There in the reading-hall of the Arts’ department is organized the book exhibition “Kaitalanbas oner iyesy, uly kyuishi - Kurmangazy”, dedicated to the 200-th birthday of the well-known Kazakh musician, composer, dombra-player, the author of the kyuis Kurmangazy Sagyrbaiuly.

Kurmangazy Sagyrbaiuly was born in 1823 in the aul Zhideli of the Zhanakalinskiy district of the Western-Kazakhstani region. He deemed Uzak to be his teacher, the famous kyuishi of the Bokeiskiy khanate. Kurmangazy perfected his mastery, studying from such well-known dombra-players like Baizhuma, Balamaisan, Baibakty, Eszhan and Sherkeshe. 

The whole life of the well-known kyuishi went in the fight with the social injustice and oppression, against arbitrariness and despotism of those in power, disenfranchisement of the labour people. Kurmangazy was the witness of the people’s insurrection of the Kazakhs of the Bukeyevskaya horde (1836-1838) under the leadership of Isatai Taimanov and Makhanbet Utemisov. One of the first kyuis “Kishkentai” is devoted to this insurrection of the Kazakhs.

In the subsequent kyuis – “Akbai”, “Aksak kiyik”, “Tyurmeden kashkan”, “Adai” and others he sang the dreams of the people about freedom, expressed the protest against the oppressors of the people. Because he passed through the vagabonding, insults and persecutions, the kyuishi created the kyuis “Alatau” and “Saryarka”, which reflected the deep thoughts of the people about freedom and independence, love for their land. There in the kyui “Kobik shashkan” he narrates about the flood of 1879 in the Primorskiy region. The autobiographical kyuis “Erten ketem”, “Pabeske” narrate the events from the life of the well-known dombra-player. Several works Kurmangazy devoted to his mother Alka, who supported him during the hard moments in his life: the kyui “Kairan sheshem”, ”Aman bol, sheshem, aman bol!”     

The contemporary of Kurmangazy the Uralsk journalist and poet N. Savichev wrote: “Sagyrbayev is the rare musical soul, and if he got the European education, he would be in the musical world the star of the first magnitude…”. The kyui “Laushken” Kurmangazy dedicated to the Russian friend. His friendly feelings are reflected in the kyuis “The machine”, “The Perovskiy march” and others.

The musical creative activity of Kurmangazy received the high estimate and was truly put into the golden fond of the national culture. The works of Kurmangazy are widely used by the modern composers: in the choirs of B. Baikadamov, the opera of A. Zhubanov and G.A. Zhubanova “Kurmangazy”. In 1967 the composer Evgeniy Brusilovskiy wrote the symphony “Kurmangazy”. There in many cities are established the monuments in honour of Kurmangazy. The image of the great kyuishi is present upon the postmarks and the money of the Republic of Kazakhstan. After the musician are named the musical establishments and competitions, are named the state academic orchestra and conservatoire , the musical schools for children, the streets and squares of the Kazakhstani cities.

In 2005 there in Kazakhstan was published “The collection of kyuis” from 3 CD-discs of the founder of the folk musical instrument Kurmangazy. Also in 2009 there was issued the Anthology of the Kazakh traditional kyuis “Kazaktyn dastyurli myn kyui”.

The purpose of the exhibition is the actualization of the creative and musical heritage of the outstanding composer Kurmangazy Sagyrbaiuly, the studying and popularization of the multi-century oral musical heritage of the Kazakh people.    

There at the exhibition are presented the materials which disclose his life and creative activity: T. Mergaliyev, S. Byurkit, O. Dyuisen “Kazak kyuilerinyn tarikhy”; “Kazak onerinyn tarikhy”; “Kazak muzykasy: Anthology”; “The history of Kazakh music”; Kurmangazy “Saryarka. Kyuiler”; “Kurmangazy: Zhinak”; “Kurmangazy. Kyuiler”; A. Seidimbek “Kazaktyn kyui onery”; “Uly dalanyn kone saryndary: Antologiya”; P. Momynuly “Kazak muzykasynyn kyskasha tarikhy”; A. Tarakty “Kyui shezhire”; A. Zhubanov “Kurmangazy Sagyrbayev”, “Gasyrlar pernesy”; A.K. Zhubanov, S.A. Kyuzembai, K.S. Sakharbayeva “Kurmangazy”; Zatayevich “Kazaktyn 500 an, kyuiyi”, “Kyui kainary”; M. Kozhakhmetova “Menyn shashylgan encyclopediyam”, M. Oteuyov, Sh. Tolegenuly “Gasyrdan gasyrga” and others. 

Also there for the readers will be of interest the articles from the periodical press, the note collections, the musical works, the sheet music, the recordings of the songs and yuis of the composer in the performance of the well-known soloists of Kazakhstan on the vinyl gramophone records.