An Author and a Novel from Altai Literature: Erkemen Matinovich Palkin and His Novel Ala

Abstract

In this article, the novel Alan of Erkemen Matinovic Palkin, one of the important poets and writers of Modern Altai literature, is introduced and evaluated. Alan is the only novel of Palkin, who started his literary life with the works he wrote in the genre of poetry and is mostly known as a poet. In the novel, the struggles of Alan, who returns to the village/ kolhoz he lived in after the end of World War II, to establish a new life for himself are told. Although the novel is field-centered, the problems of the Kızıl Çolmon collective farm where he lived and the stories of the people living in this kolkhoz are also handled as field-centered. Although the work is a typical example of Soviet literature, it differs from its counterparts by Palkin's occasional highlighting of Altai Turks' traditions, folk literature and perspectives on life. Although the case time of the novel, written in an observant and realistic style, is 1945-1956, flashbacks also go back to the war time. Therefore, the case time based on the date can be accepted as 1941-1956 when the USSR entered the war. In the novel, which consists of two parts (Kulun Kişteyt and Alan), the social life between these years and the distinctive types that make up the society are handled and processed in a multi-faceted manner. Palkin, who wrote his work in a clear d fluent Altai Turkish, avoided using Russian words unless it was necessary, and made great use of Altai folklore to make his narration more effective.