Shaikhzada Babich

Shaikhzada Babich lived a very short life – 24 years. His creative activity lasted 10 years. His works were published in the course of 4 –5 years. But they are considered an outstanding phenomenon in the history of Bashkir literature. His poems, ballads, epigrams, topical satires (фельетоны), and shows were an event in the spiritual life of the Bashkir people. Everything he wrote reflected contemporary life.

Shaikhzada was a very bright person: humorist, satirist, dreamer, and fighter who called upon his people for enlightenment.

He was born in the village of Usyanovo, Durtuli district, to the family of an Islamic priest – mullah. The family was large and united. The distinctive feature of the family was books and newspapers which Shaikhzada studied with great interest.

Two tendencies were distinctly discerned in his creation beginning with the first works: highly emotional lyric and biting satire. Like many other Bashkir poets: Akmulla, Burangul, Gafury, Yulty, Kudash, and many others, Babich left his native place for the Kazakh steppe for summer time. A teenager, he lived in a Kazakh village and taught children there. At the same time he actively participated in the poetic life of the area, collected witty words and expressions, listened to poetic contests of Kazakh folk poets – akyns.

At the same time Shaikhzada studied in “Galiya”, a well-known medresse, in which a lot of talented muslims studied – future poets, linguists, journalists, and educators. Among them were Mazhit Gafuri, Saifi Kudash, and others.

Very soon Shaikhzada became the most prominent among the students of the medresse. He played the mandolin brilliantly, composed and performed songs, was fond of ridiculing drawbacks of all sorts.

His greatest love was his people. One of his central poems was the poem “To My People” written in 1914.

Another landmark in his creative activity was the poem “Waiting” which was published in 1916. It was written in Bashkir and was full of affection for his country and people, full of hope for their better future. This poem is considered one of the best not only in his creative work, but in the whole Bashkir lyric poetry.

Shaikhzada’s poetry was quite new both in form and in content. His stage activity was also an innovation. He recited his poems and topical satires in public a great many times.

In 1917, after his studies in the medresse, Shaikhzada taught at schools and contributed to a satirical magazine in Orenburg.

Babich accepted the revolutionary changes in his country that occurred after 1917 and actively participated in them. During the civil war the Bashkir land was occupied by the reds and the whites in turn. In one of such battles Shaikhzada Babich was killed. He was only 24.

He was a bright poet and person and his life story reflected the cardinal changes in the life of the Bashkir people.

(After Р.Бикбаев. Шайхзада Бабич. - Уфа, 1995)