Akhmeta Baytursynuly glorified as an innovator who transformed national writing. To combat illiteracy among the Kazakhs between 1910 and 1912, he redesigned the Arabic alphabet to include 24 characters: 5 vowels, 17 consonants and 2 semivowels, all based on the Arabic script. This alphabet was adopted in all Muslim and Soviet schools from 1913 to 1929 and is still used by Kazakhs in China. Baitursynuly is also the author of a groundbreaking book "Reading tool: Kazakh alphabet" (“Textbook: Kazakh primer”), designed to make learning easier with this new alphabet.
Detstvo
Akhmet Baitursynuly was born on September 5, 1872 in the modern Kostanay region of Kazakhstan. Initially, his exact date of birth was unclear, with most sources citing September 29. However, in 2012, in a document called «Biography», written by Baitursynuly himself, his date of birth was indicated as September 5. His father Baitursyn was a respected and influential leader who staunchly defended his community. After a dispute with a district official, Baitursyn and his brothers were exiled to Siberia for hard labor.
This traumatic event deeply affected Akhmet. As he reflected on his father's ordeal in a letter to his mother from Semipalatinsk prison, he reflected on his own ethical responsibilities and legacy. Despite these difficulties, Baitursynuly was dedicated to his education, from studying with a local mullah and at a rural school to graduating from the Orenburg pedagogical school founded by Altynsarin, despite serious financial difficulties.
Poet's career
Akhmet's career lasted almost 15 years, teaching in Russian-Kazakh schools in several regions. He firmly believed that mastering science and progress was crucial for the Kazakhs to improve their colonial subjugation. He urged his countrymen to focus on self-improvement rather than placing blame for their predicament. He noted the prevailing despair among the Kazakhs, who felt increasingly alienated and resentful towards the international community, questioning the causes of their distress.
In his works, Baitursynuly emphasized the importance of understanding how the circumstances of the past shape the present and the future. He criticized the time when the Kazakhs, despite their independence, neglected scientific and artistic endeavors, which stalled their progress while other societies developed. His literary works, including collections of poems "Masa" ("Mosquito") и "Forty Fables", written under the influence of Krylov, he promoted education, ethical behavior and humanism, urging his audience to accept these principles.
Political activities of Akhmet Baytursynul
Akhmet Baitursynuly became involved in political activities after the 1905 revolution. He was a key figure in the drafting "Karkaraly petition", which called for an end to the expropriation of land, the creation of local assemblies and the suspension of the resettlement of peasants to Kazakhstan. His activity led to numerous arrests.
In 1913, together with such figures as Alikhan Bukeikhan and Mirzhakyp Dulatuly, he founded the newspaper "I said". By 1918 its circulation exceeded eight thousand. The newspaper's critical stance often resulted in fines from the authorities, leading to Ahmet's brief imprisonment in 1914 when he failed to pay any such fines. The readership rallied, raising funds for his release and repeatedly helping to mitigate financial sanctions imposed on the publication.
Personal life
Before marrying Akhmet Baitursynuly, his wife Alexandra, originally from Verkhneuralsk, taught at a Russian-Kazakh school near Kostanay. In those days, marriages between people of different religions were fraught with difficulties, but Alexandra converted to Islam in order to be close to Akhmet. They celebrated their union at the Trinity Mosque, where the imam recorded Alexandra as Badrisafa Mukhamedsadykkyzy, signifying her new Tatar identity.
Badrisafa quickly captivated the Baitursynuly family with her fluent knowledge of the Kazakh language and her inherent warm and hospitable character. She became an indispensable support for her husband, especially when he became the editor-in-chief of a famous Kazakh newspaper. Badrisafa, together with her adopted daughter Katez, took over the management of the printing house.
The fate of his wife after the death of Akhmet
After the execution of Akhmet in 1937, Badrisafa had to endure severe hardships. In 1942 or 1943, she returned to Akhmet's relatives, weakened and wearing his old coat. In order not to disturb her relatives, she chose to live with strangers, and later she was transferred to a nursing home in Aleksandrovka. Her final days are somewhat unclear, but it is believed that she spent them in Cascata with the support of a local family.
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