Алаш Орда

Imam Alimbekov was born in the Aksara volost of the Karkaralinsky uyezd  of the former Semipalatinsk gubernia  (now the East Kazakhstan oblast) in 1885. His real name is Imammagzum, but people called him Imam. According to some information concerning his social and political life, he graduated from the Karkaralinsk Russian-Kazakh School, then he studied at the Semipalatinsk Teachers’ Seminary  with Abikei Satbaev. Before the October Revolution, he was a teacher of schools and gymnasiums of Semipalatinsk. Imam Alimbekov was familiar and closely communicated with famous figures of the “Alash” party: A. Bukeikhanov, A. Baytursynov, J. Akbaev, A. Satbaev. After graduating from the Semipalatinsk teacher’s seminary, Imam Alimbekov worked with Akhmet Baitursynov in the schools of Karkaralinsky uyezd. Imam Alimbekov married a Russian girl named Varvara, and nicknamed her Batima. They held a marriage ceremony at the mosque “Ahmet Riza” of  Semipalatinsk.

Karkaralinsk  is the city, which has a special place in the history of the national liberation movement Alash . In 1905, as a result of the first Russian revolution, the Alash movement became more active.  Alikhan Bukeikhanov participated in the Karkalin protest movement against the oppression of tsarism, he organized the signatures of 14,500 people under a petition known as the Karkalin petition. In the 1917year, during the October revolution, a major political and revolutionary center the Karkaraly uyezd of the Semipalatinsk gubernia was formed in the east of the country . Imam Alimbekov was an activist of one of such socio-political uyezds.

Imam Alimbekov  soon returned to Semipalatinsk and began to actively participate in the creation of regional and uyezd committees in the Semipalatinsk region. He was a member of the Regional Kazakh Committee, he was a  deputy chairman of the Semipalatinsk Regional Committee “Alash”, he was an employee of the newspaper “Kazakh”, he was a editor of the newspaper “Sary-Arka”,  he was a member of the Semipalatinsk Uyezd Soviet.

On September 12, 1917 he  took part in the Second Regional Congress of Kazakhs in the city of Semipalatinsk. Alimbekov was a member of the Regional Committee of the party “Alash”, he was elected a deputy of the Semipalatinsk uyezd zemstvo. It was then that preparations began for the release of the national newspaper.  On June of the same year the first issue of the newspaper  “ The Sary-Arka” appeared, which later it became the voice of the members of  Alash Orda. The editorial staff of the newspaper was placed  with the office of the Kazakh committee in Yusupov’s house.  The editor of the newspaper was Imam Alimbekov. During the editorial activity in the newspaper “Saryarka”, Imam Alimbekov is one of the supporters of the idea of ​​creating an independent Kazakh autonomy.

In the beginning of the 1918, year when the city of Semey was the temporary capital of the government of Alash Orda , I. Alimbekov actively participated in political movements, he carried out various public works. But the authorities did not give an opportunity to realize the goals and intentions of the members of Alash Orda. Therefore, the members of the Semipalatinsk oblast Kazakh Committee, having consulted, decided to send Imam Alimbekov secretly to work in the Soviet Revolutionary headquarters. He repeatedly saved people’s lives  in spite all the dangers and threats to his life. In the spring of the 1919 year Alimbekov I. was in captivity of Kolchak’s men.

In years of the civil confrontation  member of the “Alash” party Imam Alimbekov participated  as a delegate of the Congress of the Siberian autonomists, which took place in the city of Samara, he took part in the formation of the Alash militia of Semey and the cavalry regiment.

In the 1920 year, when the government of Alash Orda was abolished, I. Alimbekov returned to his native Karkaralinsk and worked in the sphere  of education. I. Alimbekov made a great contribution to the cause of education. Since 1920, he taught at the Karkaralinsk Pedagogical Technical School.  In 1920-1928 he worked at school of Aktogay, school of  Besobinskaya volost, Mibulaksky volost, Kyzylzhar agricultural school. In Karkaralinsk he worked as a head of the department of education, also he worked as a methodologist-instructor. In 1930 he moved to Petropavlovsk by the invitation of Magzhan Zhumabaev and there he worked as a teacher at an agricultural technical school.

In 1933, he was held on the case of Alash, he was recognized as an “enemy of the people” together with Magzhan Zhumabaev and  he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but he  was released in 1935. Returning to Karkaraly, he taught at Besobe ‘s school(Besobinskaya incomplete secondary school).  , which was opened by him.   In the 1937 year he was arrested again. According to protocol of search a collection of Abai’s poems and essays on the history of Alash Orda  was found and was confiscated in the house of Imam Alimbekov . The indictment says: “Alimbekov I.  He wrote poems with a direct appeal for the overthrow of Soviet power, he distributed them among students and members of  collective farms at the evening, organized on the occasion of the meeting of the new 1937 year.

On September 14 of the 1937year fifty- year- old  Imam Alimbekov, was convicted by the troika of UNKVD of the Semipalatinsk oblast to the death penalty (execution). Imam Alimbekov was rehabilitated on March 15, 1990.