(1931, village of Itsary, Mendykarinsky district, Kostanay region - 2002) - Soviet and Kazakh scientist-historian, Doctor of Historical Sciences, professor, Honored Scientist of the Kazakh SSR, academician of the Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, winner of the Chokan Valikhanov Prize, the State Prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Presidential Prize of Peace and Spiritual Harmony.
He was educated at the Mendygarin Pedagogical School named after I.Altynsarin.In 1953 he graduated with honors from the History Department of the Kazakh State University named after S.M.Kirov. He was a teacher at the Kostanay Pedagogical Institute. From 1988 until the last days of his life he worked as director of the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography named after Ch. Ch. Valikhanov of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR. Author of over 800 publications (including 30 monographs). He wrote textbooks and manuals on the history of Kazakhstan.
He was one of the first to make a significant contribution to the elimination of "white spots" in the history of Kazakhstan. In many ways, his merit is that the scientific community and the general public became aware of the tragedy of the 30s that befell the Kazakh people. By the decree of the Government of the Republic on May 30, 2003, the North Kazakhstan State University was named after Manash Kozybayev.
