Group of Kazakhs (fol. 9 v.)

Taras Shevchenko. Group Kazakhs and members of the expedition on the shore of the Aral Sea. Sketch. Pencil. [VI 1848 – IX 1849]. Back of sheet 9 of album 1846 – 1850 № 109

Dated by the time of sailing expedition to the Aral Sea.

It is possible that it depicts a meeting of A. Butakov with aksakals (elders), mentioned in a Butakov's letter to parents on January 4, 1849:

"Some Kyrgyz, fearing threats Khan, remove to Khiva possession, but the other, smarter, do not believe Khan and hope for the Russian defense. When the proclamation came to the attention of those Kyrgyz who settled near my fortress, ak-sakals (white-bearded, or elders) came to me in fright at the meeting. I sat them down and told them this parable (reworked from the fable) came just a mouse to visit a bear…" [Central State Archive of the Navy of the USSR, Leningrad, fund 4, case 82, fol. 78].

Right – reversed to this genre scenes strikeout sketch seated figure of Kazakhs.

V. Ja. Tkachenko

After publication: Taras Shevchenko Complete Works in 10 volumes. – Kyiv: ed. Academy of sciences of UkrSSR, 1962, vol. 8, № 123 (image), p. 44 (note).