Toleubaev Abdesh Tashkenuly (15.11.1953-10.07.2023) – Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Academy of Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan. He was born on November 15, 1953, in the city of Shauyshek, China. In 1959, he returned to his historical homeland with his parents. In 1970, he graduated from the secondary school named after M. Auezov in the village of Kokzhyra, Aksuat district, Semey region. In 1970, he entered the history faculty of KazMU. Abdesh Toleubaev's student and scientific life was associated with expeditions led by Academician A. Kh. Margulan and Associate Professor A. Orazbaev.

In 1975, he entered the graduate school of the Institute of Ethnography named after Miklouho-Maclay of the USSR Academy of Sciences (Moscow). Here, he engaged in research on the beliefs of Kazakhs before the adoption of Islam. His scientific supervisors were well-known researchers of Central Asia and Kazakhstan, Doctors of Sciences T.A. Zhdanko and G.P. Snesarev. A. Toleubaev defended his candidate dissertation in Moscow on time.

Since 1979, Abdesh Toleubaev's teaching and scientific life has been associated with KazNU, where he headed the Department of Archaeology and Ethnology for over 20 years.

In 1983-1984, he studied the ethnography of Kazakhs in the Orenburg and Astrakhan regions of Russia and wrote a work titled "Orenburg Kazakhs" regarding the Kazakh diaspora there. He discovered more than 400 previously unknown archaeological complexes from the areas located on the northern slopes of the Tarbagatai, Kalba, and Shyngyshtau regions, excavating and studying over 60 of them. As a result, it was established that there are artifacts of the Begazy-Dandybay culture and the Uysun culture in these regions, as well as their cultural connections with other archaeological areas and cultural-ethnographic features. A significant achievement of Toleubaev's recent archaeological research is the discovery of the burial of a Saka king dressed in gold from the Shilikti steppe, with its unique size and grandeur, complex architecture, and the rich gold decorations, buttons, and ornaments (a total of 4325 items) showcasing the exceptional splendor of the Saka ruler. The archaeological treasures discovered by A. Toleubaev were exhibited for several months in museums in Moscow (2019), Cambridge (2021), and Tatarstan (2023).

Abdesh Toleubaev's main works are dedicated to the archaeological issues of the ancient ethno-cultural history of Kazakhstan, as well as the traditional ethnographic culture of the Kazakh people. Abdesh Toleubaev is one of the first scholar-historians of Kazakhstan who monitors the cultural-genetic connection between ancient and medieval tribes and the Kazakh people.

Professor A. Toleubaev's innovative technology in the educational process lies in the active nature of his teaching methodology. More than half of the middle and junior generation of Kazakhstani archaeologists and ethnographers were educated and trained in A. Toleubaev's scientific school. A. Toleubaev is the author of over 300 scientific articles, 5 monographs, and textbooks on the history of Kazakhstan for grades 6, 10, and 11.

Awards:

1992 - Doctor of Historical Sciences; 1995 - Professor; 2006 - Laureate of the first award named after Sh. Ualikhanov; 2008 - Holder of the badge "For Contribution to the Development of Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan" from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, "Best Teacher of Al-Farabi KazNU"; 2010 - Medal "For Labor Valor" of the Republic of Kazakhstan; 2011 - Academician of the Academy of Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan; 2019 - Order of "Kurmet"; 2021 - Great Gold Medal of Al-Farabi. In 2023, upon the proposal of the Akim of East Kazakhstan region, the regional maslikhat made a decision to award Abdesh Toleubaev the title of "Honored Citizen of East Kazakhstan Region."

Toleubaev Abdesh Tashkenuly passed away on July 10, 2023.