Turmanzhanov Utebay Turmanzhanovich (15.12.1905 – 17.03.1978) - famous Kazakh Soviet poet, literary critic, was born on the territory of Arys area, Shymkent region, in the family of land owner.
Since 1919 he studied at boarding school #14 in Tashkent where in 1920 he joined the ranks of Lenin Komsomol. Since 1957, he is the member of CPSU (Communistic Party of Soviet Union).
In 1922-1925 U. Turmanzhanov studied at the Communistic University of Workers of the East (CUWE) in Moscow. Since 1926-1928 he taught at Average and Asian communistic university named after V. I. Lenin in Tashkent. From 1929 to 1930 he taught the Kazakh-Kyrgyz language and literature at Average and Asian state university where managed department of the Kazakh-Kyrgyz literature. In 1931 by the invitation of Regional committee of Communistic Party of Kazakhstan arrived to Alma-Ata and taught the Kazakh literature at the Kazakh teacher training college named after Abay, at the same time he managed educational and methodical sector of Kazgosizdat.
Since 1934 to 1936 he was a deputy of editor of newspaper “Қазақ әдебиеті” (“Qazaq adebieti”). Since 1934 he is the member of Union of writers of USSR. In 1936-1938 he worked as the deputy editor and the editor of the of magazine “Литературный фронт” (“Literary Front”), nowadays “Жұлдыз” (“Zhuldyz”). In 1958-1964 he worked as the manager of edition of the nursery and youthful literature of the Kazakh state publishing house of fiction.
U. Turmanzhanov published more than 30 collections, verses, stories, stories, fairy tales generally addressed to little readers. He is considered as one of the founders of the Kazakh Soviet children's literature.
U. Turmanzhanov worked also in the field of collecting and processing of the Kazakh national fairy tales: he made and published collections of sayings and proverbs. In 1966 the collection of the Kazakh national fairy tales and sayings under the name “Птица счастья” (“Bird of Happiness”) is published in Russian.
In 1959 he was awarded by the medals “For Labour Honors”, “For Valorous Work”. Due to the 60 anniversary since birth and merits in development of the Kazakh Soviet literature in December, 1964 was awarded by the Certificate of honor of the Kazakh SSR Supreme Council in 1974 an award of the Labor Red Banner.
