80th Victory-Day Anniversary: Kazakhstan Holds International Conference on Unity and Memory

The international conference "Memory of Victory: Unity of Generations and Nations" took place at the House of Friendship, marking the first in a series of events commemorating the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Orda.kz reports, citing the Ministry of Culture and Information.

Among the attendees were Abzal Nukenov, head of the internal policy department of the Presidential Administration of Kazakhstan, and Aida Balayeva, Minister of Culture and Information.

Kazakhstan has made a huge contribution to the common Victory, the triumph of justice and freedom on Earth. We will always remember and honor the sons and daughters of our people, thanks to whose dedication and valor we can live, work and raise children, build and implement plans for the future today,
 quoted Aida Balayeva, referencing President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev.

The Minister highlighted that one in five Kazakhstani citizens participated in the war, and spoke of the nation's significant contribution.

Aliya Moldagulova, Manshuk Mametova, Talgat Begeldinov, Bauyrzhan Momyshuly, Kasym Kaysenov, Leonid Beda, Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev, Sagadat Nurmagambetov, and Sergey Lugansky have been recorded in the Victory Book. 528 were awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union Gold Star.

Balayeva also underscored the cultural efforts during wartime — Kazakhstan hosted over 36,000 front-line concerts, and saw growth in cinema and the revival of the aitys tradition.

In 1943, Kazakhfilm shot the film White Rose by director Yefim Aron. One of the main roles, a wounded officer, was played by Shaken Aimanov, who later became one of the symbols of Kazakh cinema. Today, the film studio bears his name. The pearl of poetry during the war was the poem by akyn Jambul 'Leningraders, My Children!', addressed to the residents of the besieged city,
noted Balayeva. 

She added that the heroism of soldiers inspired artists, leading composers Mukan Tulebayev, Yevgeny Brusilovsky, and Latif Khamidi to create the first State Anthem of the Kazakh SSR in 1944.

The conference featured three themed sessions discussing youth engagement in preserving historical memory, cultural initiatives, and educational innovations. A Humanitarian Cooperation Plan between Kazakhstan and Russia for 2025 was also signed during the event.

Original Author: Rustam Muratov