The study of the life and work of Magtymguly Pyragy, who left an indelible mark on the history of not only Turkmen, but also Turkic-language literature of the 18th -19th centuries, and the familiarization of the peoples of the world, including Europe, with his works were initiated by famous researchers Arminius Vamberi and Alexander Khodzko-Boreyko.

If to maintain historical and bibliographic accuracy, can say that European researchers and readers first became acquainted with Magtymguly’s poems in 1842, thanks to the publications of A. Khodzko-Boreyko, who published three poems and a short biography of the poet in London.

The author of the fascinating book «Journey to Central Asia», who visited Turkmenistan in 1863, the Hungarian scientist Arminius Vamberi published 21 poems by Magtymguly in Leipzig in 1879.

From the heights of the past three centuries, it is probably difficult for the current generation to imagine what obstacles European researchers of that time had to overcome in order to convey to their readers information about the life and work of poets and philosophers of the East.

At that time, to put it in modern language, visits by Europeans to the states of the East, to put it mildly, were not encouraged due to the difference in lifestyle and religious prejudices.

Nevertheless, the passion for knowledge, the desire to search for the origins and discover the secrets of the interpenetration and mutual enrichment of languages attracted researchers to make difficult and dangerous journeys.

One of these inquisitive minds in Europe at the beginning of the 18th century was the son of the Polish-Belarusian-Lithuanian public figure and poet Jan Chodzko-Boreyko - Alexander.

He was born in the family estate of Krivichi in the Vileika district of the Vilna province (now the Myadel district of the Minsk region of the Republic of Belarus). After graduating from the gymnasium, Alexander in 1820 entered the philological department of Vilna University. Three years later he was arrested for participating in a secret student society. He was imprisoned and then acquitted. After his release, he was exiled to St. Petersburg, where he entered the educational department of Oriental languages at the Asian Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where translators of Oriental languages were trained to work in Iran and Turkey. In January 1830, Alexander Khodzko was enrolled in the diplomatic service in Persia, where he became a consul.

Subsequently, wherever his fate as a diplomat took him, everywhere he enthusiastically studied the country, its history, way of life, language, ethnography and religion.

His first notes from his trip to Persia were published in the early 1930s in Polish and Russian. His manuscripts in English and French, as well as sketches, still retain scientific significance. He is one of the first to translate Turkmen poetry into European languages.

In 1842, in London, Alexander Khodzko-Boreyko published three poems by Magtymguly, providing the publication with a biographical note.

He gave these three verses a common name - «Three songs of the Turkmen Magtymguly». Individually they were called: «Magtymguly - to his mother», «Wise opinions» and «Winter memories».

Khodzko was the first to describe the epic about Gorogly and reveal the originality of the folklore of the Turkmen people.

To be a pioneer in the discovery of unknown and unfamiliar provinces, to communicate with the local population in their native language, to collect bit by bit oral stories, legends and poems, which then, not being in written form, were passed on orally from one generation to another.

No less difficult trials in this regard befell another European, who discovered the personality and work of Magtymguly for his readers and poetry lovers.

Arminius Vamberi - Hungarian orientalist, traveler, polyglot. From early childhood he studied foreign languages.

Fascinated by the culture and literature of the Ottoman Empire, at the age of 20, Vamberi travels to Istanbul.

Over time, thanks to translations of the works of Ottoman historians, he received the degree of corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. In 1861, having received a monetary reward from the Academy, disguised as a dervish (mendicant preacher), under the name Reshid Efendi, he traveled to the countries of Central Asia.

The desire to visit these countries was explained by the fact that Vamberi was a supporter of the hypothesis about the Turkic origin of the Hungarian language.

The purpose of the trip to the East was precisely to accumulate material in support of his scientific version.

The result of his wanderings, sometimes at the risk of his life, in the guise of a dervish was the birth of his book - «Journey through Central Asia». The work has been translated into many languages of the world.

The scientist left a lot of documentary evidence of his stay on Turkmen soil; he described information about the life of the Turkmens, origin, way of life, customs and hobbies.

In his book, Vamberi noted with admiration the sincere hospitality of the Turkmen: «I was struck by the zeal shown by everyone to host one or more foreigners, although I had heard about their hospitality, but did not imagine that it reached such an extent».

An extraordinary man, Vamberi left a significant mark on history as an ethnographer, linguist, journalist, encyclopedic educated person who spoke many European and Oriental languages, and also converted to Islam.

After the British National Archives declassified documents in 2005, according to which Vamberi was involved by British intelligence during his travels, it became clear why the great scientist was also so masterful in the art of disguise.

The creative heritage of the great Hungarian scientist, as it turns out, has not yet been fully explored.

Today it became known that after a recent business trip of Turkmen scientists to Budapest, there in the scientific library they discovered unique manuscripts related to the creative heritage of the great poet Magtymguly Pyragy. Turkmen researchers also discovered a collection of scrolls that belonged to Ariminius Vamberi.

Apparently, we will soon discover new unknown facts about the life of Vamberi and his materials dedicated to Turkmenistan, the great poet and philosopher of the East Magtymguly Pyragy.