The article provides a source analysis of the personal collection and manuscript heritage of Bakhytzhan Karatayev (1860 – 1934), which is preserved in Personal Fund No. 1227 at the Central State Archive of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This personal collection is distinguished by its unique documents, including manuscripts, diaries, personal correspondence, administrative records, and party affiliation documents that verify his official authority. The purpose of the article is to conduct an overview and provide a source-based characterization of the personal fund, based on an analysis of its composition and structure as a historical source, as well as an examination of B. Karatayev’s own manuscripts. To achieve this objective, several historical research methods were employed, including narrative, source analysis, biographical, and hermeneutic methods. Source analysis remains a vital necessity for the historical study of this figure’s personality.

The article fills existing gaps in the study of B. Karatayev, as there is a notable lack of comprehensive source analysis regarding his personal fund in the CSA RK. Analyzing the collection allows for an assessment of the preservation and completeness of the materials within to historical events but also as a historian. Ultimately, the source analysis of B. Karatayev’s manuscript heritage facilitates a profound understanding of the era through the prism of his works.

Key words: documents of personal origin, Bakhytzhan Karatayev, manuscript, intelligentsia, historical memory