Majit Gafuri

Who is Majit Gafuri?

Majit Gafuri Bashkir: Мәжит Ғафури, Janalif: Məƶit Ƣafuri, Tatar Cyrillic: Габделмәҗит Нургани улы Гафуров, Latin: Ğäbdelmäcit Nurğäni ulı Ğafurov AKA Tatar Cyrillic: Мәҗит Гафури, Latin: Mäcit Ğafuri (; Russian: Габдельмажи́т Нургани́евич Гафу́ров, Gabdelmazhit Nurganievich Gafurov, also Russian: Мази́т Гафу́ри, Mazit Gafuri; 20 July 1880, Zilim-Karanovo, Ufa Governorate, Russian Empire – 28 October 1934, Ufa, Bashkir ASSR, USSR) was a Bashkir and Tatar poet, writer, and playwright.

Gafuri was born to a Tatar-speaking teacher family, in the village of Zilim-Karanovo (now Gafuriysky District, Bashkortostan). After getting work at Därdemänd's diggings and teaching Kazakh children in the steppe, he studied at the famous Kazan madrasah, Möxämmädiä in 1905-06, then in Galia madrasah, Ufa.

His first verse was published in 1902. The most of his pre-revolutionary verses were anti-religious poems. After the 1917 revolution and the Russian Civil War, the most of his poems was dedicated for the struggle against the Tsarism.