Illia Illich Kazas was born on 23 March 1832 in the town of Ermeni-Bazar (after 1921 \u2014 Armiansk) in Crimea. A representative of the Karaite people, he became a prominent figure who combined the talents of an educator, teacher, and poet. His work spanned a broad range of cultural and educational interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Illia Kazas began his education at the age of five in a local midrash<\/em> (a Karaite parish school). He pursued higher education at Moscow University (1853\u20131855), and later at Saint Petersburg University (1855\u20131859), which he graduated from with honours, earning the academic degree of Candidate of the University\u2014a distinguished title in the Russian Empire. Kazas was among the first Karaites to receive a modern higher education and academic degree, which opened the door to his significant work in education and enlightenment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Immediately after graduating from university in 1859, Illia Kazas opened a private Karaite school in Odesa, marking the first step in his prolific career in education. From 1863 to 1881, he worked at the Simferopol Gymnasium, establishing and serving as inspector at the Simferopol Tatar Teacher Training School. Thanks to his efforts, the Simferopol Karaite Girls\u2019 School and the Oleksandriia Karaite Theological School in Yevpatoriia were founded, where he held the roles of inspector, teacher, and mentor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Illia Kazas made a significant contribution to the development and preservation of the Karaite language and literature. His educational manuals became valuable tools in promoting learning. Among them were Leregel Hayladim<\/em> (\u05dc\u05e8\u05d2\u05dc \u05d4\u05d9\u05d9\u05dc\u05d3\u05d9\u05dd, Guide for Children, written in Hebrew), Russian Primer for Tatar Public Schools<\/em>, and Russian Language Textbook for Tatar Elementary Schools<\/em>. His poetic works, filled with love for his people, enriched Karaite literature and contributed to the growth of national consciousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The educator was fluent in eleven languages, and through his efforts, his contemporaries were introduced to many renowned literary works. In his writings Torat HaAdam<\/em> (\u05ea\u05d5\u05e8\u05ea \u05d4\u05d0\u05d3\u05dd \u2013 The Theory of Man<\/em>) and Kivshono Shel Olam<\/em>(\u05db\u05d1\u05e9\u05d5\u05e0\u05d5 \u05e9\u05dc \u05e2\u05d5\u05dc\u05dd \u2013 The Mysteries of the World<\/em>), Illia Kazas presented adapted and abridged translations of works by French writers Paul Janet and Jules Simon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Illia Kazas enjoyed exceptional respect among the Crimean Karaites, as evidenced by his role as adviser to the \u1e25akham(the spiritual and secular head of the Karaite community) Samuil Pampulov. He was also actively involved in scholarly and civic life: beginning in 1887, he served as deputy head of the Taurida Provincial Scholarly Archival Commission, where he contributed to the preservation of the region\u2019s historical documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Illia Kazas passed away on 14 January 1912 in Yevpatoriia and was buried at the local Karaite cemetery. His gravestone is currently preserved in the lapidarium (a collection of stone inscriptions) of the Karaite kenesas in Yevpatoriia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The memory of this prominent educator lives on today. A memorial plaque honoring Illia Kazas has been installed on the building of the former boys\u2019 gymnasium in Simferopol (now School No. 1). In 1990, the Crimean Branch of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation established the Illia I. Kazas Prize, awarded for significant contributions to the revival, preservation, and development of the culture, language, and history of the Karaite people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":67977,"template":"","publication-type":[57],"class_list":["post-68003","press-center","type-press-center","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","publication-type-special-material"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n