“The Last Madamar” by Anuar Alimzhanov

The Stories of Modern Kazakh Prose

Anuar Alimzhanov was born on May 2, 1930, in the village of Karlygash in Taldykorgan region. He is considered one of the most prominent Kazakh writers of the late Soviet period. He wrote not only stories about the contemporary period, but also notable historical novels.

In his story "The Last Madamar", Alimzhanov writes about Kazakh deserts, water and their master, a man named Madamar. We meet this true master only at the end of the story, when he magically appears to save his people by finding underground water. Madamar is a national figure who teaches how to survive in harsh natural conditions and serves people with self-sacrifice.