Akhmet Baitursynov, mentor of the nation

Akhmet Baitursynov is the forefather of linguistics, a poet, a researcher of literature, a Turkic scholar, a publicist, a teacher, a translator and a public figure.

Akhmet Baitursynov, a true devotee of the native language, offered a version of the first Kazakh alphabet and provided the first textbooks to introduce it as a subject.

He spent his conscious life as one of the leaders of the national independence movement of the early twentieth century, the founder of the Kazakh language and literary studies faculty, the reformer of national writing and the enlightener.

The researcher formed the Kazakh professional journalism. He explained to the Kazakh people and intelligentsia the social purpose of the newspaper and showed that the press is necessary for a civilized and independent country. "The newspaper is the eyes, ears, and language of the population." As editor-in-chief of the newspaper Kazak, influenced the writings of poets and writers to be published.

He is a scholar and critic of Kazakh society. In his poem "Kazak kalpy" he lists the conservative qualities inherent in our society and suggests ways to get rid of them. In his book of poems "Masa", published in 1911, calls people to learning, work, art, culture promotion, calling to get rid of such defects as ignorance, indifference and negligence to the profession.

Author: Moldir Adamzhan

Photo: from the archives of the press services