Abstract
The article examines Kair Bekturganov’s short story «The Secret of a Century» as a work that artistically reflects the phenomenon of the relationship between historical memory and human consciousness in the aesthetic evolution of modern Kazakh prose. The purpose of the research is to identify the interaction of historical and existential time within the structure of the story, to analyze the semantic function of archetypal images and symbolic details, and to define the features of the writer’s neo-modernist and post-realist worldview. Despite its concise form, the story possesses a complex, multilayered poetic structure combining philosophical depth and psychological reflection. Through the use of inner monologue, symbolic narrative, and intellectual introspection, Bekturganov reveals the unity of the individual’s inner world and historical space. The image of Makhambet in the story functions not only as a historical figure but also as a symbol of national spirit and freedom. The writer elevates personal spiritual experience to the level of collective memory, demonstrating the dialectical link between time and consciousness. The study applies artistic, comparative, mythopoetic, and contextual analysis methods to reveal the author’s stylistic, linguistic, and aesthetic characteristics. The artistic nature of «The Secret of a Century» is distinguished by its philosophical treatment of time and space as interconnected categories and its depiction of collective trauma and historical consciousness. Symbols such as dust, light, silence, road, and window form a multilayered semantic system that encourages readers toward reflection and self-analysis. The findings show that Bekturganov’s prose contributes to the development of a new aesthetic paradigm in contemporary Kazakh literature — one grounded in cognitive, symbolic, and philosophical dimensions. «The Secret of a Century» stands as a work that redefines the understanding of national memory and spiritual continuity through artistic expression.