A major article about Abai Qunanbaiuly has been published in Linea Tempo, a specialized Italian magazine, highlighting the Kazakh poet’s contribution to world literature and Kazakhstan’s spiritual heritage, 24KZ TV channel reported, according to Adyrna.
According to the information, the article’s author is Fiorenza Boschi, an Italian philologist and literature teacher.
“Today, Italian society shows great interest in discovering new cultures and poetry. This is perhaps thanks to high-quality translations of original works. The same happened with Abai — in 2020, on the initiative of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, his collected works were translated. The magazine in which this article appeared is read by cultural scholars, professors, and teachers — people who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of culture. I believe this will encourage European authors to study Kazakh culture,” Boschi said.
The philologist noted that she was impressed by Abai’s philosophical depth, the precision of his language, and the irony of his thought. After studying his works for two years, the author pointed out that Abai masterfully combines the oral poetic traditions of the East with modern European philosophy.
“For the European reader, Abai’s works are distant, colorful, and different from European reality, yet they bring one closer to the world of the nomadic people and the spirit of the steppe. At the core of all his works is a call to morality. This is something common to all peoples and nations, and it never loses relevance. As Abai himself wrote: ‘To see the light of truth — one must have insight,’” Boschi said.
The first part of the article describes Abai’s childhood, the influence of his family, his education, and his role in the development of the Kazakh literary language. The second part analyzes the poet’s literary techniques and will be published in the next issue of one of Italy’s well-known educational magazines.
