Zaitov, Rinat Rifkhatovich

Rinat Zaitov was born on November 17, 1983 in the Ayaguz district center of the East Kazakhstan region in the family of Rifhat Zaituli. His father divorced his mother Rinat when he was 13 years old and now works as the principal of one of Ayaguz schools ^[1] . Rinat graduated from M. Tulebaev College of Music with a degree in drama theater. Then he entered the State Pedagogical Institute in Semey (formerly. Semipalatinsk) and received the specialty of a teacher of the Kazakh language and literature ^[2] .

Rinat Zaitov worked at the Semey Youth Theater ^[1] , participated in ITs from the age of 17 (since 2001) ^[3] and was the winner of many competitions. He is the author of the words of many popular songs in Kazakh like “Isin Kurem”, with which Zhanar Dugalova won at Turkvision 2014 ^[4] , “Tuғan zher” by KeshYou group, “Tttіmsің” by singer Berkut , “From the genre” by Beibit Korgan and others .

At the end of 2013, a recording from Rinat Zaitov’s creative evening in March of the same year, where he criticized many aspects of modern Kazakhstan and the actions of Nursultan Nazarbayev, was widely spread on social networks. “Words not shown on television” gained hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube’s video hosting ^[5] and generated a lot of rumors among Kazakhstanis that he was “imprisoned on Seifullin Street in Alma-Ata”, “was stabbed” or “shot dead” ". Because of this, he was forced to refute all kinds of rumors on the television channel "Inform Bureau" on " Channel 31 " ^[6] .

On June 10, 2019 after the presidential election , Rinat Zaitov was detained by law enforcement agencies near the Almaty Arena ice palace in Almaty , where he announced plans to create a political party ^[7] . After conducting an explanatory conversation, Zaitov was released home. Some time later, citizens gathered in front of the police department building, wishing to meet with citizen Zaitov. After informing them that Zaitov was at home, they did not want to disperse. At the request of law enforcement agencies, Zaitov was taken from home to the place of citizens ’gathering, where he spoke out, urging law enforcement officers not to break the law, and asked them to go home and not give in to provocations ^{[8] [9]} .

During the aitys on the topic “Tauelsiz eldіn taңy zharyk”, which was held from December 2 to 4, 2011 in Astana, Rinat Zaitov competed with Kyrgyz improviser poet Aala Tutkuchev ^[10] . During the aitys, Rinat flattered several times about the activities of the President of Kazakhstan and the government as a whole. Subsequently, he explained his act by saying that “if I began to blaspheme Kazakhstan before the Kyrgyz akyn, his words“ I love my country ”would be a lie” and “could not say“ Kazakhstan is bad ”when there were a dozen representatives among 1500 spectators in the hall other states ” ^[11] .

In 2012, Rinat Zaitov announced that he would not participate in ITs "due to disagreement with the modern system for evaluating participants." Some associate his departure, as well as the departure of some other akyns from the scene, with criticism of the current government and personally of Nursultan Nazarbayev in his speeches ^[2] . During an online conference in February 2012, Rinat said that “no one exerted any pressure on him, but it’s no secret that there are those who want to interfere with aitys.” He also stated that he did not understand what caused the accusations against him of “star sickness” and “inability to improvise” by the famous figure and organizer of the Kazakh aitys Zhursin Yerman ( Kazakh. Zhursin Yerman ) ^[11] .

In 2013, in the aytis “Siyer Ulyk Bolsa, sen syuy” in honor of Tole bi , Kazybek bi and Ayteke bi , after a verbal duel between Rinat Zaitov, who sharply criticized the powers that be, and Meirbek Sultanhanov, the judges awarded the victory to Sultanhanov , viewers expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of the jury. After a half-hour meeting, the jury declared the akyns “equal” ^[12] .

At the end of 2018, Rinat Zaitov, while participating in the “Altyn Dombyra 2018” aitys, demanded that the Minister of Culture and Sports of Kazakhstan Arystanbek Mukhamediuly ( Kazakh. Arystanbek Mukhamedily ) rename the cities with Russian names Petropavlovsk and Pavlodar so that he would convey this to the government and personally the president of Kazakhstan ^[13] . At the end of the competition, Rinat Zaitov was in last place, which caused anger and discontent of the audience. For 10 minutes, dissatisfied spectators shouted the name of Rinat. After a half-hour meeting, the jury declared Zaitov the winner ^[14] .

The most difficult thing is that in those 20 years (independence) we were not able to get rid of the slave mentality.

Kazakhstan is independent only on paper. The reason for this is that the Kazakh people and the Kazakh language have not received a proper rating ^[11] .

Original text (Kazakh)

• Eң қyiny sol. 20 Jylda құldyқ sanadan bir serpіle almadyқ-ay.
• Қазақстанның тәуелсіздігі қағаз жүзінде ғана dep oilaymyn. Oғan sebep - қазақ ұлтының және қазақ тілінің тісті бағасын алмағаны.

There is patriotism of the Shala-Kazakhs who memorize a few words in order to get a job. There are those who say "I do not know the language, but I am a patriot." These are deceitful (fickle) patriots. For your first document is your language ^[15] .

Original text (Kazakh)

Zhұmysқa kiru үшін, өтірік бір-екі сөз жаттап алатын шала қазақтардың patriotismі bolada. “I don’t know the language, but I’m a patriot,” day bar. Bұl - Sayal patriottar. Өйткені, әуелгі төлқұжатың ol - тілің.

• Әмір Нұртайұлы. “Otyrkan orynynan tayyp tursyn!” (Kazakh) // “Zhas Alash”: newspaper. - May 14, 2013. - Nөm. 37 (15807) . Archived December 14, 2014.
• Ayday Adamul. Өткір тілді наркскен RINAT ZAITOV not grandfather? Қanat Myrzakhannyң yes oy ұshқyr eken ... (Kazakh) . - Massaget.kz, May 14, 2013.
• Karlykha Ibragimova. Zhursin Yerman: I’m tired of the lies of Rinat (Kazakh) = Zhүrsin Yerman: Rinattyң өtіrіginі sharshap kettim. - BAQ.kz, February 10, 2012. Archived December 20, 2014.