Shakirds madrasah «Muhkammadiya». Uralsk. 1905.
Gabdulla Tukay Museum in Uralsk (of The Republic of Kazahkstan) was founded in December 2006. The citizens of Uralsk thought of the Museum creation for ten years. Uralsk is a place where the great Tatar poet lived for twelve years (1895-1907), finished madrasah «Muhkammadiya» and made his first professional progress. At the very beginning G.Tukay published his poems and satiric pamphlets in the local newspaper “Fiker” (“The Thought”) and then in the magazine “Yana Gasyr” (“The New Century”). Having started with the work of typesetter in the newspaper, he soon became a proofreader and then its editor.
G.Tukay in the period of his work in Uralsk. 1905.
The place of the Museum was not chosen by mere chance. It is located in the Tatar Suburb in the house of Motygulla Hazrat Tukhvatullin, a friend of G.Tukay’s father, who influenced the life of the poet a lot. The young poet spent in this house a lot of time. There he met with Tykhvatyllin’s daughter Galiya Kaibickaya, a future a People’s Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan, and Tykhvatyllin’s son Kamil, with whom the poet discussed the newspaper editions.
In 1905-1907, in Uralsk Gabdulla Tukay closely cooperated with Kamil, a son of Mutygulla Tukhvatullin. The photograph (Kamil is the left one) is an evidence of their close relationships.
Gabdulla Tukay Museum in Uralsk
The First President of The Republic of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev and The President of The Republic of Kazahkstan Nursultan Nazarbaev came to an agreement about the Mulla’s house restoration in 2005. The house was in a dilapidated condition because of its owners. The project was financed by the Republic of Tatarstan.
Monument Tukay in the city of Uralsk
Professor Razak Abuzyarov established it and has already been a head of the G.Tukay Center in Uralsk for twelve years. A monument to Gabdulla Tukay, financed by Maecenas, was put up in the town in 2002.
A lot of items of the middle and the end of the XIXth century are kept in the Museum. They are an original chair and family lamp that recreate the work environment in the study, personal belongings of Galiya Kaibickaya as well as the part devoted to a Tatar composer Nazip Zhiganov. He and his little brother lived in the Ural boarding school till the age of seventeen. The most valuable items were removed to Kazan in 80s. However, nowadays the Museum actively cooperates with the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan.
The Tatar community of Uralsk took an active part in G.Tukay Museum creation. According to the latest information more than four thousand ethnic Tatars are numbered in the town. Many of them helped to build the Museum and gave to it antique tableware, carpet, adornments and the Korans.
The Tatar Cultural Center is located near the Museum. There young people gather together, cultural events are hold and the mother tongue is taught. Almost every building in this area represents the life of G.Tukay and has a great historical importance that’s why nowadays the Tatar Cultural Center and the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan consider an idea of the Tatar Suburb foundation.
