Literary and cultural museum named after S. Yerubayev

Literary and Museum Complex named after Sattar Yerubayev
Branch of the Turkestan Regional Museum of History and Local Lore

The Literary and Museum Complex named after Sattar Yerubayev was opened in 1989. It is an important cultural and educational center dedicated to the life and creative legacy of the outstanding representative of Kazakh literature, the talented writer and poet Sattar Askaruly Yerubayev.

Sattar Askaruly Yerubayev (1914-1937) is one of the most prominent figures in Kazakh literature, who left a significant artistic legacy despite his short life. Born in the Turkestan region of the South Kazakhstan area and raised in an orphanage, Sattar Yerubayev revealed his literary talent at an early age and became a well-known writer and journalist. His creative and professional activity made a notable contribution to the development of Kazakh literature and journalism.

In 1934-1935, he worked in Karaganda, where he devoted a significant part of his work to the theme of mining and the life of an industrial city. This period became an important stage in the formation of his creative style, characterized by a combination of journalistic sharpness and artistic expressiveness.

Poetry holds a special place in Yerubayev’s creative heritage. He was one of the first in Kazakh literature to actively develop genres such as the ballad, epigram, and literary parody. His works - “Passport of Life,” “Autumn Fragment,” “Pearl Necklace,” “On Eternal Life,” and “Ballad of Three Miners” - are distinguished by philosophical depth and artistic expression. A significant part of his legacy consists of prose works: short stories, essays, novellas, and journalistic articles in which the author explores the inner world of a person, their spiritual search, and moral values.

Sattar Yerubayev is also the author of a literature textbook for the 10th grade of Kazakh schools. His posthumously published novel My Contemporaries (1939) gained wide recognition and was republished many times. In 1957, a collection of his selected works was published, further preserving and popularizing his literary heritage.

The writer’s life was tragically cut short in 1937 at the age of 23; however, his creative legacy became an integral part of Kazakh national literature.

Sattar Yerubayev is rightfully considered one of the innovators of Kazakh literature, who made a significant contribution to the development of the genres of ballad, novella, parody, and epigram. His works entered the golden fund of national literature. He also contributed significantly to translation studies by translating works of K. Chukovsky, Yu. Berezin, A. Surikov, I. Ehrenburg, and other representatives of world literature into the Kazakh language.

The museum is located in a historical architectural monument of the early 20th century. Between 1910 and 1920, the building was used as a Russian-native school, later transformed into a Kazakh school named after Abai. Until 1988, it housed primary classes of Secondary School No. 1 named after A. Baitursynov.

In 1989, a departmental memorial museum of Sattar Yerubayev was opened in this building. From 1991 to 1995, the museum was part of the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Azret Sultan.” Since 1995, it has carried its current name and functions as a branch of the Turkestan Regional Museum of History and Local Lore.

The total area of the museum is 1,574 square meters. The museum collection contains 4,111 items, including rare photographs, manuscripts, personal belongings, archival documents, and historical exhibits.

The museum exposition consists of the following thematic sections:

1.             “Sattar Yerubayev” - dedicated to the writer’s life and creative activity. It presents materials about his family, friends, colleagues, as well as memoirs of poets and writers of his time.

2.             “Outstanding Personalities of the Turkestan Region” - presents biographies and achievements of poets, writers, scholars, and cultural and public figures of the region.

3.             Ethnographic Section - introduces the traditional culture of the Kazakh people, features of nomadic and settled life, as well as spiritual and material heritage.

4.             Sports and Outstanding Personalities Section - presents materials about athletes of the region such as A. Nurmakhanov, Kh. Akkaliyev, B. Sattarkhanov, O. Zharylkapov, and others, along with their personal belongings and photographs.

The Literary and Museum Complex named after Sattar Yerubayev is an important scientific, educational, and cultural center located in a historic building with a unique collection. It helps preserve literary heritage, strengthen historical memory, and foster cultural identity.

Today, the museum is actively developing as one of the key centers of regional literary tourism, making a significant contribution to the spiritual and cultural development of Turkestan Region.