ASTANA – On Feb. 2, Kazakhstan marks the 85th birthday of Mukhtar Magauin, a Kazakh historian writer dedicated to revealing the reality of history through the lens of artistic truth. Admired for his acclaimed historical novels, Magauin passed away on Jan. 10, just three weeks before his 85th birthday.
Mukhtar Magauin, a Kazakh historian writer. Photo credit: qazalem.kz
Magauin was born in 1940 in the village of Barshatas in the East Kazakhstan Region.
After earning a degree in philology from what is now Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, he began his career in 1965 as head of the literary criticism department of the Kazakh Adebieti (Kazakh Literature) newspaper.
From 1967 to 1981, Magauin served as deputy editor-in-chief at the Zhazushy (Writer) publishing house. He later became a senior researcher at the Mukhtar Auezov Institute of Literature and Art under the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR). He lectured about Kazakh folklore and the history of Kazakh literature at the Maxim Gorky Literature Institute in Moscow.
In the 1980s, he transitioned to freelance writing while holding key editorial roles as editor-in-chief at Zhazushy publishing house and Zhuldyz (Star) magazine. Additionally, he served as secretary of the Union of Writers of Kazakhstan.
Magauin’s literary works
Author of the renowned Kazakh novel “Alasapyran” (Troubled Times), Magauin explored the life and turbulent fate of Oraz-Muhamed Sultan, an actual historical figure, against the backdrop of the dramatic events in Russian and Kazakh society during the 16–17th centuries.
The main character, Oraz-Muhammed, is a noble Kazakh prince captured by Russian soldiers and taken to Moscow. Recognized for his nobility, he rose in ranks to command a Tatar regiment and gained the Russian Tsar’s favor before his sudden assassination.
The novel earned the writer the state prize of the Kazakh SSR.
While “Alasapyran” was his most popular work, his lasting legacy as a historical writer lies in a series of books on the Kazakh Khanate era, including “Chingiz Khan” (2011-2016), which covers the history of Central Asia in the 12-13th centuries and “The Sound of Kobyz” (1968), which analyzes the works of 15–18th centuries Kazakh poets and poetesses.
In 1996, Magauin was awarded the People’s Writer of Kazakhstan title. In 1997, in Türkiye, he received the prestigious international award for services to the Turkic World.
Magauin was a writer and translator, bringing works by foreign authors into Kazakh, including Somerset Maugham’s stories and Henry Haggard’s novel “King Solomon’s Mines.”
Last years
For nearly 18 years, Magauin lived abroad in the United States but remained deeply connected to his homeland. He passed away at his home in Maryland on Jan. 10, surrounded by family.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed his condolences, calling Magauin an “outstanding master of words” who significantly contributed to Kazakh literature and history.
“He worked tirelessly to enrich the spiritual life and expand the understanding of our people’s past. His works of fiction, historical works, essays and memoirs found a wide response in the hearts of readers. The vivid image of Mukhtar Mukanuly, who lived a worthy life and left behind a rich creative heritage, will forever remain in the memory of our people,” Tokayev stated in a message from Akorda.
