Literature Museum of I.Zhansugirov was opened on May 1984, in Shymkent, in honor of the 90th anniversary of the poet. The building of the museum was built in 1907. It was used by various organizations from 1918 to 1976, including editorial office of the "Octyabr Tuy” (October Flag) newspaper. Zhetisu district executive committee was located here in the 20s of last century, where I.Zhansugirov regularly came due to his work from the Aksu village. Currently, the museum building is an architectural monument, and it is under state protection.
The official date of the creation of the museum was 1984, but most of exhibits were collected earlier. A small museum of Zhetisu State University named after I.Zhansugirov was the basis of the museum.
The idea of opening the first museum named after Ilyas Zhansugirov was born in the institute, in 1977, when it was named after the famous writer and poet. Volunteer teachers and students started to collect materials about I.Zhansugirov under the supervision of the rector M.Zholdasbekov. The poet's daughter, the Candidate of Medical Science Umit Ilyasovna helped them, who taught students in the department of civil defense and medical training at that institute.
The museum began to receive letters with materials, which relate to the work of the writer. In particular, there was a letter from Dmitri Snegin, who was the first translator of I.Zhansugirov’s works (into Russian), and from writers as Azilhan Nurshaihov, Kairat Zhumagaliev, Abdilda Tazhibayev and others. The Central Archive sent 50 pages of documents’ photocopies that related to poet’s work, among which was a correspondence of Ilyas Zhansugirov with Vsevolod Rozhdestvensky and Beymbet Maylin. .
Grand opening of the museum was on 25 May 1979. On the occasion of this important event in the Institute were many guests such as: the secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan Vladimir Solodilov, chairman of Taldykorgan region T. Kurgan, the first secretary of the Union of Writers of Kazakhstan A. Alimzhanov, secretary of the Union of Writers of Kazakhstan, the chief editor of the newspaper "Kazakh adebieti" C . Muratbekov, poet O. Suleimenov, Deputy Minister of Education of the Kazakh SSR, the first rector of Taldykorgan pedagogical Institute L.Rustemov and other closers of the poet.
The museum had 673 expositions, 600 of which were presented in the original form. Altyn Bakradenova made an enormous contribution on collection and promotion of the fund. In 1983, according to the results of the Republican contest among university museums, Literal and Memorial Museum of Iliyas Zhansugirov was voted as the best museum in the country. In 1983, in connection with the 90th anniversary of I.Zhansugirov, there was a decision to give all collected fund gifts to the regional house-museum of Iliyas Zhansugirov.
The staff of the new museum continued students’ work to study and search the biography of exhibits that related to I.Zhansugirov. Today, the museum has more than 6,000 exhibits, which are located in six rooms. Total area is 268 square meters. Here are the personal belongings of the writer, typewriter, a desk lamp, and his favorite musical instrument - Molykbay kobyz, lifetime editions of books, gramophone, cane and a paper about the execution of the death sentence on 26 February 1938 for being a part of the counter-revolutionary nationalist organization.
Regional Literature Museum named after I. Zhansugirov becomes a center of studying biography and creativity of the poet. Tours, readings and evenings for memorizing Iliyas Zhansugirov are regularly provided here. Museum staff is always ready to welcome all true lovers of Kazakh literature and conduct tours by introducing a rich collection of exhibits.