January 21, 2020 in Kazakhstan, the country's leadership launched the events dedicated to the 175th anniversary of the great Kazakh poet and thinker Abai Kunanbayev.
As part of the program to celebrate this anniversary, on January 27 this year, in the Klementinum National Library of the Czech Republic officially opened the “Abai” Cultural Information Center, organized by the joint efforts of the Czech National Library Klementinum and the National Academic Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the support of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the Czech Republic.
The opening ceremony was attended by the director of the Klementium National Library of the Czech Republic Martin Kasando, the director of the National Academic Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan Umitkhan Munalbaeva, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the Czech Republic Marat Tazhin, the chairman of the Union of Writers of the Republic of Kazakhstan Ulykbek Yesdaulet, doctor of philological sciences, professor Tursun Jurtbay, director of the Institute literature and art named after M. Auezov Kenzhekhan Matizhanov and other public figures and writers of Kazakhstan, as well as representatives of state socially-political, cultural circles of the Czech Republic and journalists.
In his speech, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan, Marat Tazhin, noted that the opening of the Abai Center will serve the mutual cultural enrichment of the peoples of the two countries and will allow the Czech public to study Kazakh literature and poetry more deeply.
As part of the opening of the Center, a book- illustrative exhibition “Recognized by the World Abai” was organized, as well as a photo exhibition “The World of Abai”, which presented works by Abai Kunanbaev, books and various materials on his life and work, including in Czech .
Here the book “Words of edification” by Abai was presented in Czech, translated by the Czech writer Vladislav Kuchik.
In addition, as part of this event, a round table was held with the participation of Kazakhstan writers, representatives of the Czech public and the Association of Kazakh Students “Tarlan”.
According to the general opinion of the guests, thanks to the opening of the Abai Cultural Information Center, a significant contribution was made to the promotion and popularization of the cultural heritage of Kazakhstan in the Czech Republic.
Equally important is the fact that the Center is open within the walls of one of the oldest and most authoritative libraries in Europe.