Chronicle of the Kazakh Khanate in poetic lines. The book of the writer and poetess Marzhan Ershu - "Bopai Khanym" was presented in the capital. The poem tells about one of the most influential women of that time, who founded the first women's school in the Great Steppe. Through her work, the author tried to convey the artistic image of not only the beloved wife of Abulkhair Khan, but also an image of the associate, who became a wise adviser and reliable support. The poem consists of 7 chapters based on archival letters addressed to the political elite of the Russian Empire.
“We came to get to know the book better. I think that this is a beautiful work of art based on historical events. The archive contains the letters of Bopai Khanym. Based on these data, as well as on imagination and poetic skills, the author's book turned out to be simply wonderful,” said Kopen Amirbek, a satirist, an Honored Figure of Kazakhstan.
The work reveals previously unknown facts - Bopai Khanym was born in the west of the country in the area of Ken Zhylyoi. This information is taken from archival sources, which the poetess skillfully uses in her lines, exposing new branches of the country's history. The cover of Marzhan Ershu's book is symbolically decorated with a portrait of Bopai, painted from life by the English artist John Castle in 1736. He conveys not only her beauty, but also refinement and grandeur.
“Looking at this image, I want to erect a monument to Bopai. This is important in terms of popularizing her image. It should be used in theatrical and other productions. My dream is to embody the image of Bopai on the stage and stage a drama based on the poem,” said Marzhan Ershu, a poet, a translator, Candidate of Philological Sciences.
One of the main tasks of the poetess is to ensure that the body of Bopai Khanym, which is buried next to Abulkhair Khan in his tomb in the Orenburg region of Russia, is returned to the historical homeland. Abish Kekilbayev has already raised this issue once. By the way, the writer was one of the first in the country to mention in his works the wife of the ruler of the Kazakh Khanate. Among them are such books as “Urker” and “Elen-alan”. Symbolically, the presentation of the book took place in the Kekilbaev Hall of the National Academic Library.
Translation by Saniya Sakenova
Editing by Saule Mukhamejanova
