Abish Kekilbayev
Abish Kekilbayev (1939–2015)
Abish Kekilbayev was a People’s Writer of Kazakhstan and a prominent statesman and public figure. He served as the first State Secretary of the Republic of Kazakhstan (1996–2002) and as a Deputy of the Senate of the Parliament (2002–2015).
He belonged to the Adai clan. His passion for literature began during his school years. On May 5, 1957, as an active rural correspondent for Leninshil Zhas, he was awarded a certificate of honor by the Central Committee of the Komsomol of Kazakhstan.
In 1957, he enrolled in the Faculty of Philology at Kazakh State University. While studying, he led the university literary association and supported emerging young writers. During his final year, he worked at the newspaper Kazakh Adebieti.
His professional career included:
• 1962–1965 – Head of Department at Leninshil Zhas newspaper
• 1965–1968 – Ministry of Culture of the Kazakh SSR
• 1968–1970 – Service in the Soviet Army
• 1970–1975 – Editor-in-Chief at Kazakhfilm Studio
• 1975–1984 – Instructor and Sector Head at the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan
• 1984–1986 – Deputy Minister of Culture of the Kazakh SSR
• 1986–1988 – Second Secretary of the Board of the Writers’ Union of Kazakhstan
• 1989–1990 – Chairman of the Presidium of the Central Council for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments
• 1990 – Department Head at the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan
• 1991 – Chairman of the Committee on Culture, Language, and Interethnic Relations of the Supreme Council
• 1992–1993 – Editor-in-Chief of Egemen Kazakhstan newspaper
• 1993–1995 – State Counselor of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• 1994–1995 – Chairman of the Supreme Council of Kazakhstan
• 1996–2002 – State Secretary of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• From 2002 – Deputy of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan
He was elected twice to the Supreme Council and once to the Mazhilis on an alternative basis.