Kazakhstan Marks Victory Day With Ceremonies and Processions Across the Country

Kazakhstan marked Victory Day on May 9 with ceremonies, processions and memorial events across the country, Orda.kz reports.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated Kazakhstanis on the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, honoring front-line soldiers and home front workers and emphasizing Kazakhstan’s contribution to the victory in World War II.

In Astana, officials, military personnel and veterans took part in a flower-laying ceremony at the Otan-Ana monument. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Mazhilis Speaker Erlan Koshanov and Senate Chairman Maulen Ashimbayev attended the event.

In Almaty, thousands of people joined the “Batyrlarga Tagzym” (“Let’s Bow to the Heroes”) procession. Participants marched with portraits of relatives who fought in the war, carried flowers to the Eternal Flame and attended concerts featuring wartime songs. Families, veterans and foreign guests took part in the commemorations.

Some visitors in Almaty said they could not initially access the main ceremony area because of crowd-control measures, but the passages were reopened after the official part of the event ended.

Earlier, Orda.kz reported that Kazakhstan would not hold a military parade this year. The Defense Ministry said commemorative and military-patriotic events would be held across the country instead, including ceremonies for veterans and servicemen. Last year’s parade in Astana cost 2.5 billion tenge.

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