Kazakhstan marks the 175th birth anniversary of the great poet, philosopher and public figure Abai Kunanbaiuly. It will be one of the most important events of the year in Kazakhstan.

Hundreds of events have been planned in Kazakhstan and abroad to mark the poet’s birthday in August. The celebrations will feature publication of his works in foreign languages, conferences, discussion and flash mobs popularizing of his legacy. A new feature film ‘Abai’ will be released soon. 

“It is my deepest conviction that Abai is a destiny’s gift to the Kazakh people. He was sent to salvage the Kazakh people from pessimism, to instill humanism in them. The Kazakh poets of the 18th century were apocalyptic – they could foresee and feel the approaching changes and hard times. Abai felt that too, and he looked for solutions, and that makes him a great man of his time.  His genius lies in him offering ways to solve the societal challenges,” said a public figure, Murat Auezov.

Abai’s books have been published in Kazakh, Russian and foreign languages. In the USA, a large collection of his works will be released in English. According to the writer, Rollan Seisenbaev, Abai’s legacy must be promoted at home and internationally.