Ismail Gasprinsky, whose life and work are an example for many, is an outstanding Crimean educator, writer, publisher and public figure. In this article we will present a brief biography of this famous person. We will also talk about the role played by Ismail Gasprinsky in the history of Crimea.
Origin, childhood
Ismail was born in March 1851. This event took place in the village of Avdzhikoy, located not far from Bakhchisaray. His father was an ensign named Mustafa. Ismail Gasprinsky received his primary education at home, after which he studied at a rural mektebe school (Muslim educational institution). After that, he graduated from the Simferopol Men's Gymnasium, then was enrolled in the Voronezh Cadet Corps.
In the period from 1864 to 1867, Ismail Bey Gasprinsky studied at the Moscow Military Gymnasium. He was able to enter such a prestigious institution because his father was in the public service. In addition, Mustafa Gasprinsky belonged to the genus of the Crimean Murzas, who at that time were equated withRussian nobility.
Important acquaintances, formation of ideology
Ismail in Moscow made friends with the son of Mikhail Katkov, the publisher of Moskovskie Vedomosti and a famous Slavophile. For some time Gasprinsky lived in his family. However, he soon returned to his homeland. Ismail began teaching in Bakhchisaray (in the Zinjirly Madrasah) in 1867. After 3 years, he went to Paris, where he listened to lectures at the Sorbonne, and also worked as a translator and was the secretary of I. S. Turgenev, the famous Russian writer.
After that, Gasprinsky lived in Istanbul for about a year. From there he wrote correspondence for Russian newspapers. Abroad, Ismail took ideas and knowledge, which he later creatively interpreted. They crystallized into a viable ideology, which eventually turned Gasprinsky into an outstanding reformer.
Service
Returning to the Crimea, Ismail served as a teacher for some time. However, already in February 1879 he became the mayor of the city of Bakhchisaray. Gasprinsky stayed in this position until March 1884
Essay on Gasprinsky, his ideas
In 1881 Ismail wrote an essay en titled "Russian Islam. Thoughts, Notes and Observations of a Muslim". This work has become a kind of intellectual manifesto, and not only for Gasprinsky. In this work, the author asks the so-called "damned questions" of life. What kind of relations should be between Russians and Tatars? What should Russian Muslims (Tatars) be in relation to Russians? What is the aim of the Russian government inattitude towards the Tatars and does it strive at all? All these questions interested Gasprinsky.
Ismail bitterly notes the lack of a consistent policy that would be inspired by the idea of spreading Russian civilization against Muslims. Gasprinsky writes that this brought many bitter fruits both for Russian Muslims and for the fatherland in general. The author states that Russian Islam does not feel, does not realize the interests of the Russian state. He does not understand his ideas, aspirations, his joys and sorrows are unknown. In addition, ignorance of the Russian language isolates Russian Islam from Russian literature and thought, as well as from universal culture. Gasprinsky notes that it vegetates in prejudices and old concepts, that it is cut off from the rest of humanity. The reason for many troubles, according to Ismail, is the lack of a well-thought-out, consistent policy towards the non-native and heterodox population.
Summarizing the thoughts set forth in his essay, Gasprinsky notes that ignorance, from which mistrust follows, hinders the rapprochement of Russian Muslims with the Russian state. What way out does the author suggest from this situation? Gasprinsky believes that elementary teaching of various sciences in Tatar should be introduced into the course of Muslim madrasas. Thanks to this, knowledge will penetrate into the Muslim environment without harm to the state. This, in turn, will raise the mental level of the clergy and the middle class. In this way, many prejudices can be dispelled. Another measure proposed by Gasprinsky is the creationfavorable conditions for the publication of printed materials in the Tatar language.
Jadidism
Ismail, being a devout Muslim, highlights the creation of a reformed community of peoples professing Islam. The Jadid reform becomes an effective answer to the questions that worried the educator. It was thanks to Ismail that it became widespread among Muslims living in Russia.
Jadidism proposed a program of reforms related to education. Its main areas included:
- reforming the education of Muslims, bringing it into line with the European level;
- formation of a single Turkic literary language for all peoples;
- creation of philanthropic, civil societies;
- increasing civic engagement, changing the status of Muslim women;
- strengthening existing ties between various Turkic-Muslim peoples living in Russia.
Terjiman Newspaper
Gasprinsky, following the noble principles declared by him, began to engage in active educational activities. For example, in April 1883, he began to publish a newspaper in Bakhchisarai called "Terdzhiman" ("Translator"). For many years it became the only Turkic newspaper published in Russia. "Terdzhiman" printed information on the most topical issues. The newspaper was published in both Crimean Tatar and Russian.
At first, the publication was a weekly, but later it was published three times a week, and daily. "Terdzhiman" lasted until the death of Gasprinsky, which came in 1914, and also 4 more years after it. During these years, his son Refat was the editor of the newspaper.
Other newspapers and magazines published by Gasprinsky
Another newspaper published by Ismail Gasprinsky is the weekly "Millet" ("Nation"). He also published a women's magazine, Alemi Nisvan (Women's World). Shefika Gasprinskaya, daughter of Ismail, was the editor of this magazine. But this is not all the publications founded by Gasprinsky. He published a children's magazine in the Crimean language "Alemi Subyan" ("The World of Children"). Also worth mentioning is a humorous publication called "Ha-ha-ha!", which was founded by Ismail Gasprinsky. His biography, as you can see, is marked by the release of a number of magazines and newspapers.
Creating a common Turkic language
Ismail sought to ensure that the Turkic peoples living on the territory of Russia united on the basis of the creation of a common Turkic literary language. Gasprinsky considered the language to be the basis for the existence of pan-Turkic solidarity. Ismail tried first of all to carry out a language reform. He believed that "unity in language" would not develop by itself, since, despite the common vocabulary and typological similarity, the languages of the Turkic peoples differed significantly. An important step towards bringing all thesepeoples began to develop a kind of Turkic Esperanto. This language was created on the basis of the Crimean Tatar (its modernized version).
Education reform
The education system, according to Gasprinsky, was also an important area that needed drastic reform. Ismail developed a special method of schooling. It was first tested in the Bakhchisaray school in 1884. The main advantage of this method was the meaningful study of subjects, and not the mechanical memorization of incomprehensible texts. In addition, native languages were actively used in the learning process, but this did not exclude the study of Russian, Arabic and European languages.
Thanks to the schools that used the Gasprinsky method, a new generation of Crimean Tatar intellectuals appeared in the first 15 years of the 20th century. They were educated in a European way, but did not lose their Muslim identity.
Recognition, congresses of Muslims of Russia
In 1903, the 20th anniversary of the newspaper "Terdzhiman" turned into a kind of national forum. On it, Gasprinsky was recognized as "the father of the nation of Russian Muslims." The first Muslim congresses became the realization of the idea of Turkic-Islamic solidarity he pursued.
Ismail Gasprinsky in 1905 became the chairman of the first congress of Muslims in Russia. This congress marked the beginning of the unification of all Russian Tatars. The second congress took place in January 1906 in St. Petersburg. Ismail Gasprinsky was the chairman andGerman At this event, it was decided to form the Union of Muslims of Russia. In August 1906, the third congress met near Nizhny Novgorod. It was decided to transform the created Union of Muslims (Ittifak al-Muslimin) into a special political party. Her program was based on the ideology of Pan-Turkism.
Ismail Gasprinsky: poetry and prose
I. Gasprinsky is known not only as a public figure, but also as a talented writer. He has a number of wonderful works of art to his credit. The stories and novels of Gasprinsky ("Arslan-kyz", "Molla Abbas", "One hundred years later") were published in the newspaper "Terdzhiman".
And I. Gasprinsky is known as a poet. Many Crimeans know his poems about Crimea even today. Nevertheless, the poetic heritage of this author is small. His poems (about Crimea - "Crimea", etc.) are not as well known as the results of his social and writing activities.
