This year marks the 125th anniversary of the outstanding kazakh writer Mukhtar Auezov

Mukhtar Omarkhanovich Auezov was an outstanding Kazakh writer, dramatist and
scientist, doctor of philological sciences, professor, academician at the Academy of
Sciences of Kazakh SSR (1946).
The creative path of Mukhtar Auezov started in 1917, when he wrote the play
“Yenlik-Kebek", based on a folk legend about the tragic fate of two young people.
He is the author of short stories including "Beauty in Mourning", "Orphan's fate",
"Who is to blame?", "An orphan", "Fierce and Grey", the story “The incident on
Karash-Karash", the novel "Hard times", the plays "Stone plumage", "In an apple
orchard", monographic research on the history of the Kazakh and Kyrgyz literature
and folklore. Many of these works revealed the problems of Kazakh feudal society
at that time.
The crowning achievement of his career was his four-volume epic novel "The Path
of Abai" which brought the writer worldwide fame. The novel has been translated
into many languages and was included in the "Library of World Literature".
In 1945, the year of the 100th anniversary of Abai, M. Auezov wrote the libretto of
the opera “Abai” and the script of the feature film "The Songs of Abai”. In 1949,
the first book of the epic - the novel “Abai” was awarded the State Prize of the
USSR, in 1959 the book "The Path of Abai" was awarded the Lenin Prize.
In addition, the film “Fierce”, which was based on a story by M. Auezov, and
directed by T. Okeyev in 1973 was nominated for an Oscar award by the USSR.
Mukhtar Auezov was the first writer who contributed to the formation and
development of Kazakh school of style through his creative works. Thanks to him,
masterpieces of classical world literature, such as the plays “The Inspector
General” by Gogol, “Othello”, “The Taming of the Shrew” by Shakespeare,
“Lyubov Yarovaya” by K. Trenev were translated into the Kazakh language and
made available to the public. M. Auezov's works have been repeatedly republished
and translated into many languages.
The Institute of Literature and Art of the Ministry of Education and Science of the
Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kazakh Academic Drama Theater, streets and schools
in the cities of Almaty, Nur-Sultan, Semey, and other places are named after
Mukhtar Auezov. There is a house-museum of Auezov in Almaty.

Monuments to the writer have been erected in all regions of the country. A 12-part
documentary about the great writer (by A. Toibaeva) was broadcast on national
television.
By the decision of UNESCO, the 100th anniversary of M. Auezov was celebrated
all over the world in 1997. This year, as part of the 125th anniversary of the writer,
over 500 events are planned, including more than 50 worldwide.