Zhidebay: the mausoleums of Abai and Shakarim and his last home

Zhidebay is a protected historical and cultural area in Abai District, in eastern Kazakhstan’s Abai Region, about 180 km from Semey. It holds the house where the poet Abai Kunanbayev spent his last years and the memorial complex with his mausoleum and that of Shakarim. Open roughly late April to late October, it fills a full day from Semey.

Zhidebay in numbers

The house museum

Abai rebuilt the house to his own plan in 1895, four years after inheriting the winter camp from his brother Ospan. It became a museum in 1945 for his centenary, and its exhibition covers his last ten years. The main museum is in the city: see the Abai Museum in Semey.

The mausoleums

Construction began in 1993 for Abai’s 150th anniversary. Two towers rise from a shared three-tier platform with 140 m between the graves. The architects led by Bek Ibrayev wanted them to look, in the heat haze, like ships sailing across the steppe, so step back and look from a distance at midday.

The reserve also has Shakarim’s hunting lodge, Kunanbay’s well and a small pyramid marking the “Centre of Eurasia”.

Planning your day

1. Leave Semey early. We could not confirm current road conditions.
2. Without a car, look for a group minibus, usually about 15 people, or hire a driver.
3. Check the museum is open: it stayed closed until late August in 2020.
4. Guides were scarce in 2021, so ask well in advance, especially for English.

Trips to the sacred Konyr-Auliye cave almost always stop here too. These are graves, so dress modestly and keep quiet.