The legacy of Kemel Tokaev and the memoirs of contemporaries

The paper examines the personality and the writer’s image of Kemel Tokaev. Kemel Tokaev is one of the first authors of detective genre works in Kazakh literature. It is worth noting that little attention is paid to the study of this genre in Kazakh literature. The life experience and writing talent of Kemel Tokaev, hardened in the harsh hardships of the war, served as a vivid example for subsequent writers. The main purpose of the research is to study the work of Kemel Tokaev, who laid the foundation for a new direction among writers, and transfer it to the younger generation. After gaining independence, the name of the writer began to be mentioned more often both in the media and in intellectual circles. This paper places great emphasis on the memoirs of contemporaries, colleagues, and followers of the writer. Despite the fact that the detective genre was not widely spread in Kazakh literature, the works of Kemel Tokaev enjoyed success. Colleagues of the writer, speaking about this phenomenon, conclude that the effect of such popularity of the work of a literary figure is the result of great work and perseverance, the truthfulness of stories based on archival materials.