Biography of Gabdulla Tukay: life and work

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Gabdulla Tukay is a famous Tatar writer, poet, critic and translator. He is the founder of the new poetry of the nation, he raises the feeling of patriotism highly. Tukay created a school of poetry, under the beneficial influence of which a large generation of not only Tatar, but also other writers grew up.

Gabdulla Tukay: biography

The writer was born on April 26, 1886 in the village of Kushlavych. His father - Mukhamedgarif - comes from the Kazan province. The writer's grandfather was a mullah. When Gabdulla was 4.5 months old, his father died, and at the age of three he lost his mother. For some time he lived in the family of his grandfather Zinnatulla, then he ended up in Kazan in the family of the childless Muhammetvali, where he lived for about 2 years.

The biography of Gabdulla Tukay says that his adoptive parents fell ill, and the boy ended up in the family of a peasant Sagdi in the village of Kyrlay, where he lived for three years. Peasant life was not easy for him. Here he worked a lot, studied and learned the life of Gabdulla Tukay. A short biography further tells about his further childhood, which took place in the city of Uralsk. He was taken to his family by the merchant Galiaskar Usmanov, where his mistress wasaunt. The future writer studied at the madrasah of the Tukhvatullin family, at the same time he attended a Russian class, his great natural talent was manifested in his studies.

By the age of 16, the basic beliefs and traits of the poet were formed. The biography of Gabdulla Tukay confirms that the young man was very educated: he knew European, Russian, Eastern cultures well, several languages and many fairy tales that he told interestingly.

He had a good ear and sang well, although his voice was not particularly beautiful, but the young man could embellish the notes of the melody.

Cooperation with publications

The first literary works of Tukay are partially preserved in the journal Al-Gasr al-Jadid (1904). In the same year, he translated Krylov's fables into his native language and offered to publish them. He was interested in the works of Lermontov and Pushkin. His first work in poetry was the translation of the work of A. Koltsov “What are you sleeping, little man?”, Published in 1905

The biography of Gabdulla Tukay says that after the revolution of 1905 began, the first magazines and newspapers Al-Gasr al-Jadid and Fiker appeared in Uralsk. Tukay collaborated with them and published many poems on the topics that the revolution presented. The writer also participated in numerous city demonstrations.

In 1907, Tukay left the Tukhvatullin madrasah. Thus began his free life.

The June 3 coup, which happened in the same year, prompted the writer to create the poem “We won’t leave!”. BiographyGabdulla Tukay says that in this work the voice of a fighter sounded, calling to the end to stand for the honor of his native land and democracy. Tukay's poems such as "A Pair of Horses", "Shurale", written at the beginning of the 20th century, are dedicated to the theme of his native land.

Tukay's work

Gabdulla Tukay covered many different genres. His biography defines his work as folk and realistic.

In the autumn of 1907, the writer came to Kazan to do what he loved there. Literary circles accept him with ease, he approaches young writers who are grouped around the edition of Al-Islah.

At this time, Tukay directed all his literary abilities to satirical and humorous magazines "Y alt-yult", "Yashen". By 1908, the writer had collected a series of interesting poetic and journalistic essays. The poems "In the Blessed Memory of Khusain" and "Tatar Youth" are filled with feelings of historical optimism.

For 1909-10 the writer created one hundred poems, two fairy tales, an essay in the autobiographical style “What I remember about myself”, an article about Tatar creativity, 30 reviews and feuilletons, published 12 books. For many years Tukay collected folk songs. In 1910, the writer published some of the collected songs in the book National Melodies.

Gabdulla Tukay: a biography for children

At the same time, Tukay started writing poetry and prose for children. The poems "Goat and Sheep", "Shurale" and 50 poems, about 100 translated fables he created in five years. A great place in literature had the creations "Call to Labor", the poem "Shurale"and "Merry Pages", written based on folk tales. Tukay created 2 reading books on Tatar literature for the school. The poet was recognized as the founder of Tatar literature for children.

Writer's Travels

Most of Tukay's poems and essays were written under the influence of trips to the villages of Zakazanya. They describe the reality appreciated by the protector of the people.

Despite poor he alth, in 1911-12, Gabdulla made travels that were of great importance to him. In 1911, Tukay arrived by steamboat in Astrakhan, on the way he got acquainted with the Volga region (“Little Journey”, “Dacha”). Here the writer stayed with his friend Sagit Ramiev. In Astrakhan, he met the Azerbaijani public figure Nariman Narimanov, who was exiled there for his revolutionary activities.

In the spring of 1912, the writer decided to go to Kazan, Ufa and St. Petersburg. He lived in St. Petersburg for thirteen days, after that he went to Troitsk, and then to the Kazakh steppe to drink koumiss in the hope of improving his he alth. In August, Tukay returned to Kazan. He worked in a printing house and, despite poor he alth, continued to engage in creativity.

2(15).04. 1913 Gabdulla Tukay died. He died in the prime of his talent. The traditions of Tukay became decisive ideological and aesthetic factors and life-giving sources for the development of Tatar literature in the future under the banner of nationality and realism.

Gabdulla Tukay was buried at the Tatar cemetery in Kazan.

Memory of the poet

Kazanskaya Square, metro, streets in Ufa, the village of Dautovo in the Chelyabinsk Region are named after the writer

Also, monuments were erected to Tukay in Uralsk, St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Museums of Gabdulla Tukay are open: the Literary Museum in Kazan, the literary and memorial complex of Gabdulla Tukay in the village of Novy Kyrlay.

The art award in Tatarstan was also named after the writer.