Gabit Musirepov

Gabit Makhmutuly Musirepov (, Ғабит Махмұтұлы Мүсірепов; 22 March 1902 – 31 December 1985) was a Soviet Kazakh writer, playwright and author of libretto to Kazakh opera Kyz-Zhibek. He was named People's Writer of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, served as President of the Kazakhstan Writers' Union, and was a member of the Kazakhstan Academy of Sciences.

Biography Gabit Musirepov was born on 22 March 1902 in a village located in modern-day Kostanay Region, then belonging to the Russian Empire. Between 1923 and 1926, he studied at the Faculty of Workers in Orenburg, and then at the agroeconomic institute at Omsk. He started his literary career in 1925, writing his first story, To the Abyss (В пучине) in 1928, about events that occurred during the Russian Civil War. In 1928, he collaborated with the literary journal Jana-Adebiet (Жаңа Әдебиет). Among his works, Kyz-Zhibek (Қыз Жібек) stands out, the first libretto to a Kazakh opera, with music by Yevgeny Brusilovsky. Others include Poet's Tragedy (Трагедия поэта), written in 1958 (first version titled Ақан сері Ақтоқты, 1942), that dealt with the tragedy of Ajani, a Kazakh singer and composer of the 19th century.

He was President to the Writers' Union of Kazakhstan from 1956 to 1962 and from 1964 to 1966, Secretary of the Union of Soviet Writers (1959) and member of the 5th Convocation of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, deputy to the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. He died on 31 December 1985, and was buried in the Kensai Cemetery.

Legacy The Gabit Musirepov District in northern Kazakhstan was named in his honor, as was the Kazakh State Academic Theater for Children and Youth. The Museum Complex of S. Mukanov and G. Musrepov is in Almaty was named after him as well.

Works

Short stories Pair of Lakes (Қос шалқар, 1929) Urgent (Шұғыла, 1933) Stubby Nostril (Талпақ танау, 1933)

Novels Kazakh Soldier (Қазақ солдаты, 1949) The Awakening of the Region (Оянған өлке, 1953) Ulpan (Ұлпан, 1976)

Plays Kyz-Zhibek (Қыз Жібек, 1934), music by Yevgeny Brusilovsky Amangeldi (Амангелді, 1937) Kozy-Korpesh and Bayan-Sulu (Қозы Көрпеш Баян сұлу, 1939) Poet's Tragedy (Трагедия поэта, 1958)