― 7 декабря 2024 г.

130th anniversary of the birthday of Sayakbay Karalaev commemorated in Hungary

As part of the fifth session of the Armin Vámbéry College organised by the Lakitelek Foundation, the 130th anniversary of the birth of the famous Kyrgyz Manasist Sayakbay Karalaev was commemorated with an enthusiastic ceremony on 7 December 2024 in Lakitelek, Hungary. The event dedicated to Karalaev, who is considered the ‘20th century Homer of the Turkic World’, started in the area where the statues of famous figures of the Turkic World are located in the Hungarikum Liget Complex. The ceremony opened with the laying of flowers on the statue of Sayakbay Karalaev and a moment of silence.
 

The commemoration ceremony was attended by dignitaries honouring the Turkish and Kyrgyz culture. Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian National Parliament Sándor Lezsák, TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev, Deputy Minister of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic Gulbara Abdykalykova, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Hungary Tahir Taghi-Zade and Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to Hungary Talantbek Kuschubekov took part in the ceremony. In addition, family members of Sayakbay Karalaev and students of the Armin Vámbéry School took part in the event, adding meaning to the commemoration.
 

In the session held in the Kölcsey Hall of the Hungarikum Liget complex, Sultan Raev drew attention to the importance of Sayakbay Karalaev and the Manas epic in the culture of the Turkic world. He said the following in his speech: ‘Sayakbay Karalaev is a common value not only of the Kyrgyz people, but also of the entire Turkic world. He is a great artist who transformed the Manas epic into a philosophy of life and carried this epic beyond centuries. Manas carries the spirit, history and future of a people. Karalaev's interpretation of Manas is much more than an epic narrator; it is an endeavour to be the voice of a nation.’
 

Rusbay Isakov's mesmerising performance
 

One of the most impressive moments of the ceremony was the reading of excerpts from the Manas epic by Rysbai Isakov, the famous Manas singer of the Manas Theatre in Bishkek. Isakov's powerful voice echoed in the area where the statues of famous figures of the Turkic world were located, adding a deep meaning and excitement to the ceremony. The participants were transported to the magical world of the epic with Isakov's performance.