questions and develop projects and educational programs.If a school has no continuation, it gradually becomes nothing but history. Therefore, I see continuity as the main trust of my mentors. One of the central themes of modern Abai studies is the concept of "Tolyk Adam." What does it mean, and how should today's youth understand it?Abai's "Tolyk Adam" is a person who has achieved inner maturity and spiritual integrity. Not simply educated or successful, but a morally developed person in whom knowledge is combined with conscience, justice, compassion, and purity of heart.Mukhtar Auezov, exploring this aspect of Abai's legacy, spoke of a harmonious, moral personality. Later, Mekemtas Myrzakhmetuly developed this theme over decades and formed an entire scholarly field of study on the doctrine of "Tolyk Adam."I believe it's important not to turn this concept into an abstract philosophical formula.Abai speaks of very specific qualities: justice, knowledge, work, compassion, responsibility, and purity of heart. "Tolyk Adam" appears when these qualities do not exist separately, but are united within the individual. That's why this idea is so relevant. Today, we talk a lot about an intellectual nation, education, and professionalism. All of this is essential. But intellect alone is insufficient if knowledge isn't accompanied by responsibility and moral choice.For a young person, "Tolyk Adam" isn't an unattainable ideal, but a direction. Constantly learning, working, being fair, being responsible for one's decisions, and preserving one's humanity—this is where I see the practical content of Abai's teachings.—Today, Abai's legacy is increasingly being promoted at the national and international levels. How much does this contribute to the development of Abai studies?—This attention certainly provides a great impetus.Abai Day has received official status, the poet's works are being translated and published abroad, Abai centers are opening, international conferences are being held, and films, television, and digital projects are being created.The integration of Abai's ideas into the modern educational system is also becoming an important area. The concept of "Adal Azamat" (Abai's Adal Azamat) largely resonates with the thinker's ideas about the moral person, responsibility, justice, and education.But I believe the next important step is to make the study of Abai more systematic. We must move away from a situation where he is addressed primarily on anniversaries or commemorative dates.Abai should be present in education as a living thinker, with whom young people can discuss issues that concern them today: why acquire knowledge, how to approach work, what is justice, where the boundaries of personal responsibility lie.This is precisely why, in my opinion, Abai studies should occupy a more prominent place in schools, colleges, and universities.– To conclude our conversation: what would you like to say to readers, especially young people, on Abai Day?– I would encourage young people not to perceive Abai as an author they must read simply because it's required by the school curriculum.He is worth returning to at different periods of life.In youth, some of his lines may seem clear, but ten or twenty years later, they suddenly reveal a completely different meaning. Because it's not Abai who changes—we ourselves change.At the center of his philosophy is the human being. What should he be like? How can we preserve dignity? Why is knowledge without labor of little value? What makes a society just? How can we learn to see others not as strangers, but as equals?These questions are not outdated.Abai dreamed of a conscious generation and a rational, just society. He linked the human future to knowledge, labor, humanity, and moral responsibility.Therefore, the best way to preserve Abai's legacy is not simply to quote his words. We must learn to ask ourselves the questions he posed to humanity more than a century ago.Then Abai will remain not a monument to the past, but a true interlocutor for each new generation.