This year we celebrate 170th anniversary of  Kazakh traditional folksinger Zhambyl Zhabayev. On Friday our topic was dedicated to him at our reading club “Reading is fashionable!”. Zhambyl Zhabaev is an akyn-improvisator, one of the most well- known poets of Kazakhstan. Zhambyl was born on February, 28th, 1846 in a family of poor nomad Zhabai. Under the family legend, mother of Zhambyl Uldan has given birth to him when the aul of Istybai (Zhambyl`s grandfather) once again escaped from attacks. It happens near mountain Zhambyl in the northeast from present station of Otar, in riverheads of Chu.

The boy have named in honour of mountain name. In the autobiographical poem "My life" poet subsequently expounded this family legend:

At night at the foot of mountain Zhambyl,

Having compressed by lump at a snow hole,

Mother washing, a slavish life cursing,

In groans and torments has given birth to me.

Silently has gathered hungry aul,

Kazakhs have named me Zhambyl,

Sang the poets under sounds of dombra,

Song about the boy who was born in storm,

Song about the boy named,

Name of proud and ancient mountain …

Our participants knew a lot of information about him, his works,awards and about monument in Taraz.There was a book exibition including his books, books about him and amazing articles . It was interesting for them.One of AC users Aigul read his famous poem “Leningradtsy, deti moi”. Zhambyl's address to the Heroic Defenders of besieged Leningrad "Leningradtsy, deti moi!" - is considered one of the best works of the multinational Soviet literature of war years. Jambyl Jabayev died June 22, 1945, eight months before his 100th birthday. He was buried in Alma-Ata in a garden which he cultivated with his own hands.

Kazakhstan people still remember their favourite akyn, the steppe Homer who reproduced the dignity, decency, diligence of the nation.