Ilyas Zhansugurov ( kz, Ілияс Жансүгіров, ''Ilias Jansügırov''; 1 May 1894 — 26 February 1938) was a Kazakh poet and writer. He made a significant contribution to the development of national poetic culture, creatively developed the traditions of Kazakh oral

folk art Folk art covers all forms of visual art made in the context of folk culture. Definitions vary, but generally the objects have practical utility of some kind, rather than being exclusively decorative art, decorative. The makers of folk art a ...

. The town of

Zhansugirov Zhansugirov ( kz, Жансүгіров, romanized: ''Jansügırov'') is a village in Aksu District, Almaty Region, Kazakhstan. It's the administrative center An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, ...

Almaty Province Almaty Region ( kk, Алматы облысы, Almaty oblysy; russian: Алматинская область, Almatinskaya oblast) is a Regions of Kazakhstan, region in Kazakhstan, located in the southeastern part of the country. Its capital, fro ...

is named after him and he is commemorated in

Taldykorgan Taldykorgan ( kk, Талдықорған/Taldyqorğan; russian: Талдыкорган), known as ''Taldy-Kurgan'' until 1993, is the capital (called an administrative center) of Zhetysu Region, Kazakhstan. According to the 2010 Kazakh Census Res ...

and

Almaty Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to ...

. A friend of another classic writer

Mukhtar Auezov Mukhtar Omarkhanuli Auezov ( kz, Mūhtar Omarhanūly Äuezov, Мұхтар Омарханұлы Әуезов, مۇحتار ومارحانۇلى اۋەزوۆ, ; russian: Мухта́р Омарха́нович Ауэ́зов, ''Mukhtar Omarkhanovi ...

, Zhansugurov was the First President of the

Writers' Union of Kazakhstan The Writers' Union of Kazakhstan ( kk, Qаzаqstаn Jаzuşylаr Odаğy, russian: Союз писателей Казахстана) is a Kazakhstan, Kazakh literary organization, established in the 1930s. Since its inception at least 750 of Kazak ...

from 1934 to 1936. He wrote the novel ''Comrades'' (1933), targeted against the Soviet power, but also wrote loving poems such as ''The Steppe'' (1930) and ''Kulager'' (1936). He was repressed in 1937, as his writing was seen as a fuel for Kazakh nationalism, and shot on 26 February 1938. The I. Zhansugurov Literary Museum is a center dedicated to the study of his work.

References

Kazakhstani poets Soviet poets Male poets Soviet male writers 20th-century male writers 1894 births 1938 deaths Great Purge victims from Kazakhstan Deaths by firearm in Kazakhstan Executed Kazakhstani people {{Kazakhstan-writer-stub