The historical and documentary exhibition "Epic of Victory", dedicated to Defender of the Fatherland Day and the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, opened at the Presidential Center of the DPA RK.
The project was organized in collaboration with the State Archive of Astana with the support of the city administration.
The aim of the event is to preserve historical memory and to pay tribute to the courage and bravery of generations who gave their lives for peace and freedom.
Around 200 participants attended the exhibition, including public and state figures, veterans of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan, members of the Parliament, representatives of government agencies and diplomatic missions, students of higher military institutions, public organizations, and activists of Astana.
"This event, dedicated to the Day of the Defender of the Fatherland and the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, is particularly important for us. It is a profound tribute to the courage and heroism of our fathers and grandfathers who forged the Victory on both the front lines and the home front. It is also our contribution to preserving historical memory for future generations. The exhibition tells the story of the heroism of Kazakhstani soldiers, the dedication of home front workers, and Kazakhstan's overall contribution to the defeat of fascism. It is our sacred duty always to remember the lessons of that terrible war, not to forget the price we had to pay for peace and to pass on the memory of the unparalleled feat of those who gave us a peaceful sky above our heads," said Bakytzhan Temirbolat, Director of the Presidential Center, in his welcoming remarks.
The exhibition features around 100 items showcasing the heroic deeds of home front workers and soldiers who defended the Motherland during the Great Patriotic War, as well as information about divisions formed in Kazakhstan during the war.
“It is necessary to talk about our great heroes constantly, it is necessary to educate the future generation on their example. Our common duty and sacred obligation to pass on from generation to generation the importance of the feat of our people, the pride of victory over fascism,” said Kazakhstan Khalyk Kaharmany (People’s Hero of Kazakhstan), Lieutenant General of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and head of the TayelsizQazaqstannyn Halyq Batyrlary RPA, Bakytzhan Ertaev.
Kazakh soldiers have shown incredible bravery on the battlefields, and more than 500 of them have been honoured with the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Among them, four - T. Begeldinov, S. Lugansky, L. Beda and I. Pavlov - were twice honoured with this highest award.
Chairman of the Astana City Council of Veterans, Sansyzbai Yesilov, shared personal stories of his relatives who fought in the Great Patriotic War. He emphasized the importance of organizing events like today's thematic exhibition on a broad and regular basis to keep this history alive.
The exploits of Kazakh women, along with men, who showed heroism on the battlefield, such as A. Moldagulova, M. Mametova and H. Dospanova, became the embodiment of courage and devotion to their Fatherland.
The exhibition also commemorates several important anniversaries - the 115th anniversary of Hero of the Soviet Union and Khalyk Kakharmany Bauyrzhan Momyshuly (born December 24, 1910), the 110th anniversary of Hero of the Soviet Union Malik Gabdullin(born November 15, 1915), the 100th anniversary of Hero of the Soviet Union Aliya Moldagulova (born June 15, 1925)
The exhibition is divided into two sections:
I. “The History of Kazakh Divisions During the War” – This section highlights the heroism of Kazakh military units that fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. Kazakh soldiers showed exceptional courage and resilience in major battles, including the defense of Moscow and Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), the Battle of Kursk, the Battle of Stalingrad, and the liberation of Europe.
II. “Akmolinsk's Contribution to the Great Victory” –Based on materials from the State Archive of Astana, this section tells the story of divisions formed in the Akmolinsk region, as well as the heroism and labor feats of civilians who worked in the rear. Akmolinsk (now Astana) became a key center for the formation of military units, many of which took part in critical battles of the war. Despite extremely harsh conditions, rear workers made an invaluable contribution to victory by tirelessly producing ammunition, military equipment, and food supplies for the front.
During the exhibition, presentations of the book-album prepared by the Presidential Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan "Returned Names" (for the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War) and the book of the state archive of Astana "Almukan Sembinov. Tagdyry tarikhka ainalgan...", dedicated to the glorious hero, Akmola soldier Almukan Sembinov, were held. The authors of the publication are T.A. Kyshkashbay, G.T. Isakhan, A. Karshygauly.
The book-album ‘Returned Names’ (to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War) presents materials about soldiers who were born or lived in Kazakhstan, drafted from Kazakhstan, who died and went missing during the Great Patriotic War and were found during search operations at the battlefields. These individuals were later identified through search efforts conducted at former battle sites. In 2015, their names were transferred to the archival collection of the Presidential Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan by the All-Russian public movement of perpetuation memory of victims the Great Patriotic War the "Exploratory Movement of Russia".
The publication includes data on 245 Kazakh military personnel. The soldiers' records are supplemented with archival documents from the “Memory of the People” information system and the All-Russian Information and Search Center. These include inserts from soldiers' medallions, nominal lists of irrecoverable losses among officers and enlisted personnel, death notifications, and more. The book is a tribute to our compatriots who fought heroically in the Great Patriotic War.
The book "Ulmukan Sembinov. Tagdyry tarikhkhaaynalgan ...", based on archival materials and photographic documents, tells about the life and heroism of the full Cavalier of the Order of Glory, Knight of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour and Red Star, honorary citizen of the city of Tselinograd (now - Astana) Almukan Sembinov.
In her speech the niece of the glorious hero, BakhytAltayeva told about the life path and feats of AlmukanSembinov on the battlefields, as well as about his activities in the post-war years.
The event also featured speeches by the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Regional Hub in the field of public service, Alikhan Baimenov, and the head of the Department of Language Development and Archives of Astana, Saken Esirkep.
The exhibition ‘Epic of Victory’ will last until June 5, 2025.
