The works of Mustai Karim are translated into many languages of the world and adequately represent Bashkir literature around the world. This is not surprising, because created on the territory of Bashkortostan, saturated with its culture and mentality, they nonetheless sound internationally. And this is due to the availability of texts in which universal values are presented almost in the preaching channel, but easily and unobtrusively. The writer is understandable to everyone: from an adult to the smallest child. Fairy tales of Mustai Karim are loved by children all over the planet. He was a poet, prose writer, playwright, diplomat, philosopher and a man with a capital letter.
Annals of life Mustaya Karim
Mustay Karim, real name Mustafa Safich Karimov, was born in the then Ufa province, in the village of Klyashevo. The family had many children, but it was Mustafu who was endowed with the gift of versification. The boy showed an inquiring mind, liveliness and a craving for knowledge. Apparently, it was so laid down by nature that parents who were illiterate had a son who became one of the greatest poets in Bashkortostan.
After graduation, Mustai successfully completed his studies at the Faculty of Philology of the Bashkir State Pedagogical Institute named after K. A. Timiryazev. Almost from the student’s bench, the young man was taken to the front, because the Great Patriotic War had begun. A year later, in August 1942, Lieutenant Karimov was seriously wounded, and he was forced to stay in the hospital for almost six months. But Mustafa does not give up and at the first opportunity returns to the front. True, already as a war correspondent for the newspapers “Soviet Warrior”, “For the Honor of the Motherland”.
The war turned Karimov’s worldview and influenced not only his work, but also on his entire life. Poems of that time are permeated with the pain of thousands of victims, emotional distress, longing for the survivors and the great spirit of patriotism. Through his work, the poet helped soldiers cope with problems and motivated them to move forward.
After the front
Upon returning from the front, Mustai begins active political and literary activities. In the post-war period, until his death, Mustafa was not outside public life, he wrote articles, essays, poems, short stories and plays. It is no coincidence that his works became immortal. Not only the deep content, which is based on the values of humanism, patriotism, a sense of beauty, but also the presentation of events - are simple and understandable, easy to perceive.
Mustay Karim died in 2005, was buried as one of the best people in Bashkortostan.
Now the works of Mustai Karim are included in the school curriculum. And every year, on his birthday, all kinds of poetry reading evenings are arranged, weeks on the subject of the writer's work.
Thanks to hard work and a tireless muse, the genius of Bashkortostan presented us with more than 100 collections of poems and poems, more than 10 plays, many essays and fairy tales for children. Many of them are still staged not only on the stages of the Bashkir theaters, but also in other regions of Russia.
Mustay Karim's poems have been translated into different languages of the world and are still the subject of discussion at major universities such as Harvard and Bologna. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, an unusual syllable. Secondly, a special perception of reality, where a person is able to influence the course of history.
The origins of creativity
Speaking about the circumstances that shaped the future classic of Bashkir literature, we can call both the Party and Stalin. But this is just the case when a person shapes himself, scooping what is interesting to him, close and expensive.
Since the first verses of Mustai Karim were heard, even when the boy was in the sixth grade, is it worth talking about the political or civil background of his genius? As Mustafa himself admitted, he was "blinded from the environment." He grew up on his mother’s songs, village tales and the ancient cultural traditions of his people. Hence the folklore foundations of his work. These motives were the basis of many of his works: both prose and poems.
The Great Patriotic War, which made Karim look at the world differently, added heavy impressions and empirical knowledge. But the poet did not give up, but rather, rediscovered the strength of the human spirit and realized the true value of life. So, even poems about the most difficult events of the war are not without hope and optimism.
Views and beliefs
Whatever book you analyze Mustay Karim’s work you have opened, it will be written in the very first sentences that, regardless of ranks and achievements, Mustafa has always been primarily a person.
This seemingly simple definition hides the fact that he was a true patriot of his country. He never hid for other people's ranks and openly spoke about his position. It was especially difficult for him to experience the collapse of the Soviet Union, as this was the country in whose name he lived, fought and created.
Defending the ideals of the Communist Party, he was not a blind man who, with foam at his mouth, proves truths laid down by someone from outside. His main idea was that in the world there is only one real and correct political force - this is the party of hope. As long as a person believes in the best, he will live.
In addition, Mustai Karim has always been a kind and helpful person. I met with pleasure with readers, with whom I behaved simply and at ease. He did not know pride. This is despite the fact that already in the 70s behind him were recognition, awards, and fame. Humanism and universal values have always remained in first place in his works.
Theme of creativity
The work of Mustai Karim is so diverse that it is very difficult to single out the main idea in it. The entire layer of the writer’s subject is similar to the fabric: as the threads are dense, different ideas and storylines intertwined in it. The stories of Mustai Karim are as close as possible to life, where nothing exists without causation.
If you try to highlight the main directions of creativity, we get the following list of topics:
- philosophical issues;
- civic lyrics and prose;
- landscape lyrics;
- works of a social orientation, that is, everyday, but eternal themes;
- a separate layer is made up of military-themed works;
- pedagogical works are not separate works, but elements of didactics in works;
- journalistic essays;
- Mustai Karim works for children.
If we take into account the ratio of genres and themes, then a clear pattern will not follow. This means that the poems were written not only on the subject of intimate experiences or the beauties of Bashkortostan, and the stories were not limited to narratives about the war or adventures. Tales are of a pronounced didactic nature.
Philosophical lyrics of M. Karim
In his philosophical lyrics, Mustafa Karimov does not give us answers to questions that are always disturbing humanity. He kind of asks us ourselves. And these questions are asked in such a simple and direct manner that they become rhetorical. The author does not impose his opinion, he brings us to him through doubts and thoughts, so that the answer is obvious after reading it.
Karim’s philosophy is based on pedagogical principles, since he studied at the Pedagogical Institute for six years and is familiar with the question from the inside. He attaches great importance to such a category as personality, not highlighting it as a purely philosophical concept.
So, a personality from the point of view of pedagogy is the result of upbringing and immediate achievements of a person. Philosophy, on the other hand, interprets this concept as a quantity that exists either outside of man or defines it. Mustafa Karimov invites us to look at the personality from a different perspective. This is a magnet, a talent that is inherent in everyone to a greater or lesser extent.
A person crystallizes constantly: in labor, in the pursuit of a higher goal, in creativity. In other words, Karimov transferred the principles of Brownian motion to his doctrine. Life consists of many chaotic accidents, each of which leaves a mark in the human soul. Depending on his attitude to these little things, character, habits and principles are formed.
Life never stops, does not slow down, does not give the opportunity to relax, think and weigh all the circumstances of each particular case. Therefore, it is important in any situation to see the light at the end of the tunnel and believe in goodness.
Intimate Lyrics
In such works, the boundary between the lyrical hero and the author himself is blurred. Moreover, this happens in two directions.
In the first, the lyrical hero becomes an author, that is, a poet. He is also worried about eternal questions, he is ready to defend his opinion to the end, if it is a matter of honor. Also, the lyrical hero feels responsible for his role on earth, convinced that much in the future of all mankind depends on himself.
The second direction of such a replacement - the "I" -author to the "I" -hero, occurs in the sense that the lyrical hero becomes the author, repeating his life attitudes, living his priorities. Thus, he goes beyond the scope of works and becomes partly real.
Landscape lyrics Mustaya Karima
Born in the village, he spent all his childhood in unity with nature, enjoying the scenery of Bashkortostan. The stories of Mustai Karim are permeated with deep affection for their native land.
You can trace the folklore basis. As a young boy, he often sat with his family by the fire and listened to stories about mythical creatures, fairy-tale events and presented his paintings with their characters.
Mustay Karim's poems about Bashkortostan are written in a romantic way. In them, the lyrical hero meets his reflection in nature, or she echoes it, which enhances the impression of reading.
Patriotic poems
Mustai Karim’s patriotic poems about the Motherland are imbued with deep love for the Bashkir SSR and the USSR as a whole. Having passed the war, actively participating in public life, he always reacted violently to changes and injustice.
Mustay Karim's poems about Bashkortostan are written in the vein of his political views. This means that he believes in the ideology of the Communist Party. But not as a political movement, but as an organization that gives hope for the well-being of the country.
Military lyrics - a separate stage of the poet's work
Having been at the front both as a lieutenant and as a correspondent, he recognized the military kitchen from the inside.
Mustay Karim’s poems about the Motherland echo military themes.
Despite the fact that he himself was awarded the Order of Courage, he never spoke of his own exploits. The works of Mustai Karim are not penetrated by the mortality of life, as in the same Remarque or Hemingway. Belief in victory, stories about ordinary people who are ready for anything for the sake of the motherland, the heroism of an ordinary soldier - this is the main motive for stories and poems about the war of Mustai Karim.
Prose Musta Karima
The stories of Mustai Karim are permeated with exalted feelings for Bashkortostan. He talks about the native land, as if by chance, but clearly traces the image of the Motherland as a background and at the same time the foundation.
In his stories he talks about childhood. Frankly, honestly and easily. This is a kind of childhood confession. Mustai is not afraid to be ridiculous and ridiculous. Because this sees the true essence of childhood. To portray the situation as idealized is to lie to the reader, as Karim himself said. And in view of his honesty, both literary and human, this is simply not permissible.
Artworks for children
Mustai Karim’s works for children make up a small part of the writer's entire creative heritage. But their value is not diminished by this.
Tales and the only story for the children of Mustai Karim are based on real cases from the writer's childhood. They clearly have a didactic character.
The plots are not only taken from life, but also involved in folklore stories.
Wealth of speech
The work of Mustai Karim received high marks almost from the very beginning. But the paradox is that the intellectuality of works dispenses with special, pompous stylistic figures. Characters in verses and prose speak a simple and accessible language, close to the folk.
This makes the writer understandable to everyone. And the fact that Mustay Karim’s poems are published in Russian, English, German and many other languages of the world is direct proof of this.