The Historical Role of the Book “Az i Ya”

On May 27, 2025, in Almaty, the International Center for the Rapprochement of Cultures under the auspices of UNESCO, in partnership with the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation, Narxoz University, RUDN University, organized the VII International Conference in Support of the Culture of Knowledge on the theme “The Birth of Turkic Slavic Studies”, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the book by the poet and public figure Olzhas Suleimenov “Az i Ya”.

The rector of the University “Turan”, Doctor of Economics, Professor Alshanov R.A. was invited as a distinguished guest.

The purpose of the conference is a scientific understanding of the historical role of the book “Az i Ya”, which influenced the formation of the national and international self-awareness of several generations of readers of Eurasia, for half a century bringing cultures together and revealing their interdependent history.

The conference included a ceremonial presentation of the new edition of the book “Az i Ya”, an archival collection of documents from the 1970-1980s that reveal the history of the book “Az i Ya”, the 5th issue of the literary magazine “Prostor” dedicated to the anniversary of the book, and a ceremonial presentation of the Olzhas Suleimenov International Prize in the field of journalism.

Half a century ago, “Az i Ya” became a historical work of truth, where the main plot is the dramatic acquisition of self-awareness by peoples in dialogue with each other. Over the past decades, this book has taken a prominent place among the works that determined the development and rapprochement of the cultures of Eurasia, becoming a worthy element of the intellectual heritage of mankind. The conference discussed the scientific and cultural experience of those years, expressed in the book “Az i Ya”. In the 1960-70-80s, thanks to the active work of the intelligentsia, the historical experience of the peoples was understood in the national republics to move into a state of active social action. This is a period of conscious interdependence of literature and nations in dialogue with the world.

It was the literary works of those decades that returned great names to Kazakh culture, several centuries and millennia of evidence, bringing together the biographies of peoples on the roads to the future with knowledge, giving them historical memory and the right to act in the 21st century. “Az i Ya”, which determined the acquisition of historical subjectivity by the national intelligentsia for decades to come, entered the intellectual history of the 20th century, giving several generations of readers not only the content, but also the very style of its presentation, the freedom of genuine knowledge of history, necessary for the future.

Olzhas Suleimenov, having begun the book as a poetic decoding of the “dark places” of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”, created a new scientific discipline – Turkic Slavic studies, and, having made discoveries of the Turkic etymology of Sumerian words and hieroglyphs, developed a new methodology (archeology of the sign and the word), which made it possible to study their origin. And the historical and linguistic project “1001 words” proclaimed half a century ago in the book “Az i Ya” was embodied not only in the scientific and literary works of the author, but became the basis of the global UNESCO project for the rapprochement of cultures.

The conference brought together scientists, writers, cultural and artistic figures in the study of the most famous book by Olzhas Suleimenov, who began in the 20th century the process of restoring and generalizing knowledge about what culture is and what path humanity has taken on its routes to the future.

The conference was attended by Mukhambedyarova A.T., Director of the Higher School of International Relations and Diplomacy, as well as students of this educational program. Acquaintance with domestic representatives of advanced views, with legendary personalities of Kazakhstani culture inspires young people to high achievements in their future profession.