Zeynolla Kabdolov

Zeynolla Kabdolov (1927–2006)

Zeynolla Kabdolov was a writer, literary scholar, educator, Doctor of Philology, Professor, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, People’s Writer of Kazakhstan, and Honored Scientist of the Kazakh and Kyrgyz Republics.

He was born in Dossor settlement, Makat District, Atyrau Region. In 1945, he enrolled in the Faculty of Philology of Kazakh State National University (now Al-Farabi Kazakh National University), graduating with honors in 1950. He devoted more than fifty years to teaching and research at this institution.

For twenty-five years, he headed the Department of Literature at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. He also served as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Zhuldyz and the newspaper Kazakh Adebieti, and as Secretary of the Writers’ Union of Kazakhstan.

He authored the novels “Ushkyn” and “Zhalyn,” short stories included in the collections “Adam” and “Syr,” and the drama “The Inextinguishable Fire,” staged at the Mukhtar Auezov Academic Theater and several regional theaters. For his novel “My Auezov,” he was awarded the State Prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 1998.

Until the end of his life, he chaired the Permanent Dissertation Council for awarding doctoral degrees in Philology at Kazakh State National University.

His numerous works include two-volume collected works, the play collection “The Unnoticed Hero,” the novels “My Auezov,” “Ushkyn,” “Zhalyn,” selected works, and five-volume collected editions published by Zhazushy and Sanat publishing houses.

He also worked as a translator, rendering into Kazakh:
    •    Alexander Pushkin’s “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish”
    •    Articles and letters by Nikolai Gogol
    •    Valentin Dobrovolsky’s “Three Men in Gray Overcoats”
    •    Vitaly Zakrutkin’s “The Cossack Village on the Water”
    •    Alexander Ostrovsky’s “Money to Burn”
    •    Maxim Gorky’s “Children of the Sun”
    •    Nazim Hikmet’s “The Unnoticed Hero”

He was awarded the Orders of “Friendship of Peoples,” “Kurmet,” and “Parasat,” numerous medals, and Honorary Certificates of the Supreme Council of the Kazakh SSR. He was also a laureate of the First Degree Prize named after Sh. Ualikhanov of the Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan. His literary works have been translated into several foreign languages.