"Ush Baiterek" ("Three poplars") this is how Kazakhs call Saken Seyfullin, Ilyas Zhansugurov and Beyimbet Maylin. People loved and praised them equally without dividing.
There is plenty of information about Saken Seyfullin, but, unfortunately, information about Beymbet Maylin and Ilyas Zhansugurov are limited. Photographs which would capture all spheres of life and work of Ilyas Zhansugurov are very few.
Although, lately scientist-researcher Muratbek Imangazinov began investigation about life and work of Ilyas Zhansugurov and his contribution is significant.
Young Kazakh poets and writers. In middle row from left to right: S. Mukanov, S. Seyfullin, I. Zhansugurov and B. Maylin
On the eve of May 31 — the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repressions let’s remember the last moments of life of Ilyas Zhansugurov that known and unknown to us.
Sayat Zhansugurov (the son of the poet) in interview which he gave to the young writer Omirzhan Abdikhalykuly, told about, when and where Ilyas Zhansugurov was detained: "At that time my father led the Union of Writers of Kazakhstan (1937). According to Kazakh customs at the beginning of summer set the yurt for rest. It was the place where he was detained. His house was searched and documents and books were taken away. It is still unknown the location of some of his works". Moreover, Sapargali Begalin managed to preserve the poem "Kulager", while other books of the poet during the search were collected and shipped on a bullock cart. Later Begalin transferred the poem to Fatima Gabitova.
Ilyas Zhansugurov, his son Sayat and wife Fatima Torebayeva
About the last moments of Ilyas’s life there are two documents: the certificate of Ilyas’s death and certificate with the indication of date of execution. These documents are among exhibits in the museum named after the poet in Taldykorgan. The first official document is issued on May 29, 1957 by office No. 2 of National court of Almaty. In this document written that the poet "died on April 19, 1947″.
However, in the second document issued on April 12, 1957 by Military Board of the Supreme Court of USSR it was written that "on February 26, 1938 Ilyas Zhansugurov was shot". Relatives of the poet were in uncertainty because of two different documents.
The scientist M. Imangazinov talked about this situation with Ilyas Zhansugurov’s descendants. According to the scientist, at that time Ilyas’s family lived on the Mira Street, house No. 83. Unknown person (it was on October, 1955) came to their house and said: "I was recently released from prison. In Siberia I was together with your father. After a while he was released safe and alive. He sent me to you".
This person certainly was warmly welcomed and despite of financial difficulties in the family gave him clothes. Once Hoppizhamal (younger sister of mother F. Gabitova) pointed on hanging portraits of Ilyas Zhansugurov and Bilyal Suleeva and asked "unknown" to show "with who he was in the prison". He pointed at Bilyal. After that Hoppizhamal had no trust to this person. She told her thoughts with Fatima, but Fatima said that she was wrong. However, after that day he disappeared...
At that time the government of Kazakhstan was headed by Levon Mirzoyan. He wrote to Stalin the confidential letter which was published later. He received an extensive discussion among the public. Levon Mirzoyan in that letter of December 2, 1937 under a signature stamp "very confidential" asked permission to execution of 1600 people. Execution of these people had to be made "for cleaning of antisocial elements"...
The secret letter which L. Mirzoyan sent to Stalin
After the letter in 1938 the best representatives of Kazakh intelligence such as Zhusupbek Aymautov, Akhmet Baytursynov, Magzhan Zhumabayev, Saken Seyfullin, Beyimbet Maylin, Zhalau Mynbayev and others were convicted and executed. Among them was Ilyas Zhansugurov, executed on February 26, 1938. This day we considered as the official date of death of the poet.
Thus, from two documents we considered the second document, which was given on April 12, 1957 by Military Board of the Supreme Court of USSR, as the official one. It is confirms that on February 26, 1938 is the date of death of Ilyas Zhansugurov...
According to the scientist M. Imangazinova Ilyas Zhansugurov was buried in the village "Zhanalyk" of the Talgarsky district of Almaty region...
Zangar KARIMKHAN
