National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan Library Resources Electronic Library Artists and Arts of the RT: Directories Khadi Taktash. The bio-bibliographic directory Biography

Biography

An important author of Tatar literature, Khadi Taktash (Moukhammedkhadi Taktashev), was born on January 1, 1901, in the village of Syrkydy (Surgod), in the Spassky District of Tambovskaya Province (now called the Torbeyevsky District of the Republic of Mordovia) to a peasant family of average means. From his early childhood, he loved to read and often composed songs and “chastooshkas” (small comic rhymed songs). His first lessons were given to him by his parents. He continued his education at a religious school in his native village and later at Peshlemadrasah, located thirty kilometers from Syrkydy Village. The educational process at the madrassah was nonconventional and was comprised of religious disciplines mixed with secular subjects. Khadi studied there from 1911 until the end of 1913. While a student at the madrassah, he used to read journals and newspapers of the Turkic world like, Vakyt (Time), Yoldy (Star), Yalt-Yolt (Glitter of Lightning), and wrote verses. Unfortunately, the verses written by the future poet in his younger years were lost.

After Peshle Madrassah, Khadi spent one year in his home village. World War I had worsened the financial position of the family, which included many children. The head of the family, Khairoulla Abziy, had to let his sons earn their living in remote lands. And so this is how it happened that Khadi, a thirteen year-old boy, was sent to live with a relative who was a merchant in Kattakurgan in Near Asia. At first, Khadi lived in the house of his relative and worked as a shop assistant. Then he moved to Bukhara, where he worked as an apprentice to a salesman in a textile shop owned by city merchants. In his spare time he used to take an active part in the cultural life of the urban youth by participating in amateur concerts and performances. Khadi was a member of a political movement whose goal was to overthrow the Emir of Bukhara. During this period he published several small articles describing the events in Bukhara for a periodical press. The literary experience he obtained in his childhood was supplemented by the verses he wrote at this time: “Karangy Gazrailler (The Gazrails),” Tennerde (In the Dark Nights),” and “Turkstan Sakhralarynda (In the Deserts of Turkestan).” On January 21, 1918, Olug Turkstan (The Great Turkestan) newspaper of Tashkent published his poem titled, “Turkstan Sakhralarynda (In the Deserts of Turkestan).” It was the first poem by Khadi Taktash published in the press.

The dreams of the teenager who left his home with hope to support his parents did not come true. Soon after the turbulent revolutions of 1917, in the autumn of 1918, Khadi came back to his native village, Syrkydy. He lived there for a year and a half working as a teacher and as the head of the library at the elementary school, while performing social and educational work with the peasant population. His insatiable interest in literary work and his wish to fill in the gaps in his education through self-education led the young poet to leave the village. In the autumn of 1919, he set out for Orenburg. There, he worked as an executive secretary at the Yuksyllar Syze (Word of the Poor) newspaper published by the Orenburg Gubkom (Province Committee), took political courses, and participated in the cultural life of the city. It was in Orenburg where he got acquainted with the prominent Tatar writers A. Tagirov and Sh. Kamal, and published some of his articles and poems.

In 1921, forced by his deteriorating living conditions, he took the advice of his friends and moved to Tashkent. In Tashkent, he worked as an executive secretary at the Belem Yorty (House of Knowledge) journal, while simultaneously teaching literature at the Communist University and the Red Army School. The Tashkent period of Taktash is characterised by much active creative work and a search for his own, particular creative image. There, he wrote a number of romantic works that occupy an important place in the first period of his creative life: “Onytylgan Ant (Forgotten Oath),” “Koulegeler (Shadows),” “Nelet (The Curse),” “Tan Kyzy (A Girl of the Dawn),” “Urman Kyzy (Forest Girl),” and his famous , “Zhir Ullary Tragediyase (The Tragedy of the Sons of the Earth),” in which he glorified, using mythological and symbolical images, the spiritual freedom of man, showing his struggle against evil, superstitions, social injustice, and advocating the idea of rebellion.

In the summer of 1922, Khadi Taktash moved to Moscow. After several months in Moscow he moved to Kazan where he stayed until the end of his life. In 1923, he published his first collection of verses titled, Zhir Ullary Tragediyase hem Bashka Shigyrler (The Tragedy of the Sons of the Earth and Other Verses). That same year, Zhir Ullary Tragediyase (Tragedy of the Sons of the Earth), was staged at the Tatar Theatre. The author himself played the role of Idea at the premier performance. Living in Kazan, Khadi Taktash spent some time working as a prompter at the Tatar Theatre, then working as an executive secretary for such journals as Chayan (Scorpion) from 1923 to 1924, Oktyabr Yashlere (The Youth of October) in 1925, Avyl Yashlere (Countryside Youth) in 1926, and Azat Khatyn (Liberated Woman) from 1926 to1929. In 1929, he came back to Chayan to work as an executive secretary until the end of his life. Despite the fact that the motifs of his romantic rebellious past could still be found in his works written from 1922 until1923 in Kazan, starting from the end of 1923 his tendency towards a realistic description of life became stronger. His poem dedicated to the untimely death of Vladimir Lenin titled, “Gasylar hem Minutlar (Centuries and Minutes),” his lyrical and popular verses published in collections titled Davyldan Son (After the Storm), Sagynu Zhyrlary ( Song of Anguish), Taktash Shigyrlare (Verses by Taktash), and his lyrical poems, “Mekhebbet Teubese (Confession of Love),” “Mokamai,” and, “Alsou,” that were a hymn to the love, youth and beauty of life, made him one of the leading Tatar poets. The popularity of the poet was growing fast, and soon he was recognised as a master poet who captured the ideas, feelings, dreams and wishes of the people. From 1930 to1931, Khadi Taktash was writing a poem titled, “Kilechekke Khatlar (Letters to the Future).” Planned as a large-scale lyrical and epic work reflecting the complex social and moral issues of the time, it was never finished. Unfortunately, the author wrote only three out of ten planned parts.

Khadi Taktash was first of all a recognised poet. However, his rich literary heritage contains a large number of works from other genres. He is the author of dramatic works such as: Kumelgen Korallar (Buried Arms), Yugalgan Maturlyk (Lost Beauty), and Kamil. In his time, these dramas were staged by the Tatar Theatre and were a success. Khadi Taktash also attempted to work in the field of script writing, which was considered the most popular type of art. In his archives, there are copies of a movie script for Kamil, which shows that he was interested in this kind of work. Many years of work at various newspapers and journals enabled the author to prove himself a talented publicist. He published many public articles, essays and feuilletons in periodical presses in which he touched upon different topical issues of his time. He also tried to write some short stories and literary critiques. From 1980 to 1983, the Tatar Book-Publishing House published three volumes of collected works of the poet that included works written in different genres. Khadi Taktash opened a new page in the history of Tatar literature, by giving an artistic description of the years of the Revolution, the spiritual beauty of people and the harsh romanticism of that time.

Khadi Taktash died of typhus on 8 December 1931 in Kazan. He was buried at the cemetery located in the territory of the Central Recreation Park named after Maxim Gorky.