Book Kulbek Yergobekov “Sabit Mukanov”

Description

Kulbek Yergobekov. Sabit Mukanov
Almaty: Mektep, 1989. - 144 pages.

Personally, like many other Kazakhs, I grew up admiring Sabit Mukanov from a young age. I read his works with great affection. Under the leadership of renowned cultural figure Özbekali Zhanibek, I helped build his museum in Almaty with my own hands.
I searched archives in various countries around the world and dedicated myself to Sabittanu - the study of Sabit Mukanov’s life and work. In those archives, I encountered both favorable and unfavorable materials. Such is life. Alongside admiration, feelings of resentment also took root in my heart.
I wrote a book that goes beyond praise, delving into the mysteries of his craft and analyzing his literary style. I harshly criticized moments where he mocked representatives of Alash Orda - those who had devoted themselves to the dream of an independent Kazakh nation, risking their lives and ultimately sacrificing them.
I was praised for glorifying Sabit, and condemned for criticizing him. People we once revered as national leaders turned out to have written denunciations to Joseph Stalin against the Alash Orda, showing him how to eliminate the intellectual elite of the Kazakh people. After reading those foul-smelling documents from the Stalin archives, I began to feel a renewed respect for Sabit.
Upon reflection, I realize: Sabit, too, opposed the Alash Orda. It was an act driven by communist ideology. But he never wrote letters to the supreme executioner, never sent denunciations, never betrayed his people. Everything becomes clear - he was someone who genuinely loved the Soviet regime and sincerely believed in the Communist Party.
Sabit Mukanov is an entire era of Kazakh literature. He is not merely a writer of Kazakh literature - he is its standard-bearer and organizer.