Folklor instituti

The Nogays who name the person as jirav, bahshi who tell sagas, as ertegishi who tell myths and fables and as sheshen who tell proverbs and tongue-twisters declare themselves the owner of the literary works created by Kipchaks. “Ahmet Adil Ulu”, “Edigey”, “Koplanli batir”, “Mamay”, “Shora Batir”, “Edil Soltan”, “Kirk Nogay batiri” are outstanding sagas of Nogay literature. In 1830 Alexander Khodzko, polish by natio­nality, collected the saga “Edigey” from Ali Sharapov who was a Nogay from Hashtarkhan and published it in 1842 in Lon­don.

The researchers believe the Nogay folklore started being collected in the nineteenth century. Poet Sibra who wrote in the style of folk poem is considered to be one of the founders of modern written Nogay literature. After Sibra such poets as Parizdak Shaban ulu, Shal Kiyiz Tilenish ulu, Asan Kaygulu, Domambet Azayli, Jirenshe Sheshen, Kazi Tuan Suyunishin, Shaban and others lived in the fifteenth-sixteenth centuries. Des­pite forced migrations, wars, imprisonments and exiles poets such as Fakhreddin Abushahman ulu (1808-83), Sadik­bay Alkaydar (1811-76), Abulhalik Abdulrashid ulu (1858-1913), Aslan Shaban ulu (1858-1912), Baymirza Manap ulu (1888-1918), Aji Molla Noghman ulu (1884-1930), Taram Gumug ulu, Menkilisheyh Ismayil ulu, Abdulkadir Bekbay ulu and others continued with the traditional poetry and created rich base for the creation of new Nogay literature through writing in the such genres as yirlau (poem), saga, tolkau (mo­nologue), maktau (ode), munklau (elegy).

The Soviet period turned a new page in Nogay literature. Imitation of Russian literature under the name of mastering European methods and modernization began during that pe­riod. Though this process led to politicization of Nogay lite­rature and separated it from neighboring Turkic languages, at the same time it played an important role in the development of Nogay literary language. Young people like Absulxamit Ca­nibekov (1879-1955), Basir Abdullin (1892-1937), Musa Kir­ma­naliyev (1894-1972) and Zeit Kaybeliyev (1898-1979) who newly entered the world of literature tried to actualize class struggle and renew traditional poetry. Asan (Khasan) Bulatikov (1907-37) founded drama with his play “Fatimat” in 1936. Alon­gside with this, the works by Basir Abdulin such as “Dush­men yenildi” (The enemy is defeated) and “Batrak” which were written in 1932 and “Emeyin yendiyi zaman” (When labor defeats) which was written in 1934 formed Nogay prose.

Literary and scientific centers of the Nogays started func­tioning in the Republics of Karachay-Cherkez and Daghistan. Poets and writers such as Abdulrehman Umarov(1867-1933) Absulxamit Canıbekov(1879-1955), Fazil Abduljelilov (1913-74), Salekhjan Zalyandin (1924-73), Soyun Karayev (1927-2001), Magomet Kirimov (1927), Janpolat Turkmenov (1935), Askerbiy Kireyev (1938), Guljamal Mirzayeva (1940), Kel­di­khan Kumratova (1944-2003) emerged in Karachay-Cherkez and Musa Kurmanaliyev (1894-1972). Zeit Kaybaliyev (1898-1979), Kuruptursun Orazbayev (1924-90), Gamzat Ajigeldiyev (1939-66), Anvarbek Kultayev (1941), Kadriya Temirbulatova (1948-79) and others emerged in Daghistan.

The 1970-90s poetry exquisitely treats historical topics in the works by such Karachay-Cherkez folk poets as Keldikhan Kumratova, Murat Avezov (1951) -laureate of Nesimi, Kadriya Temirbulatova, Askarbiy Kireyev, Muharbiy Aubekigyev, Aj­dat Naymanov (1942), Farida Sidahmetova (1966), Salimat May­­libayeva, Magamedali Hasanov, Magamet Kosayev, Argrntin Ayibov, Srajdin Batirov(1951-92) and frames up epic and lyrical saga genres. The revival of traditional genres and classical elements is an ongoing process in Nogay poetry.

Such professional poets and writers as Bekbiyke Kulun­chakova (1946), Valeri Kazakov (1948), Isa Garayev (1949) tried to present literature as the way of bringing light into the inner world of humans by keeping it away from sloganism and publicity of the communist party.