People lay flowers at the monument of Abai Kunanbaev in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, Aug. 10, 2020. Kazakhstan on Monday celebrated "Abai Day" for the first time to mark the 175th anniversary of the birth of Kazakh poet, philosopher and composer Abai Kunanbaev. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua)
NUR-SULTAN, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan on Monday celebrated "Abai Day" for the first time to mark the 175th anniversary of the birth of Kazakh poet, philosopher and composer Abai Kunanbaev.
Across the country, over 100 commemorating events were held online, including a marathon of reading Abai's poems in eight languages, seminars and international conferences on Abai's works, and virtual tours at the Abai museum in his hometown Semey.
In the capital Nur-Sultan, a giant mural of Abai was also depicted on the wall of a multi-storey building to mark the anniversary.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said "Abai Day" aims to help more people at home and abroad better understand the thoughts of Abai.
"Works of Abai have been translated into ten languages and are ready for publication. These books will be sent to libraries and cultural centers of about 100 countries," Tokayev said.
Born on Aug. 10, 1845, Abai is considered one of Kazakhstan's most important poets who played a central role in the development of Kazakh as a legitimate written language.
