Nikolai Baboglo, Gagauz writer:
The Tatar literature and particularly Gabdulla Tukay opened to me a big
Turkic world, which we turned out to be alienated from. That’s why
reading the Tatar poet became not only an acquaintance with the oeuvre
of Tukay, but also a journey to my roots.
How surprising Tukay is! His stern life journey perfectly matches with
created by him hot lines of epigrams and sarcastic feuilletons,
sorrowful images of elegies and cheerful pictures of poems. Painfully
short life and such a mature, versatile, extensive oeuvre… Wide range
of interests, kind attitude towards close and distant nations,
disinterested popularization of other literatures. Merciless struggle
with meanness, obscurantism; adoration for the geniuses of the past and
his time …
Reading Tukay, you little by little open the whole spiritual world of
the Tatar nation, and not only of the Tatar one. His lines excite us
and make our hearts beat rapidly and passionately.
Some people think that Gagauz literature is rather young. Perhaps they
are right. However, I cannot agree with them. Reading Tukay in the
original, it seems to me that he is my direct ancestor who speaks on
behalf of my nation, approving kindness, beauty, and truth. I am very
thankful to my brothers from the Volga region for such a poet.
Gabdulla Tukay and his oeuvre is a strong and captivating bridge
between the Idel and Danube, where we will meet each other, generation
after generation.