Kazakhstan Gali Ormanov FDC

Kazakhstan FDC
Name: 100th Anniversary of the poet Gali Ormanov
Issue date: 2007 September 28th

It's exactly one hundred years since the famous Kazakh poet Gali Ormanov was born. The author of many wonderful lyrical collections of poems is also remembered as a brilliant translator. Gali Ormanov's centenary was celebrated in his homeland, in the Almaty region. At the beginning of his career he was often compared with his spiritual mentors such as Ilyas Zhansugurov and Zhambyl Zhabayev. In his own poems, however, Ormanov would always say that he didn't resemble any other poet. The author of "Abysyn Syry", "Oi Kanaty", and "Syat Sapary"found his niche among the classicists of Kazakh poetry.

Kazhytai Ilyasov, editor of G. Ormanov's complete works: "His poems do not have soft music characteristic of poetry; but even if it has, this music is insignificant. Thought was paramount for Gali. At the same time, he is a very lyrical poet. A phrase from the foreword of Gabit Musrepov's 4-volume book about Ormanov has embedded in my memory: it reads: "If the social processes could be viewed as an apple, Gali Ormanov studied not only the apple itself, but the apple-tree, its roots and the way it is watered."

Gali Ormanov translated Mayakovsky, Maupassant and Sholokhov into Kazakh and the pinnacle of his career success was the translation of Tolstoi's "Anna Karenina". A folk-lore museum in Taldykorgan has preserved his personal belongings, manuscripts and photographs of the poet with Sabit Mukanov, Tair Zharokov and Gabit Musrepov. This photo shows Ormanov as a literary secretary of the great akyn Zhambyl standing beside Dina Nurpeisova and Zhambyl. Behind the glass-case there are his personal electric razor "Kharkov-22", his favourite skull-cap and an ash-tray which Balkhash metal-workers gave to him as a present. All of these items are already history, but the poet's disciples say Gali Ormanov will live in their hearts as long as people need poetry.