Fort Shevchenko

There are several cities on Mangystau. One of them is Fort Shevchenko. It is located at a distance of 136 km from the regional center, the city of Aktau. Fort Shevchenko was founded in 1846, as a military fortification Novopetrovskoe. Until this moment, people have lived in this area since the beginning of the VIII century. The current name of the port city bears the name of the outstanding poet of Ukrainians - Taras Grigorievich Shevchenko. Out of love for the poet, Kazakh nicknamed him "akyn Tarazi" - "poet of justice". The life of this great man was complicated: he was in exile for ten years (1847-1857). However, it was not the links themselves that were difficult for the poet, but the ban on writing pictures and books.

Taras Grigorievich spent seven years directly in Mangystau in the period from 1850 to the end of his exile in 1857. While being here, he wrote his autobiographical writing "Princess," "Artist," "Gemini." Also, the poet made a significant contribution to the study of the culture and history of the Kazakh. He painted beautiful pictures of the Kazakh steppe, which in detail convey the atmosphere of the steppe and the life of the people.

Many of his paintings are still housed in the cognominal museum in the city of Fort Shevchenko. Since the 125th anniversary of the famous writer and artist, namely since 1939, the city bears his name. The population of the area is over 6,000 people. About 30 years ago, 5 times more people lived here, the city even had its airport. All this is because the large port of Bautino is located here. Today, the employees of these places work mainly on a rotational basis.

Fort Shevchenko is located 4 kilometers from the Caspian Sea. The water is very transparent here. The city has its unique atmosphere - the streets, built two centuries ago, attract the eye. The main street, on which the museum complex is located, also bears the name of Taras Shevchenko. The museum named after him was opened almost a century ago - on May 1, 1932. A feature of this museum is that it was opened in the building of the summer residence of Taras Grigorievich. Some of the poet's personal belongings are still preserved here, the Ukrainian way of life is especially felt. Here every visitor gets to know the life of the great writer and artist.

On July 14, 2016, within the walls of the Shevchenko Museum, the room of the first "Shevchenko expert," Esbol Omirbayev, was opened. This event was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the researcher who spent his entire life studying the Ukrainian poet who made such a great contribution to the development of Kazakh culture. Esbol Omirbayev plays an important role in the formation of the Shevchenko Museum since it is thanks to his work that we can contemplate the works of Taras Grigorievich. In a team with Anatoly Kostenko, he was able to restore the route of the expedition, in which the exiled was. Subsequently, Esbol wrote the book "They will revive the steppes."

Mangystau is a miraculous land. Its regional center is a promising, young city. In the region, there are natural wonders that can surprise everyone; and having arrived at Fort Shevchenko, you can plunge into the life and culture of the 18th century. Thanks to more than 350 paintings by Taras Grigorievich, which he painted in the Kazakh steppe, one can feel the atmosphere of that time. Fort Shevchenko is a must-visit place for every resident and guest of the region. Have a great time!