As part of the “Bazhov in Kazakhstan” project, on November 13, 2021, Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University hosted a meeting between students, teachers, and representatives of the “BAZHOV” Charitable Foundation (Yekaterinburg, Russia).
The aim of the project is to popularize the creative and cultural heritage of the famous Russian writer P. P. Bazhov among children and youth, restore historical memory, and expand bilateral cooperation with cultural and educational institutions of Kazakhstan.
The meeting was opened by Asel Mais, Acting Director of the Department of International Cooperation of Abai KazNPU. On behalf of Rector Darkhan Bilyalov and the university’s administration, she welcomed the delegation from Yekaterinburg and expressed hope that the meeting would contribute to strengthening cultural ties between Russia and Kazakhstan.
Chairman of the Board of the “BAZHOV” Charitable Foundation, Sergey Polyganov, thanked the university administration for organizing the meeting. He noted Kazakhstan’s sustained interest in Russian literature and in such an outstanding representative as Pavel Bazhov, as well as the high academic and pedagogical level of Kazakhstani faculty and students.
Marina Cherkasova, Chairperson of the “Children’s Order of Mercy” public organization in Yekaterinburg, presented a unique bilingual edition of Bazhov’s fairy tale “The Silver Hoof” in Russian and Kazakh, prepared within the “Bazhov in Kazakhstan” project. She emphasized that the book features illustrations by Russian and Kazakhstani artists.
Anna Trachtenberg, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Philosophy and Law of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, gave a presentation titled “Pavel Petrovich Bazhov: Writer and Humanist”, in which she detailed his life and work. She also spoke about how Bazhov’s legacy is preserved and promoted in the Urals.
Alexander Fedosov, Director of the People's Museum of P. P. Bazhov’s Heritage, presented a video review titled “The Malachite Casket”, introducing the most famous characters of the writer’s fairy tales: Danila the Master, Sinyushka, Darenka and Kokovanya, the Mistress of the Copper Mountain, Ognevushka, and others.
In conclusion, Sergey Polyganov summarized the presentations, emphasizing that Bazhov’s works reflect a deep respect for hardworking people and devotion to one's chosen craft—values that remain relevant today and sustain the popularity of his work.
On behalf of the Institute of Philology and Multilingual Education, the Head of the Department of Russian Language and Literature, Saule Abisheva, noted that Bazhov’s works are well-known among the older generation who grew up with his fairy tales, and it is now crucial to preserve and pass on the love for his work to future generations.
At the end of the meeting, Abai KazNPU received a gift of methodological and educational literature from the Ural State Pedagogical University, the book “The Silver Hoof”, and the scholarly monograph “The Path to the Tales” by Vladimir Ushakov, a study of P. P. Bazhov’s life path.