The article scrutinizes the main events of the 150th anniversary of Abay held under the auspices of UNESCO in 1995 in Kazakhstan and in the world. The data used are documents of the Archive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, materials from periodicals, and sources of personal origin. The documents from the Archive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, periodical materials, and sources of personal origin are involved. At the same time, many archival materials used in the article are included in the scientific turnover for the first time.
1995 named UNESCO the Year of Abay became special not only for Kazakhstan, but also for the international community. This period was very difficult for the people of the country, which was experiencing a severe financial and moral crisis. At the same time, it was the time of the formation of the independent state of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the leadership of which, despite the existing difficulties, was able to mobilize efforts to consolidate and spiritual education of society. The events held within the framework of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Abai have become one of the ways to implement the tasks of the moral unification of Kazakhstan people. As the sources show, during the celebration of the anniversary, a significant part of the events was associated with the international context: the invitation and participation of foreign figures, the presentation and holding of various kinds of commemorative events abroad, translations of Abai's works into foreign languages and more.
Attention to the anniversary on the part of such a prestigious organization as UNESCO has become a significant step in strengthening the international image of the republic. A diverse range of events contributed to the demonstration of the organizational and creative potential of Kazakhstan to the most extensive world audience.