Our People > Duisenali Alimakyn

Duisenali Alimakyn is a Kazakh journalist, translator, and researcher covering literature, culture, and science. His research, including at the George Washington University, has a strong focus on Western narratives about Central Asia over the centuries.

Articles

How a Kazakh Writer`s Book About American Couch Grass Was Written

During his lifetime, Gabit Musirepov was celebrated as a people’s writer, translator, dramatist, critic, academician, Hero of Socialist Labor, and statesman. Known in Kazakhstan as the “Master of Words,” he became a figure of national pride, and his works continue to be widely read today. What is less known, however, is the story of his very first book. Long before he became famous for his fiction, Musirepov published a small agricultural manual titled Amirkan Bidayygy (American Couch Grass). Released in 1928 by the “Kazakhstan State” publishing house in Kyzylorda with a circulation of 5,000, the booklet sought to answer a pressing question: how could Kazakh farmers improve their fields and livestock fodder? [caption id="attachment_36744" align="aligncenter" width="308"] First page of book Amirkan Bidayygy (American Couch Grass)[/caption] The introduction explained the need for such a work. At the time, Kazakh peasants planted oats, millet, wheat, and barley, but often without proper techniques. Fodder crops were largely unknown, except in limited areas along the Syr Darya River. Previous manuals existed, but they were poorly translated from Russian or intended for experienced Russian farmers, making them inaccessible to Kazakhs. Musirepov’s book, written in plain language and tailored to local conditions, filled that gap. This was Musirepov’s first published book. He wrote it in early 1927, the same year his first prose work, In the Grip of the Sea, appeared later in the autumn. Fellow writer Sabit Mukanov recalled: “After graduating from the Orenburg Workers’ Faculty in 1926, Gabit entered the Agricultural Academy in Omsk. In early 1927, he sent me his booklet Amirkan Bidayygy for publication. We printed it. I still keep his letter where he wrote, ‘The money from this book kept my family fed for half the winter.’” The publisher acknowledged in the foreword that the young author might have overlooked some scientific details, but praised the work as “one of the best guides for improving the lives of Kazakh peasants,” insisting that every farmer should read it. [caption id="attachment_36745" align="aligncenter" width="436"] Musirepov`s introduction[/caption] In his own introduction, Musirepov explained, “I had two goals. First, to show why farming remained unproductive by pointing out poor land conditions. Second, to offer ways of overcoming these problems and raising productivity. I believe I achieved both.” This statement reflects the sincerity and social purpose that would later define his literary career: whatever he wrote, it was always with the hope of benefiting his people. Musirepov also asked a practical question: What kind of grass does the Kazakh land need? His answer was clear - crops that could withstand severe winters, scorching summers, and drought, while producing abundant, nutritious fodder and enriching the soil. After considering various options, he concluded that yellow alfalfa and American couch grass were the most suitable. Of the two, he argued, couch grass was best suited to Kazakhstan’s harsh climate.

7 months ago

Shared Values, Shared Voices: An Interview With Spain’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan

In recent years, cultural cooperation between Spain and Kazakhstan has gained new momentum. Although the two countries are separated by a vast geographical distance, their cultural ties are growing closer through shared values. The Embassy of Spain in Kazakhstan has implemented a number of major projects in this regard. TCA spoke with the Ambassador of Spain to Kazakhstan, Luis Martínez Montes. TCA: It’s been several months since you became the Ambassador to Kazakhstan. What aspects of our culture do you enjoy? LMM: In fact, this is my second diplomatic posting to Kazakhstan. The first was from 1999 to 2002, when Spain opened its embassy in Almaty before moving to Astana. Twenty-five years later, I’ve returned as Ambassador to a country I consider my second home. There are so many things I love about Kazakhstan, including its nature and its gastronomy, that it’s hard to choose. But if I had to pick one, it would be the people, especially the younger generations. I spend much of my time visiting schools and universities, where I see a tremendous energy and thirst for knowledge among Kazakh students. I organize weekly lectures, debate clubs, and informal lunches at my residence with students and Kazakh intellectuals. Their conversations enrich me and help me better understand the direction this country is taking. TCA: You once mentioned that you visited the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. What impression did it leave on you? LMM: I visited Turkistan in 1999, and I have a memorable anecdote from that trip. While visiting the mausoleum, the local guide found out I was from Spain and enthusiastically mentioned Ibn Arabi, the great Sufi poet from Al-Andalus [the name for Spain during its Islamic period]. She spoke of him as a near-contemporary of Ahmed Yasawi. I’m grateful for that moment because it was through this cultivated Kazakh woman who could recite at length poems by both Sufi sages that I developed my lifelong admiration for Ibn Arabi. I found it truly fascinating that two poets, Ibn Arabi and Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, living at opposite ends of the Eurasian continent, could produce such profound and beautiful poetry, inspired by the same spiritual quest for God. TCA: Abai Kunanbayuly, like Cervantes, elevated a nation’s literature and culture. We translated Cervantes into Kazakh many years ago, and Don Quixote has been reprinted many times. We also heard that Abai’s works have been translated into Spanish. How has the Spanish readership received him? LMM: As you know, the late Pope Francis, who was from Argentina, quoted Abai more than a dozen times at the opening of the Seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in 2022. Some works by Abai were translated into Spanish in 2020 by María Sánchez Puig, who received the Order of Dostyk for her work in bringing Kazakh literature closer to Spanish-speaking audiences. Another project is currently underway to translate selections from Abai’s Book of Words into Spanish this year. We’re also developing the first Kazakh-Spanish dictionary to make it...

8 months ago

Kazakh Entrepreneur in Paris Launches Perfume Inspired by the “Kiz-Jibek” Epic

An ethnic Kazakh living in Paris has launched a perfume called Kiz-Jibek on the French market. Its founder, Nurzhan Tolegen, was born in China’s Ili Kazakh region and grew up in Kulja before eventually settling in the French capital. “I am the grandson of a nomadic people. My grandparents left their homeland during the civil war, carrying with them the soul of Kazakhstan etched into their stories, their songs, and their memories. Yet I had never set foot on those vast steppes whose grandeur my mother, a professor of literature, so often evoked,” he shares on his personal website. [caption id="attachment_35686" align="aligncenter" width="466"] Nurzhan Tolegen; image: www.tolegenparis.com[/caption] In 2021, Nurzhan traveled to Kazakhstan for the first time, spending a month reconnecting with his ancestral homeland. Those four weeks felt like a rebirth for him and marked a turning point in his life. Returning to France, he established a luxury perfume house, Tolegen Paris: a tribute to both his surname and to a heroic figure celebrated in a 16th-century Kazakh epic. In May 2025 he introduced Kiz-Jibek, describing it as “a fragrance honoring eternal love” and “a scent laced with wormwood.” The Kiz-Jibek epic, a cornerstone of Kazakh cultural heritage, reflects the values of traditional society. It emphasizes unity and loyalty to the homeland while exploring universal themes of love, virtue, honesty, and beauty. Through the character of Kiz-Jibek, one encounters the timeless image of the Kazakh woman—gentle yet resilient, modest yet dignified. [caption id="attachment_35688" align="aligncenter" width="624"] The epic characters Kiz-Jibek and Tolegen[/caption] For over five centuries, Kazakhs have sung the tale of Kiz-Jibek. Its central figures—Bazarbai, Tolegen, Kiz-Jibek, and Sansyzbai—are believed to have lived in history, with the story unfolding along the Ural River among the Jagalbaily tribe. In both the epic and the famous film, Tolegen is treacherously slain by Bekezhan, after which Kiz-Jibek, devastated by grief, throws herself into the river.

8 months ago

Henry Wallace’s Journey to Central Asia and Its Connection to Kazakhstan

Central Asia has long held significance for the Western world — both in the past century and today. The region is home to ancient peoples and rich indigenous traditions. As a journalist from Kazakhstan, I became curious about the cultural ties between the United States and my country. In 2023, I studied at George Washington University through the Bolashak scholarship program to explore this subject in depth. My research led me to numerous works written by American travelers and scholars. Among them, I discovered a book authored by former U.S. Vice President Henry Wallace, based on his journey to Central Asia. [caption id="attachment_35215" align="aligncenter" width="351"] Henry WallaceCredit Hudson Institute[/caption] His book, Soviet Asia Mission, was published in New York in 1946 and reflects observations from that trip. During this special mission in 1944, Wallace first traveled through Siberia, where he studied the conditions of the local population, before continuing on to the Kazakh steppe. Wallace describes the social and political realities of Kazakhstan under Soviet rule, as well as the industrial projects that caught his attention. As a senior American politician, he was particularly interested in production and agriculture. “Down to meet us at the airfield was the director, Georg Georgevich Spitsen. In motorcars, we drove at once to the largest of Karaganda's three big open-pit coal mines. With a sweeping gesture, Spitsen said: “We are digging 6,000 tons of coal a day here. Production began a year ago." A proud shovel operator, scooping up tons of run-of-mine coal to load into steel hopper cars, waved to us. The tracks were driven directly into the cut. We looked closely at the shovel's trademark. It was a Bucyrus Erie electric shovel, one of three at work here, and had been shipped in under lend-lease from the United States.” His journey to Kazakhstan in the previous century demonstrates that U.S.–Kazakh political contacts began earlier than is often assumed.. Although Kazakhstan’s place in the Soviet system was highly constrained, Wallace’s account provides valuable insight into the wartime Soviet republics.. “After lunch at Karaganda, we took off, flying southwest over very dry country. Even the streams were dried out, except in deep valleys where clusters of huts could be seen in the midst of green oases. When still a long distance away, we could see a wide expanse of water ahead. It was Lake Balkhash, bright blue in the midst of gray, treeless country. Along the shore rose the smoking stacks of smelters. On landing at the dirt airfield, we were welcomed to the copper-smelting town of Balkhash by its mayor, Anna Stepanovna Piribinus, president of the city Soviet.” His next stop was Semipalatinsk (today’s Semey). There Wallace spoke with Dimitri Chuvakhin of the Soviet Foreign Office, who accompanied him on the trip. “This kind of thing,” he said, referring to the new towns we had seen, “this kind of thing saved Russia. Trotsky was against it; he thought there had to be a world revolution. Stalin had faith in the moral stamina of...

8 months ago

How Did Kazakh Poet Abai Qunanbaiuly`s Name Reach the U.S.?

Kazakh literature is filled with towering figures who have shaped the nation’s cultural and spiritual identity. Among them, Abai Qunanbaiuly (1845–1904) remains the most iconic. A poet, philosopher, and intellectual of global stature, Abai left behind a legacy that continues to resonate within world literature. As Kazakhstan celebrates the 180th anniversary of his birth, it is a fitting moment to explore how his influence extended far beyond the steppe, reaching as far as the United States. George Kennan: The American Who Introduced Abai to the World In 1885, American journalist George Kennan visited Semey (then Semipalatinsk) and was deeply impressed by the city’s public library. To his surprise, local Kazakhs actively borrowed and read books, a rare sight for that time and region. In his influential work Siberia and the Exile System, Kennan specifically mentioned Abai, marking one of the earliest references to the Kazakh thinker in Western literature. Kennan’s account stands out for its authenticity. It is based not on secondhand stories but on direct observation. His writings confirm Abai’s presence in Semey’s intellectual life and suggest that the poet had begun to attract attention well beyond the Kazakh steppe. [caption id="attachment_34625" align="alignnone" width="232"] Credit «Siberia and the Exile System», by George Kennan[/caption] From Kennan’s descriptions, we gain insight into what Abai read, who his associates were, and how his worldview aligned with major thinkers of the time. Abai’s intellectual growth was greatly influenced by E. P. Mikhaelis, a Russian political exile and lifelong friend. Under Mikhaelis’s guidance, Abai refined his reading habits and began a new phase of self-education. Through Mikhaelis, he was introduced to other exiled Russian intellectuals such as S. S. Gross, A. A. Leontiev, and N. I. Dolgopolov. These thinkers were struck by Abai’s intellectual depth, civic engagement, and dedication to the betterment of his people. In return, Abai introduced them to Kazakh culture, history, and oral traditions, becoming a cultural bridge between East and West. [caption id="attachment_34627" align="alignnone" width="300"] Аbai and E.P. Mikhaelis[/caption] Kennan also described the library in Semey, where Abai was a frequent visitor and reader. Since the original excerpt is in English, it is often shared as an image in historical archives rather than a transcription. [caption id="attachment_34628" align="alignnone" width="201"] Credit «Siberia and the Exile System», by George Kennan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_34629" align="alignnone" width="300"] The exterior appearance of the library in Semey where Abai was a reader[/caption] Abai’s Songs and Wesleyan University Abai’s influence extended not only through literature but also through music. In 1970, Wesleyan University Press in Connecticut published Music of Central Asia: Essays on the History of Music of the Peoples of the USSR, a groundbreaking volume by V. Belyaev and other scholars. The book includes a chapter titled Kazakh Music: From the 15th Century to the Mid-18th Century, which devotes special attention to Abai’s musical legacy. Belyaev describes Abai as a progressive thinker and a voice for enlightenment, quoting one of his famous verses: "Song opens the doors of the world to you, Song opens the death to...

9 months ago