APersonIndependent states
Sayakbay Karalaev
A great manaschy (1894–1971) whose version of the Manas trilogy runs to more than half a million lines.
Sayakbay Karalaev was born in the Issyk-Kul area and learned from masters who recited Manas from memory.
His version of the trilogy Manas — Semetey — Seitek, recorded between 1936 and 1952, is among the longest, and he became the first official salaried manaschy of the Frunze Philharmonic.
Chinghiz Aitmatov called him "the Homer of the 20th century". His portrait is on the 500-som note, and his recitation of the epic Er Töshtük was translated into French.
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Updated: October 3, 2026