The Main Practices of Interaction of the Bashkir and Kazakh Peoples in the Ethno-cultural Sphere (the Second Half of the 19th — Beginning of the 20th Century)

Abstract

The article is devoted to strengthening of cultural interrelations between the Bashkirs and Kazakhs at the turn of the 19^th — 20^th centuries. In Kazakhstan Tatars and Bashkirs, the Russian pioneers, served as the main conductors of the spiritual and material culture of the European population. It was with their active participation that the construction of Muslim religious institutions in the steppe began and the first schools were opened. Kazakh schools — mektebe — during the period under review were predominantly nomadic small educational institutions, where the education was performed by one literate person, Mulla, usually invited by the local rich man. So hundreds of Tatar and Bashkir students tried to travel to the Kazakh steppes in the summer to teach children to read and write. Along the way, they collected the best samples of local folklore, joined the creativity of Kazakh folk akyns. This situation resulted from a relatively higher literacy rate among the Bashkirs. Subsequently many of these teachers left a notable mark in the history of Bashkir literature. Among them were M. Akmullah, M. Gafuri, Sh. Babich, S. Kudash and its other classics, who recalled with gratitude this experience, which was undoubtedly positive for both cultures.