Abay Museum

This museum is dedicated to the 19th-century humanist poet Abay Kunanbaev, whose forward-looking vision of Kazakhstan is not necessarily shared by his followers. Along with displays about Abay’s life and work, the museum has many 19th-century artefacts, and sections on the Kazakh nomadic tradition and Abay’s literary successors, including Mukhtar Auezov (1897–1961), author of the epic novel Abay Zholy (The Path of Abay). Displays are in Kazakh only and guided tours in Russian are grudgingly provided.