Kazakhstani public figure Murat Auezov dies at 81
Kazakhstani public figure, famed orientalist, turkologist, essayist, cultural figure, diplomat Murat Auezov has died at the age of 81, Kazinform News Agency has learnt from the Facebook account of journalist, President of the Kazakhstan PEN Club Bigeldy Gabdullin.
SAD NEWS ARRIVED: After a long illness the pride of nation, outstanding thinker Murat Auezov has passed away, wrote Bigeldy Gabdullin on his post on Facebook.
Murat Auezov was born on January 1, 1943, in the village of Mereke, Zhambyl region, to the family of the prominent Kazakh writer, playwright, scholar and author of the first Kazakh epic novel ‘The Path of Abai’ Mukhtar Auezov.
Murat Auezov graduated from the Institute of Oriental Languages of the Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1965.
After Kazakhstan gained its independence, Murat Auezov took an active part in the country’s transformation, acted as the parliament deputy, engaged in literary research and was the first Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the People’s Republic of China.
Murat Auezov wrote over 200 publications on literary theory and practice as well as a number of popular monographs.
Since 2007, he headed the Mukhtar Auezov Fund.