Margulan Alkey (11.04.1904 - 12.01.1985)

Margulan Alkey was born on May 11, 1904 in village No. 2 of Akpetta volost (now Bayanaul district of Pavlodar region). In 1920, he graduated from teacher's courses in Pavlodar and taught at the Dalba school of Bayanaul district. In 1921-1925, he was a student of the Semipalatinsk Pedagogical College and an employee of the editorial offices of the magazine "Tan" and the newspaper "Kazak Tili". 
In 1929, he graduated from the Philological Faculty of the Oriental Institute in Leningrad. In 1930-1931, he worked as a scientific secretary of the terminological commission of Kaznarkompros. In 1931-1934, he studied at the postgraduate course of the State Academy of the History of Material Culture (Leningrad). He participated in archaeological expeditions led by S. Rudenko, A. Miller (1931-1932), N. Rennikov (1933) and M. Gryaznov (1935). In 1936-1933, he was a trainee, a researcher at the IHMC of the USSR Academy of Sciences. 
Since 1939, he worked in the history sector of the KazBAN of the USSR, then at the Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR; since 1941 - Head of the sector of history, in 1946-1947 and in 1950-1951 - Head of the sector of archaeology, since 1947 - Head of the Department of Paleolithic of the Archaeology sector, since 1951 - Senior Researcher, since 1958 - Head of the Department of Ethnography, since 1976 – Senior Researcher of this department. In 1943, he defended his dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Historical Sciences on the topic "The historical significance of labels and paiza", in 1945 - dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philology on the topic "Epic tales of the Kazakh people", since 1946 - corresponding member, since 1958 - Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR, from 1960 - Professor.
He researched monuments of material culture and ancient art, issues of literature and the historical and heroic epic of the Kazakh people. He was the organizer and leader of numerous archaeological and ethnographic expeditions to Central Kazakhstan, to the basins of the Syrdarya, Talas and Chu rivers. Academician A. Margulan was constantly interested in the works of the SKCAE, the studies of Otrar, Turkestan, Sauran, helped with advice, made valuable comments. He, as a senior archaeologist, supervised the research of urban culture.
He participated in the creation of the multi-volume "History of the Kazakh SSR: (from ancient times to the present day)" (Alma-Ata, 1976 - vol. I; 1979 – vol. II). His contribution to the preparation and publication of the collected works of Ch. Valikhanov in five volumes is enormous. He was a participant of the XXV Congress of Orientalists (Moscow, 1960), VII and VIII International Congresses of Anthropological and Ethnographic Sciences (Moscow, 1964; Tokyo, 1968), VII International Historical Congress (Ankara, 1970). Under his leadership, more than fifty Candidate's and Doctoral dissertations were defended.
He was a member of the All-Union Geographical Society, headed the Coordinating Council on the Ethnogenesis of the Kazakh People.
He was awarded the Orders of Lenin, the Red Banner of Labor, Friendship of Peoples, medals, Diplomas and a Certificate of Honor of the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR. He was an Honored Scientist of the Kazakh SSR, laureate of the State Prize of the Kazakh SSR.
He died on January 12, 1985 in Almaty.
 

Маргулан А.X. Из истории городов и строительного искусства древнего Казахстана. - Алма-Ата, 1950. Маргулан А.X. Архитектура Казахстана. - Алма-Ата, 1959 (в соавторстве).
Маргулан А.Х. Казахское народное прикладное искусство. - Алма-Ата, 1986. - Т. 1.
Маргулан А.Х. Казахское народное прикладное искусство. - Алма-Ата, 1987. - Т. 2.
Маргулан А.Х. Казахское народное прикладное искусство. - Алма-Ата, 1994. - Т. 3.
Маргулан А.X. Бегазы-Дандыбаевская культура Центрального Казахстана. - Алматы, 1998. - Т. I.