Golden Horde era crucial to Kazakhstan's history, says President Tokayev

"As I have already noted, the conquests of rulers and talented commanders are etched more deeply in the historical memory of most peoples than the painstaking work of reformers and outstanding thinkers. Indeed, legendary military victories stir a much deeper emotional response than institutional innovations or progressive ideas — whose fateful significance only reveals itself and is properly appreciated with the passage of time," the President said.

A clear example of this is the distorted perception of the history of the Great Steppe, which to this day is often viewed as a never-ending string of battles and clashes.

"Such a one-dimensional approach considerably oversimplifies and distorts historical reality, forcing the complex, multi-layered existence of the Great Steppe, especially the Golden Horde, onto the 'Procrustean bed' of a banal military chronicle. I believe that the high interdisciplinary level of modern science will nonetheless allow us to improve the process of objective study of the Golden Horde's history," the Head of State pointed out.

Earlier, it was reported that the international symposium The Golden Horde as a Steppe Civilization Model: History, Archaeology, Culture and Identity kicked off at the Palace of Independence in Astana. More than 350 delegates, including the representatives of international organizations, renowned foreign and Kazakhstani historians, and researchers, are expected to attend the forum.

In his remarks at the international symposium, President Tokayev emphasized that the Golden Horde was one of the largest and most influential empires in Eurasia, which played a key role in the development of civilizations and the formation of states.