«Winners of the “Saken Readings” Challenge Contest Announced

Today, at Abai University, the award ceremony of the “Saken Readings” challenge contest took place, dedicated to the 130th anniversary of Saken Seifullin — a prominent representative of Kazakh literature, poet, writer, and public figure.

The winners were awarded diplomas and cash prizes. The purpose of the event is to widely promote Saken Seifullin’s rich literary heritage among young people, develop the culture of artistic reading, and promote national literature in a modern format through social networks.

Students from higher educational institutions of Almaty took part in the contest, expressively reading excerpts from Saken Seifullin’s poems and prose works, and posting their performances on Instagram and TikTok with the hashtags #СәкенніңСөзіҰрпаққаҰран and #АбайУниверситеті. The participants’ performances were evaluated by the jury according to such criteria as artistic skill, expressiveness, voice intonation and diction, stage culture, and compliance with the contest rules.

According to the results of the competition, the first place was awarded to Sayazhan Khayyrzhankyzy, a first-year student of Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University; the second place went to Amina Ashimkhanova, a first-year student of the Kazakh Leading Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering; and the third place was taken by Uldana Zhienaeva, also a first-year student of the same academy. Among the participants, there were also those who received special nominations for their outstanding performance skills and creative approach. The “Master of Words” nomination was awarded to Erasyl Zholdasbayev, the “Art of Expression” nomination to Shyngys Tasbulatov, and the “Living Word – Voice of the Heart” nomination to Nurzhan Otarbay.

The winners and nominees were awarded Letters of Appreciation from the Chairman of the Board – Rector of the university, as well as special diplomas and cash prizes. According to the organizers, the “Saken Readings” challenge contest became a meaningful event aimed at raising the national spirit of the younger generation and strengthening their love for literature and art.

Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University

Press Service