 When Baitursynov was 13 years old, the police officers led by Colonel Yakovlev came to the village and staged a pogrom, Akhmet's father, Baitursyn Shoshak-ula, and three Akhmet's brothers, who didn't tolerate abuse by the police officers, beat up Colonel Yakovlev.As a punishment, they were sent to Siberia for 15 years.Baitursynov learned literacy from the village mullahs.