125 years
since the birth of the outstanding Kazakh geologist
Kanysh Satpayev
April 12 marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of Kanysh Satpayev, an outstanding Kazakh geologist, academician, major state and public figure, whose name is associated with enormous achievements in national and world science. Thanks to the merits of Kanysh Satpayev, the foundation of today’s innovative and scientific potential that Kazakhstan possesses was laid.
Kanysh Satpayev was born in 1899 in a small village in the Pavlodar Region. At birth he was given the name Gabdulgani, but his mother affectionately called him Kanysh. From childhood, Kanysh strived for knowledge, he studied at a rural school in Arabic, the Pavlodar gymnasium and the Semipalatinsk teachers' seminary.
A decisive role in the fate of Kanysh Satpayev was played by his meeting with the famous geologist professor Mikhail Usov, who interested the young guy with stories about geology and inspired him to explore the depths of his native land.
In 1921, Kanysh Satpayev entered the Tomsk Technological Institute, majoring in Geology and mineral deposits, from which he graduated with honors.
After studying at the institute, Kanysh Satpayev headed the geological department of the “Atbastsvetmet” trust. A serious task fell to his lot - carrying out the first stationary geological exploration work to identify mineral reserves in the Zhezkazgan-Ulutau region of Kazakhstan. Unlike other geologists, Kanysh Satpayev was convinced of the huge ore reserves in this region.
In 1932, Kanysh Satpayev published the first scientific monograph “Zhezkazgan copper ore region and its mineral resources”, and in 1934 he spoke at a session of the USSR Academy of Sciences with a report “Copper, coal, iron, manganese ores and other minerals of the Zhezkazgan-Ulutau Region”, in which he comprehensively substantiated the rich prospects of the Zhezkazgan field and the entire region.
Contrary to the established opinion about the futility of the Zhezkazgan copper deposit, Kanysh Satpayev proved the need to continue geological exploration at this deposit and ultimately turned it into a global mining giant. In 1937, the copper reserves he explored made it possible to call Zhezkazgan the largest copper deposit in the world and justify the construction of the Zhezkazgan Mining and Metallurgical Combine there. The undoubted merits of Kanysh Satpayev also include the discovery of the richest reserves of manganese ores in Kazakhstan.
Kanysh Satpayev conducted wide-ranging activities in all areas of geological science. In 1946, Kanysh Satpayev was elected the first President of the Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan. During his leadership, multidisciplinary research institutes were created at the Academy. He personally supervised a comprehensive study of the natural resources of the Mangyshlak Peninsula, research into new deposits of coal, oil, gas, and ferrous metallurgy ores, and actively supported the construction of the Irtysh-Karaganda canal.
Kanysh Satpayev is the founder of the domestic metallogenic school. The complex approach of formational metallogenic analysis he developed became fundamental for geological science and practice. In 1958, for the development of a methodological basis and the compilation of predictive metallogenic maps of Central Kazakhstan, which had no analogues in world geological practice, the Kazakh scientist was awarded the highest state prize.
The range of interests of academician Kanysh Satpayev was unusually wide and varied. He was a great expert in Kazakh history, literature, culture, ethnography, music and folklore. His archaeological work on the territory of Central Kazakhstan, as well as works on pedagogy and literature are well known.
Kazakhs are proud of their outstanding compatriot. Streets, avenues, squares and cities in Kazakhstan are named after Kanysh Satpayev. The Institute of Geological Sciences of the Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, the Zhezkazgan Mining and Metallurgical Combine, the glacier and mountain peak of the Dzhungar Alatau, a minor planet in the constellation of Taurus, a mineral, and a variety of flowers bear his name. A special Satpayev Prize was established by the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan for outstanding achievements in the field of natural sciences. The Kanysh Satpayev International Foundation has been created and is successfully functioning, which supports young and promising scientists.