ZHAMBYL ZHABAYEV – Institute of History and Ethnology named after Sh. Sh. Ualikhanov

Zhambyl Zhabayev (28 February 1846 – 22 June 1945)–aSoviet and Kazakh “akyn” – poet, storyteller.

Biography

The Kazakh people left to descendants precious monuments of art literature. Witness of two eras and many social upheavals Zhambyl Zhabaev – a man of rare destiny. Perhaps, history does not know its analogue: he became world-famous at the age of 90 and spent another 10 years in a rapid creative flight. “…Many folks of the world had poets – the creators of the genuine masterpieces of world folklore. One of them is rightly Zhambyl Zhabaev, known outside the country as Dzhambul Dzhabaev – Kazakh virtuoso of poetic improvisation, unsurpassed master of lyrics and at the same time acute journalism.

Creativity of akyn, inexhaustible in its poetic and social versatility, admired not only in his homeland, but also far beyond its borders” – said in the Preface of the book “Jambul Jabayev. Favorites”, published by the PPC “Russian rarity”, which introduces readers to the literary heritage of ancient and modern poets and thinkers [1].

The outstanding poet-improviser of the Kazakh people, storyteller Zhambyl Zhabayev was born on February 16 (28), 1846 at the foot of Zhambyl mountain in the upper reaches of the Chu river (now Moiynkum district of Zhambyl region of Kazakhstan). The newborn was named Zhambyl, after the mountain of the same name, where a caravan of Kazakh nomads, with whom his parents fled from the persecution of the Kokand enslavers, settled for the night. This is how this fact is described in the Republican newspaper “Kazakhstanskaya Pravda”: “…great Jambul got its name by the name of the mountain where according to legend he was born, when the village of Istibai tried to save itself from attacks of enemies. That’s why his father Zhabay gave him the name of the mountain. Perhaps, foreseeing great destiny of the son” [2].

Father Zhabay came from the subgenus Ekey kind of Shaprashty, part of the Elder Zhuz. Ekey – son of Shaprashty, and if we start from the head of family (Shaprashty), the Zhambyl is his eleventh descendant. Ekey was small and poor tribe, at the same time, from his environment, there were many famous warriors as Suranshi, Saurik, Karasai. Zhabay, grandson of Baitobeta, son of Istibay, was called by the name of one of these warriors, which was the hero of many epics, accordingly, was a rich man too, but had three sons: Taiti, Kuman, Zhambyl.

In his autobiographical work “My life” the poet says: “Байғара, Жамбыл, Ханда мен туыппын, / Жамбыл деп қойылыпты атым сонан …” (“In the night at the foot of the mountain Dzhambul,/ Curled lump at the snow hole/ my Mother, the life of a slave cursing, In the groans gave birth to me./ Silently gathered hungry village / Kazakhs Gave me the name of Zhambyl…”) [3]. It is quite possible that the oronym Zhambi is short for Zhambyl, which in the ancient Turkic-Mongolian language meant “fortress”, “fortification”.

Zhambyl’s family lived in Zhetysu region (now Almaty region), the boy grew up in the steppe, fascinated by the pensive melodies of dombra. At first he listened to others` playing, then he became friends with the instrument himself. As befits all poets-improvisers, Zhambyl early became interested in poetry. Music and song imperiously called Zhambyl from his father’s house to the free expanses of the steppes. Against his parents’ will, the young man decided to become a singer.

In his autobiographical work, the poet himself points out that this hobby began ten years ago, when he alternated with the games of herding lambs, riding the bull [«Он жаста ойнап жүрдім бала болып,/ Өлеңге бөлдім көңіл алаң болып./ Райыттап тана мініп, қозы бақтым…»]. In his family poets or musicians were not so famous, but his uncle – the brother of the father was reputed to be quite well-known dombrist, also in the line of relatives, his mother Uldan (түп нағашы) was famous for her play on the kobyz Kanadan. Therefore, Uldan was the first of the family to support her son’s childhood passion for the art of the word…») [4].

Many of his songs have not reached us, composed at a young age, especially, but apparently his poems have already caused positive reviews on aul people, because, as he sings in his autobiographical work, even then he was nicknamed “poet-boy”, “good akyn”.

The analysis of those few poems that have come down to us shows that in his very first songs such a natural gift and an elemental ability to highlight the main, essential phenomenon in life are noticeable. So, there was, for example, a typical image of the mullahs in the song “Шағым” (“Complaint”) attributable to the early sixties, where pounce “typical traits of his teacher – the Mullah with the rod in his hands, in robe, white turban, bile and stupid”.

Jambul grew into the curious and perceptive boy. Later, he often recalled how he learned from the Mullah: “Honestly speaking, I did not understand anything from this Mullah. He could not even explain the Arabic alphabet properly … How I wish there had been someone to really learn from when I was a child!”[5]. When the boy was fourteen years old, he decided on a brave act – he came to his father with dombra and asked for his blessing:

Слово к сердцу не идет. Word to heart not goes.

Школа горькая прощай! Farewell to a bitter school!

Мне во сне явилась песня, A song came to me in a dream,

Сердце песней закипай! Heart lights up from the song!

Мой отец, к мулле насильно My father, do not force me

Ты идти не заставляй») [6]. To go to the Mullah.

“The sixties” of the nineteenth century – this is the time when Zhambyl was 14-15 years old and this period, as the beginning of a serious poetry occupation, says the poet himself: “at fifteen I took in hand dombra, became a skilled pacer in the world of poetry, and at sixteen went beyond the village, in the future has boldly performed in front of These words testify that Zhambyl in 14-15 years – and not in 52-year age as it is specified in some sources-began to be engaged seriously in art of the word, that is becomes the wandering professional poet.

If before that time Zhambyl mainly sang to the accompaniment in the style of tolgau (edification, meditation on recitative), then from the age of 15 he has a vague desire to sing improvisations, this desire leads him to the famous akyn in the province of Suyunbay, whose fame thundered in the steppes of Zhetysu. He was a hereditary akyn-storyteller (Suyunbai’s grandfather Kusep was also famous for his art of speech).

They say that the poetic totem of Suyunbai was a red tiger: in a dream, the future poet saw him and dombra circling around the moon, and in the morning the mythical prophet kyzyr appeared to him and said the word “Poems”. Immediately, “the songbirds in the Bulbul area is hanging over the Suyunbay”. It seems that when Zhambyl visited Suyunbai, this story had such a strong effect on the poetic consciousness of the young akyn that in the future this happens to him in a dream, but still Zhambyl worshipped Suyunbai until the end of his life, calling him a feast, a feast, that is, an idol, an inspiration and a model for his songs. When the young Zhambyl finished singing, Suyunbay blessed him, parting said that it was time for him to compose his own things.

It was a start in a big life, in the life of art, improvisations. “…Since childhood, he learned to play the dombra, accompanying the game with singing and from the age of 14 he left a poor nomad family, becoming a disciple of the old akyn Suyunbai. Suyunbai taught him: “a Great poet needs is your voice. Measure the ground with your yard-measure.

Your every word should strike like a dagger ” [7]. And young Jambul remembered these words for all his long life. He learned the skill of Suyunbai, he became a singer of labor of the Kazakh people. “My songs were carried on all steppes. I never broke ties with the people and the people loved me,” Jambul recalled.

“Since the nineteenth century, the role of akyns has increased, the range of functions has expanded, their poetry has become socially significant. Poetic improvisation turned into a profession, and akyns now began to travel to the villages, so they learned life deeper and wider, gained knowledge of the history and culture of those lands that they themselves visited, often studied Arabic literacy and joined the classical poetry of the East. All this allowed the akyns to look at the society and its structure with different eyes, to move to the forefront of the spiritual life of the Kazakh society and become the spokesmen of its social interests, aspirations and expectations ” notes the famous scientist, academician of NAS RK, doctor of Philology S. Kaskabassov [8].

Zhambyl’s creative activity intensified in the last third of the nineteenth century, when Semirechye and southern Kazakhstan were completely annexed to Russia and as a result of the reforms of 1867-1868, Russian systems of administrative and territorial administration were introduced in Kazakhstan, which finally destroyed the centuries-old way of life of the Kazakhs. New orders generated mistrust between people, servility before the administration, slander and litigiousness, that is all those vices which arise at state-bureaucratic management. “… all this could not but leave an imprint on the work of Zhambyl.

Not only he alone, but many akyns-improvisers, as well as representatives of written literature, expressed the interests of the Kazakh people with all the might of their talent and poetic skill, subjected to cruel criticism all the negative phenomena in social and family life, ridiculed the hypocrisy of the volost governors chosen at the behest of the tsarist administration, took human vices under fire” [9].

The initial period of creativity of Zhambyl is noted by the short verses exposing human vices, such as avarice, arrogance, litigiousness, idleness (“About Manke”, “To Mambet”, “To Shaltabay”, “To Kali”, “Syat”, etc.), and also fairy tales in songs as “Khan and akyn”, “the fairy Tale about the idler”, etc. there Was an active process of enrichment of repertoire, creative development of national poetic tradition that inevitably led him to one of the peaks of the poet-poetic competitions.

His first competitions were in the form of small verbal attacks, for example, Kyrgyz girl saikal, the Baktybay, daughter of Bolek and Imamism, the Also called Iim debate, or true debate, but then began to grow into a larger and more semantically loaded competitions – aitys sre or sell debate.

His first major poetic competition in the form of sure aitys took place in 1881 with the famous poet-improviser Kulmambet nicknamed Kulanayak (lit.: Culinology, figuratively: a sparkling, fast as a horse-Kulan). Indeed, while Colombet was famous for the fact that he won nine of akyns in a row. And this ignorant master, of course, at first looked down with disdain on his thirty-five-year-old, but still comparatively little-known rival, in the house where his master Kudaibergen was convening a great festival on some occasion. Moreover, Zhambyl was brought there at the insistence of Kulmambet, who certainly wanted to fight with the budding akyn, and break him bare.

The law of the genre, their debate proceeded according to the accepted clichés – at the praise of their birth, in praises of celebrities (Kulmambet was descended from the tribe Dulat), with seeking out flaws, during which the rivals did not fail to humiliate each other by specifying the physical disadvantages is Colombet mocked rival what nature has deprived of Zhambyl beauty, that, in turn, quipped that he pleshev. Dulat boasted of his wealth in front of poor Shapyrashty, but then Zhambyl quickly seized this moment and effervescingly besieged, pointing out that happiness is not in wealth, but in deeds, in particular such personalities as Suranshy and Sauryk, who immortalized their names by feats of arms on the battlefield. At the end of aitys the jury found Zhambyl’s arguments more weighty and evidential.

Immediately after this competition in Semirechye and in the South of the steppe Zhambyl started talking about as a gifted akyn. At the same time, in 1885, the famous rich man nogaybay invited Him to the city of Almaty, to the celebration of the volost ruler Kozhamberdy from the subgenus Kyrbay. Zhambyl arrived at noon, the holiday has already begun, or rather people were sitting at the dastarkhan. Zhambyl entered the house, holding a dombra in front of him, in order to entertain respectable people, steppe tycoons with a song, as Nogaybay asked. Here sat another akyn – Sarbas from the subgenus of Kaskarau, also from the tribe of Dulat, apparently already prepared for the competition, and Zhambyl was caught by surprise.

However, he did not lose his head, besides Sarbas, starting a conversation with the pedigree, he landed on the strong side of his rival – Zhambyl again seized on his praise of his kind, originating from the Holy foremother Domalak and legendary great-grandfather Zharykshak, with knowledge of the matter, skillfully unravels this tangle, in the depths of which lurk many controversial moments. Responding to the second, traditional part, which again compares the prosperity of one, poverty of another kind, Zhambyl uses the same technique as it was with Kulmambet, but this time indicates that shapyrashtintsy Suranshy and Sauryk also cleaned the honor of Dulat, while the dulatovtsy themselves in the person of Batyr Sypatay and bi Toyshybek dodged their tribesmen in the hours of trial, when they fell into the grip of Kokand, moreover, the latter was in the enemy’s camp. At the end of a hail of accusing words, mountain descendants branching off from that shameful fact. Rigid suggestion counting on the national concept which is considered treachery a stigma in the person, nevertheless reached the purpose-gathered found Zhambyl a priori the winner.

Song in the steppe, as is known, a great force, and so gradually grew the glory of the young akyn. Zhambyl met in duels with famous akyns Shozhe, Baluan Sholak, Shashubai, was friends with such talents as asset. His name was known in neighboring Kyrgyzstan. “..Kyrgyz poets Kalyk Akiev, Alimkul, kenet Munshalyk took him in their house and came to visit him. When the famous Kyrgyz poet Toktagul Satylganov escaped from Siberian exile, he came to Zhambyl, and He dedicated magnificent poems to Him” [10].

Seven years later, Zhambyl tried with the forces of Dosmagambet, now kind of Zhalayyr. This time the latter was invited to debate by suprastina that indicates his growing fame. Dosmagambet attacked it, being proud of wealth of Semirechye, the opponent parried to it on the same cliche – to what your wealth if your family didn’t give such sons as their Karasay Batyr, then as it is so so rich edge is engaged in trade humiliating for the steppe man – catching fish on the river Ile.

In General, this aitys, in which the winner is recognized again Zhambyl, as well as the subsequent-also victorious – the example of forces in 1902 with the well – known Arkin poet-singer Shashubay showed how much Zhambyl has grown in General in terms of coverage of topics, geography and poetic language.

In fact, here Zhambyl creates new forms of aitys, going beyond traditional competitions, covering historical feats, epochal truth of life. In fact, in his aitys the poet made a significant step from the epic tradition to the tradition of realism and these poetic competitions were the beginning of the chanting of historical figures in the works of Zhambyl. This is particularly true of his Dastan “Batyr Suransky”, the outlines of which were first outlined in a traditional music competition with Sarasam.

The syncretic nature of the poetic role of steppe bards suggested their performances both as representatives of the akyn tradition and as zhyrshy-storytellers. In fact, tolgau legends and heroic epic helped them to participate in aitys, in poetic competitions they laid the foundations of future dastans, perfected future legends.

For example, the same Kusep, Suyunbay’s grandfather, was the first to lay down a separate Dastan about the glorious deeds of Utegen Batyr from Dulat, his grandson Suyunbay Aronuly (1815-1898) told Suranshy and Sauryk batyrs, in whose campaigns he participated. Later, Zhambyl, building on these basics, creatively develops them, enriches and creates their own versions that, unlike Harry, has come down to us.

But before they served as a peculiar preparation of telling them such masterpieces of Turkic and Kazakh storytelling as the epic “Kor-ugli”, “Munlyk-Zarlyk”, “Kyz-Zhibek”, “Ernazar-Beket”, “Manas”, “Totynyn toksan tarauy”, “Erostik”, “Shora”, etc.it is Known that Zhambyl had in the repertoire of his version of the legendary “Shahname “” [11].

This heritage amazes with its diversity of genres – here and heroic epic, lyre-epic, Eastern Dastan. In terms of volume, some of them exceed 40-50 thousand lines, and if you add it all together, it turns out that Zhambyl kept in memory about a million lines! Many of them have sunk into Oblivion, being not recorded.

It is said that at one time he told “Cor-angles” for fifteen days, and what we have today is all this – only 2255 lines. It is known that on the Kazakh land there are thirty-three variants of this pearl of ancient Turkic storytelling, especially in the area of the Syr-Darya river. It is quite possible that Zhambyl managed to get acquainted with one of such invariants of Dastan during his trips to the South of Kazakhstan.

Today it is reliably established that the akyn within 1867-1875 years repeatedly visited Aulie-ATA, the region of southern Kazakhstan, where he met with prominent akyns, storytellers of those places Kulunshak, Maylykozha, Nuraly, etc.

Approximately in this period he together with akyn Kulmambet goes to the Kyrgyz villages, during a trip learns at the big expert of epic heritage of Kulmambet of the legend “KOR-corners Sultan”, and manages to remember only some sections of this huge Dastan. There is information that in 1891 he performed as a Herald – singer-Herald (zharshy) at a funeral feast in honor of the famous personality of Sarybai from Kastek. During this period of his life, thirty-year-old Zhambyl was in the Prime of life – both physically and creatively. According to eyewitnesses, the bard was a man of solid build, very simple in a relationship is always alive in the movements and facial expressions.

Here is how the Taiyr Zharokov him at their first meeting in the summer of 1928. The future poet went to Alma-ata to study on the cart, on the way stopped for a halt in the village of karakastek. Local akyns competed in one of the yurts. At the time when the travelers looked into the Yurt, one of the old men was singing on the dombra. “He was a very active, lively old man. Average height, shirokograd, with a bright smile, sparkling eyes, he especially endeared himself to those present, represents the Taiyr Zharokov. There was a great deal of excitement in the caravan. And he, having pushed from a forehead on a nape a carpet skullcap, enthusiastically improvised. “Live long, Zhambyl! More, Jacquet, more! there were shouts of approval and pleas to continue. It was my first meeting with Zhambyl …» [12;111]..

There is an opinion that the singer was not averse to courting young women, but these and other qualities (relaxed openness, liveliness, humor) only added to the image of Zhambyl humanity, proximity to ordinary people, emphasized his nationality. Sometimes they hid difficult moments of his life. As befits any young man, Zhambyl in his youth fell in love with a girl named Sarah, the daughter of Bibek (Beybak), Sarah was also an akyn, with her repeatedly competed on aitys Zhambyl himself, and this story ended with mutual sympathy of the young.

But soon father has now issued Sarah married for son Bai, which has forbidden it not only sing, but even to emerge where any on humans. Apparently the ban was broken, and the jealous husband killed Sarah. This grim tragedy occurred in the Chui district in the 80 – ies of the XIX century and all his life worried Zhambyl. Even as a very old man, in 1937, during his long journey to Georgia, in the compartment of the car, the poet often picked up the dombra and with great warmth, with tears in his eyes sang composed by Sarah lyrical song “Ayugay” [13;117].

Zhambyl was married three times. He had six sons and two daughters by his first two wives, who had died young. From third wife were born four sons, the eldest called Algadi, others Toccoli, Taubay and Kuanysh.

In 1913, tsarist Russia celebrated the tercentenary of the Romanov dynasty. Zhambyl was already in old age and the disease confined him to bed. He rarely went out to people. Local authorities gathered akyns in Faithful, so they glorified the ” king-father.” Zhambyl was invited to this official gathering of singers. However, while others sang of Nicholas II and his genealogy, Zhambyl sang about the heroes of the Kazakh people, about the batyrs who fought for the people’s truth and freedom, about Sauryk and Suranshi. And then the old singer was driven out of the city, but the love of the people hid him from the wrath of the district chief. So anyway presented the Soviet authors, according to them the poet nevertheless didn’t escape prison three years later, in 1916, during mobilization of Kazakhs on rear works [14].

Resistance resulted in a broad popular uprising and Semirechye became one of the centers of popular indignation. The events of the terrible 1916 are briefly reflected in the works of Zhambul, mainly in his poems such as “Zildi buyruk” (“terrible shout-order”), “Patsha Amiri taryldy” (“Squeezed into the vise of his order from the king”). The elderly akyn in his long thoughts does not see a way out of the situation, he is tormented by doubts, in unison with the popular mood of the time, in his own way tries to unravel the tangle: to leave, leaving his native land; to fight to the end; to submit to fate. Analyzing this state, the researcher E. Ismailov believes that the akyn in this period of his work was looking for the truth of life. However the Apocalypse which was made around and for nothing the shed blood didn’t allow to the aged akyn to rise to objective truth. In search of truth, he still returned to the heroic past of his people, finding comfort and ideal in that era [15;84].

On this wave, on the crest of creative experiments to find the truth of life Zhambyl met the most powerful social upheavals of the twentieth century-two revolutions of 1917. He was a year younger than Abay, a year older than another major Kazakh poet – Shangerey Bukeev, but survived both, became a full-fledged witness of two centuries and the most significant milestones of this complex historical era. How did the aging akyn, the son of a farmhand, perceive these revolutions, history is silent, except that one fact sheds a little light on this side of his life: the man from aul Mukhamedi Kankylbayev told how he became an unwitting witness to the meeting of the akyn with the red Commissar DM. Furmanov in Verny: “It was on a summer day. Jacquet dismounted from his ass and went up to Furmanov’s headquarters with dombra. I was in the yard. A few minutes later I heard the sound of dombra and Jacquet’s voice. When he came out, his whole face was shining with joy and inspiration. It was evident that Jacquet was very pleased with the meeting” [16; 105].

Apparently this was the case when in 1920 Zhambyl together with a group of akyns-storytellers was summoned to Verny to record their works. According to Zhambyl recorded legend “Utegen Batyr” and “Asuransi-Batyr”. And in 1927 he composed the poem ” the Flight of time.” In the same year, according to some reports, he takes part in the redistribution of Bai pastures and arable lands (in those years, 1 million 360 thousand hectares of mowing and almost the same amount of arable land became the property of the Kazakh poor). Speaking on this occasion at the national Assembly in the village of Uzyn-Agach, Zhambyl talked about who was more outstanding akyn: Bukhara, Suyunbay, Shortanbay or he, because he saw more in life than they – saw two lives: “Zar Zaman”, the era of sorrow and the current happy life.

“What did Zhambyl sing about? – writes Tayyr Zharokov remembering that cherished summer day in 1928, when he first saw Zhambyl singing in the Yurt. – He sang about the happy life of the Kazakh people under the sun of October. What a pity that I didn’t remember the words to the songs!..”[17,131]. But it was hardly possible to remember anything, because we know how hard times turned these years for the common people-forced collectivization, dispossession, when the wealthy part of the seven rivers was moved to Western Kazakhstan, and in their place deported bais from Uralsk. It happened once that the only cow of Zhambyl was taken away by local authorities, and illegally, as the elderly singer proved [18].

In 1936, ninety-year-old Zhambyl literally in one day became known throughout the country, thanks to the publication in the newspaper” Pravda”, in the issue of may 7, his big tolgau (meditation in recitative)” My homeland “(“Tugan Elim”), in which he briefly told about the two epochs of Kazakh life, gave a picture of a modern happy life. From that day Zhambyl became the Herald of the new socialist system, a kind of”Stalin minstrel”.

To assist in recording new improvisations of the akyn, literary secretaries in two languages were attached, who now began to regularly record new improvisations of the akyn, as well as old works from Zhambyl’s own lips. After recording, they were urgently translated into Russian and published in Newspapers in two languages day in and day out. Thus, Zhambyl Zhabayev literally received all-Union recognition in a year.

In his work there are new themes – “Hymn to October”, “in the Mausoleum of Lenin “(1936), “Lenin and Stalin” (1936). In his songs you could meet almost all the heroes of the Soviet power elite, he gave them the features of epic heroes, legendary heroes- ” Aksakal Kalinin “(MV Kalinin – then the nominal head of the Supreme Council),” the Song of the Batyr Ezhov “(then head of the Commissariat of internal Affairs),” Our Kirov ” (Kirov – a major Bolshevik figure, Stalin’s ally).

In the spring of 1936 Zhambyl took part in the decade of Kazakh art in Moscow. After that, he twice visited the capital of the country, and in 1937, as part of the Kazakh delegation visited Georgia, participated in the celebration of the 750th anniversary of the poem of the classic of Georgian literature Shota Rustaveli “the knight in the tiger’s skin.” One after another follow the awards: the order of the red banner of Labor (1936), the order of Lenin (1938), the order “Badge of Honor” (1939). Since 1938 he was a Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR, a member of the Union of writers of Kazakhstan.

At this time in the development of poetic art there is a new huge the rise of a new update. At this time, he composes more than 140 songs, including such great poems as” My homeland”,” My life”, etc. Here are the lines said by the great Kazakh akyn in the autobiographical poem” My life (1936) ” [19]., which have not lost their relevance in our time:

«Вернулась волшебная юность моя. My magical youth is back.

Меня окружает родная семья: I’m surrounded by my own family:
Со мною в богатстве кастекских долин With me in the rich of the castek valleys

                Любимые братья -узбек и грузин, Favorite brothers – Uzbek and Georgian,
                  Татарин и русский, башкир и киргиз, Tatar and Russian, Bashkir and Kirghiz,
                 Для них моя юрта, для них мой кумыс. For them my Yurt, for them my koumiss.
                  Для них моя песня и сердца привет, For them my song and hearts Hello,

И дружба святая на тысячу лет!» And Holy friendship for a thousand years!

In the spring of 1941 he was awarded The state (Stalin) USSR prize of the second degree for well-known poetry. His poems are really widespread being published in two languages, separate books: “Olen-zhyrlar”(“Poems”. 1937), ” Poems. Poems” (1938), “Suranshi-Batyr” (1939, 1940), “Travels to the Caucasus” (1938), “Works of Dzhambul” (vol.I, 1940), “Bolat tondy Batyr” (“Batyr dressed in armor”, 1940). In addition, Zhambyl on the pages of periodicals responded vividly to all significant events in the life of the country: non-stop flights, the opening of new schools, the centenary of the death of Pushkin, the Congress of breeders, etc.

For ten years he created works imbued with Soviet patriotism and pathos of Communist ideas, such as “Armed people”, “Hymn to October”, “lullaby”, “Nag and horse”, “Song of the brotherhood of Nations”, a series of songs about the Stalin Constitution (“the Law of happiness”, “I elect Stalin”, “Servant of the people”, etc.). In 1937, – according to some opinions, under the name of Zhambyl, – there was an ode to Nikolay Ezhov – “Song about Batyr Ezhov”, another version – “people’s Commissar Ezhov”, translated by K. Altaysky. The song by M. Shafrannikov was set to music, but is better known as a poem, because soon Yezhov was removed from all posts, convicted and shot. His songs sincerely glorified life in the country, became part of the new life of the Kazakh village, according to the image of the Eastern sage-elder, welcoming the new system and its people, according to the patterns of the authorities.

In 1941, when the Great Patriotic war began, Zhambyl was 95 years old. Despite his age, the singer responded vividly to the call ” Arm yourself, poet, because the song is a weapon!”and he composed a number of Patriotic songs calling on the Soviet people to heroic struggle and great victory, which were included in separate collections: “Maidan zhyry” (“war Songs”, 1942), “Alynbas Kamal” (“Impregnable fortress”, 1943), “Songs of the war years” (1944), “Kamal buzgan kaharman” (“Hero who took the fortress”, 1945).

Widely known were his songs – more than forty of them – “at the hour when Stalin calls”, “Order of the Motherland”, “Poem of love and anger”, “Moscow” (“Moskvaga”), “Leningrad, my children!”(“Leningradi renders!”). Writer Vladimir Vishnevsky, poet A. Prokofiev and other wordsmiths noted mighty power tolgau “Leningraders, my children!”, which inspired the inhabitants of besieged Leningrad. This paternal message to the Leningraders was pasted up like posters in the most difficult days of the siege.

Here is what T. Zharokov – the famous Kazakh poet who worked as the literary Secretary of Zhambyl about history of creation of this song writes in the memoirs: “…The complex was the creation of the “Leningraders, my children.” Dzhambul in the hard winter of 1942, when T. Zharokov Tarlovsky came to his village, was saddened by the lack of letters from Algaday. First, he was briefly told military reports-Zhambyl loved such an accurate story without embellishment. He became interested in the subject. Then he remembered about Algade. Then the bard broke down and soundly cursed the Nazis as if they were in front of him. It was evident that the creative imagination was awakened. When drinking the tea, Taiyr took up the lute and tried to improvise a song about Leningrad. “Yes, you know the city, you lived there,” Zhambyl remarked, interrupting him. Looking at the akyn, Zharokov realized that he wanted to sing: “I immediately handed him the dombra, and the song poured out. I had my pencil and notebook ready. Dzhambul, as usual in such cases, demanded to read to him the recorded, said: “not so”, sang again and asked to read, again corrected”. Then, on a fresh trail, Tarlovsky made a translation and the song “Leningrad, my children” in the morning was sent to Moscow” [20,115]. For these merits Zhambyl was awarded the medal “for valiant labor in the great Patriotic war of 1941-1945.»

In 1942, the eldest son of akyn-Algaday Zhambylov (born in 1900, the name Algaday means roughly Turkish “janissary”) was drafted into the army. Served in the composition of the 19-cavalry regiment a machine gunner, gone missing. Only some time later the parents received word that their son died a heroic death at Stalingrad. Through years, namely in mid-1950’s youthful trackers local schools figured out, that Algaday died 25 February 1943 year, in battles for liberation station Sinelnikovo Dnipropetrovsk area Ukraine, in the composition of the 35 th artillery command a division. Among the dead, in addition to him, there were 67 Kazakh cavalrymen, to identify the remains of Algaday helped the sword, which Zhambyl handed to his son, seeing him to the front. In 2005, honored worker of Kazakhstan, sculptor B. Abishev made a monument to Algaday Zhambylov, which was installed in the memorial complex of Sinelnikovo in Dnipropetrovsk region. Zhambyl hard survived this loss-the sad news of the death of his son undermined the health of 96-year – old singer (and before that missing at the front of another Son-Iztleu). He wrote the poem “Lady Turala RBR Oh” (lit. “Every thought of my Algadai”), in fact it was zhoktau on the death of his beloved son-an ancient song-crying.

Akyn died June 22, 1945, not having lived to his centenary eight months, in his own spacious house of twelve rooms, specially built for him in 1938, on the eve of the 75th anniversary of creativity. According to the will of the akyn, he was buried near his house, surrounded by an Apple orchard. In 1946, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the poet, a mausoleum was built here (architect I. Belotserkovsky, sketches by people’s artist of Kazakhstan A. Kasteev). In 1946, on the centenary of the poet, in the house where he lived his last years, a literary memorial Museum was opened, which has now become a landmark and pride not only of the Almaty region, but also of the whole Republic.

It is noteworthy that at the entrance to the memorial complex, visitors are greeted by two pyramidal trees-Bayterek, silent witnesses of a bygone era, by the way, peers of the house, planted in 1938. And nearby there is a garage where Zhambyl’s personal car “M-1”, presented to akyn during his life, is on display for visitors, by the way, the car is still on the move [21].

In the years of Independence somewhere on the sidelines, somewhere openly in the press began to appear the views that put in question the authorship of the poems of Zhambyl, saying, for he wrote poets, officially referred to by the translators, and there were rumors persist, claiming that they were first created in Russian language, the Russian poets attached for Zhambyl. This referred to the apocryphal memoirs of composers E. Brusilovsky and D. Shostakovich.

Besides recollections of A. Aldan-Semenov who claimed that Zhambyl “created” it when in 1934 received a task from party to find any akyn were resulted. Zhambyl was found by him on the recommendation of the Chairman of the farm. The criterion of choice was poverty and the presence of many children and grandchildren. Poems for him wrote Aldan-Semenov, after his arrest, the case involved other “translators”. Among them, allegedly, was mark Tarlovsky, who is listed as the translator of most of Dzhambul’s war poems, including ” Leningraders, my children» [22].

Merits

Zhambyl occupies an honorable place in the history of Kazakhstan, left a very valuable creative heritage. His work became the property of not only national, but also world literature. As a man of his time, the poet sincerely praised him. Songs of Zhambyl became a part of the new life of the Kazakh village. In 1937, the year of the 75th anniversary of his creative activity, the national poet received congratulatory telegrams from many leading figures of the world.

One of them – an outstanding French writer, Nobel laureate R. Rolland sent a telegram with the words:”From the heart of the Western Alps I send a kindred greeting to Zhambyl – the messenger of the Kazakh people and the new humanity”. Danish writer Martin Andersen Nexe warmly welcomed the Kazakh singer: “You are the happiest man – he wrote-long live your heart in the forever young, free and happy Soviet country, the heart of a man who has experienced an interesting and rich life from the nomadic way to the high advanced Soviet culture.”

In 1938, akyn was elected Deputy of the armed forces of the Kazakh SSR, awarded the order of Lenin, and in 1939 was awarded the order “Badge of Honor”. With new force sounded the voice of old Zhambyl in the terrible years of the second world war, his inspired appeal to the defenders of the besieged Leningrad – “Leningrad, my children!”- one of the best creations of the multinational Soviet poetry of the war years.

In 1941, the Soviet people’s Commissar of the USSR noted creativity akyn Stalin prize 2 degrees. During the war years Zhambyl wrote poems that support the Patriotic spirit of the people. Zhambyl was published in many languages both in the USSR and abroad, and his name became widely known around the world.

They still write articles about him, defend dissertations; his poems have long been included in textbooks. Among those who wrote in his time about Zhambyl were M. Sholokhov, P. Tychina, N. Tikhonov, K. Simonov, R. Rolland, Martin Andersen Nexe and other prominent writers and researchers. Contemporaries paid tribute to the great poet because he, perhaps, like no other, was a singer and Herald of brotherhood and friendship of people”.

February 28, 1946 State public library.M. E. Saltykova-Shchedrin on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Zhambyl in the “Calendar of significant dates” publishes information material about akyn, which ends with the words:”…Songs of Dzhambul-the great akyn of Kazakhstan – a remarkable phenomenon in Soviet poetry, vivid evidence of the triumph of Stalin’s national policy, unbreakable friendship of the peoples of the Soviet country» [23].

Memory

The river of time flows rapidly, but the national love for Zhambyl does not fade. During the life of akyn decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on October 14, 1939 was formed Zhambyl region. On may 4, 1993, by the resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the transcription of the name of the Dzhambul region in Russian was changed to Zhambyl region. and G. Dzhambul-on “Zhambyl”.(“On January 8, 1997, the city of Zhambyl was renamed Taraz by the decree of the President of Kazakhstan).

In 1939 Kastek district was renamed into Dzhambul district, from May 4, 1993-Zhambyl district (Almaty region). There is a village in Zhambyl district, the center of Zhambyl rural district. In February 1946, the public of Kazakhstan celebrated the 100th anniversary of the famous poet, published an academic collection of selected works of the poet in Russian and Kazakh languages. In 1947, in the village of Zhambyl Zhambyl district of Almaty region in the house where he lived in recent years Zhambyl opened a literary memorial Museum akyn.

In 1966 and 1970 postal art marked envelopes dedicated to Zhambyl Zhabayev were issued. Postage stamps of the USSR (1971) and Kazakhstan were issued. November 15, 2017 in the development of the theme “Uly Dala Eli” put into circulation a postal block of 2 stamps dedicated to Zhambyl region. Stamps and coupons in the block represent objects of historical, cultural and spiritual heritage of the region, as well as a monument to Zh.Zhabayev, installed in the Central square of Taraz.

In 1971, self-taught breeder Leonid Kolesnikov brought lilac variety “Dzhambul”, which became the world’s first lilac with white-bordered petals.

About Zhambyl filmed: in 1952, the feature film “Zhambyl” (dir. Yefim Dzigan, “Kazakhfilm”, 1952), documentary “Zhambyl: the Great singer of mankind” (dir. Kalila Umarov, “Kazakhtelecom”, 1994). In 1996 to the 150th anniversary of akyn the film “Youth of Zhambyl”was created. In February 2016, the national TV channel “Kazakhstan “presented to the audience the series” Zhambyl ” of 4 parts.

In the Namangan region of Uzbekistan there is a village Zhambyl. Streets and lanes are named after him: in the Russian Federation Dzhambul lane (b. Leshtukov lane) in St. Petersburg and lane in Lipetsk, lane and street in Izhevsk, streets in Volgograd, Irkutsk, Kemerovo, Kurgan, Nizhny Novgorod, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Ukraine-in Kiev, Yenakievo and Uzhgorod, etc.

On the territory of the Republic there are schools, colleges, libraries and houses of culture. After Zhambyl. The name of Zhambyl was also given to several districts, a number of settlements, institutions and educational institutions, art centers, the Kazakh state Philharmonic in Almaty, the drama theater in Ust-Kamenogorsk. An international prize of the same name has been established for young writers and poets. In 1946, a mausoleum was erected on the grave of akyn (architect I. I. Belotserkovsky, sketches by people’s artist of Kazakhstan A. Kasteev).

Monuments were built: in Taraz, in Almaty, in Yoshik (Almaty region), in Safonovka village (Atyrau region), in Nivki Park in Kiev, in 2002, in Dzhambul lane in St. Petersburg-a gift of Kazakhstan to the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg. In honor of the 170th anniversary of the poet in the Serbian capital Belgrade was opened another monument.

References

1 Zhambyl Zhabaev. Izbrannoe. – M.: IPC «Russkij raritet», 2006. – 240 s.

2 A.Donskih «V noch’ u podnozh’ja Dzhamul gory» Kazpravda,30.08.2013,№263

3 Dzhambul Dzhabaev, Izbrannye proizvedenija, Alma-Ata, 1958, str.344

4 Ysmajylov E. Zhambyl zhәne halyқ aқyndary. – Almaty: Sanat. –1996.str.68-69

5 Zharokov T. Vospominanija o Dzhambule / Tvorchestvo Dzhambula: stat’i, zametki, materialy.– Alma-Ata: Izd. AN Kaz SSR. –1956.

6 Dzhambul Dzhabaev, Izbrannye proizvedenija, Alma-Ata, 1958, str. 28

7 S.M. Bibincev, 100-letie so dnja rozhdenija velikogo akyna Kazahstana, 28.03. 1946, Gosudarstvennaja publichnaja biblioteka im.M.E. Saltykova-Shhedrina.

8. S.Kaskabasov «Zhambyl – klassik kazahskoj ustnoj literatury» Kazpravda, 2 marta, 2016 g.

9 Tam zhe

10 Qasıetti Qazaqstan – Svjashhennyj Kazahstan. Rezhim dostupa: https://vk.com/wall-64003156?offset=200

11 Zharokov T. Vospominanija o Dzhambule / Tvorchestvo Dzhambula: stat’i, zametki, materialy.– Alma-Ata: Izd. AN KazSSR. –1956 g.

12 Tam zhe, str.117

13 Satpaeva Sh., Musinov A. Dzhambul. Rezhim dostupa : http://bibliotekar.kz/

14 Tam zhe

15 Ysmajylov E. Zhambyl zhәne halyқ aқyndary. – Almaty: Sanat. –1996, str.84

16 Zhantekeeva Z. Zametki sobiratelja ob ustnom rasprostranenii tekstov Dzhambula/Tvorchestvo Dzhambula: stat’i, zametki, materialy.–Alma-Ata: Izd. AN KazSSR. –1956, str.105

17 Zharokov T. Vospominanija o Dzhambule / Tvorchestvo Dzhambula: stat’i, zametki, materialy.– Alma-Ata: Izd. AN Kaz SSR. –1956, str.111

18 Satpaeva Sh., Musinov A. Dzhambul. Rezhim dostupa : http://bibliotekar.kz/

19 B.Altaev., Zdes’ vse napominaet o Zhambyle, KAzpravda , 01:35, 4 Nojabrja 2016 g.

20 Zharokov T. Vospominanija o Dzhambule / Tvorchestvo Dzhambula: stat’i, zametki, materialy.

Alma-Ata: Izd. AN Kaz SSR. –1956.

21 K.Zelinskij «Dzhambul» Sovetskij pisatel’, M-1955 str.80

22 Dzhambul Dzhabaev//Material iz Vikippedii – svobodnoj jenciklopedii

23 S.M.Babincev: Kalendar’ pamjatnyh dat Gos. publichnoj biblioteki im.M.E. Saltykova-

Shhedrina.