Advertisement in the Qazaq Newspaper
From Textbooks to Hay Mowers
Qazaq, №9, 1913.
As the nineteenth century gave way to the twentieth, a great wave of awakening surged through Kazakh intellectuals, sparking a passionate quest for knowledge. This outpouring of intellectual zeal led to an explosion of new magazines and newspapers being published in Kazakh, heralding the dawn of a new era in sharing culture.
However, what these intellectuals wrote went beyond only spreading knowledge. Soon, a variety of publications emerged, covering topics like business, society, politics, art, and humor. Qalam invites you to explore snippets from Kazakh publishing culture and history compiled by historian Abai Myrzagali, offering a glimpse into the important issues of the past.
The Qazaq newspaper held a unique position among publications in Kazakhstan because it was the first to explore and embrace the concept of marketing. This meant breaking new ground in several ways. The newspaper introduced advertising to its pages, ventured into commerce, and became a platform for businesses to distribute their products.
Interestingly, from its inaugural issue to its final edition, Qazaq consistently featured book advertisements. Particularly noteworthy were the advertisements for books by the renowned Kazakh intellectual and educator, Akhmet Baitursynuly, who is known for creating the 'Baitursynov alphabet'—a version of the Arabic script tailored to the phonological nuances of Kazakh. This new alphabet served as the official script for Kazakh until the transition to the Latin script in 1929.i
In the 1920s, the USSR initiated a campaign to convert all Turkic languages to the Latin script. As part of this effort, new Turkic alphabets, known as Yanalif, were introduced in 1928. The Latin alphabet was adopted for Kazakh until 1959, when, upon the 'request from the working class', the USSR began the complete Cyrillization of its national scripts. Interestingly, during the late 1920s, there were also projects aimed at converting Russian into the Latin script. This was first mentioned in issue №9:
Älifba. Serving as a continuation of the first Älifba, this book expands the language lessons to include Turkish, Arabic, and Persian words, integrating Kazakh proverbs, riddles, blessings, and short poems to help learn how to read. The printed book is available for 15 tiyn,iTiyn is the Kazakh name for the kopeck, which is 1/100th of a rouble. including postage.
Qazaq, №9, 1913
Not only did the Qazaq newspaper advertise wisdom, but it also promoted mundane practical goods. They marketed everything from hay mowers and cream separators to Alfa Nobel machines and Singer sewing machines. Additionally, credit was available for purchasing these items.
advertisement by the Alfa Nobel partnership in Qazaq, №18, 1913.
A total of 266 editions of Qazaq were published. The inaugural issue was printed on 15 February 1913, while the final one was published on 26 September 1918. Its circulation exceeded 3,000 copies upon launch and eventually peaked at 8,000 copies.
