Amirkhan Yeniki (1909-2000), Writer, Gabdulla Tukay TASSR State Prize laureate (1984), National Writer of the TASSR (1989):
Tukay is certainly much closer to the writers of my generation. When we were born, Tukay was alive yet. We knew him from the age of three; grew up, reading his poems. We started speaking with Tukay’s works; with his works we saw the world. Tukay was the one who influenced our spiritual world most of all. His oeuvre with its noble, democratic, and national character will obviously enrich modern and future generations spiritually, and will bring them up. The heritage of Tukay reminds a deep sea. The research work of its ground will be continued to find out new poetic and spiritual values there. I would like to underline his very important quality. Tukay knew well and remembered the past of his nation. He understood its difficulties and lived, always thinking and worrying about its future. I think such a quality of Tukay as interest in the past, understanding of the present, and concern for the future should be peculiar to each real writer of any time.