President: Memory of millions of innocent victims of totalitarianism sacred
Eliminating the “white spots” in history is our sacred duty to past and future generations, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan said at the event dedicated to the memory of victims of political repression and famine this Saturday, Kazinform News Agency has learnt from the press service of Akorda.
“Comprehensive work has been carried out in this direction in recent years. The State Commission for the full rehabilitation of victims of political repressions was established five years ago. A large group of experts and scholars spent three years meticulously studying documents from state and departmental archives. As a result, over 300,000 people persecuted for political reasons were rehabilitated. The secrecy classification was lifted from more than 2.5 million materials,” the Head of State said.
Based on the documents studied by the commission, according to President Tokayev, a 72-volume collection has been published. Additionally, a 12-volume edition has been released, containing cases initiated during the repressions against the Alash Orda movement members. During the preparation of this work, previously unpublished documents were introduced into academic circulation.
A special center dedicated to studying materials about the 20th-century political repressions has been established at the Presidential Archive of the Republic of Kazakhstan. 700,000 previously classified cases have been transferred to the center for research.
“This is indeed a large-scale effort, unprecedented for Kazakhstan. It is worth noting that such extensive studies have not yet been conducted in other countries. This is the result of persistent work. I express my sincere gratitude to all citizens, including members of the Commission, who actively participated in the research. Their efforts will undoubtedly be recognized with high honors. Currently, scholars are systematizing and organizing the collected information. This work is very important for the future of our nation,” stated the President.
He went on to emphasize the paramount importance of studying and knowing the history of one's people.
“This is an axiom. Without a deep knowledge of national history and, most importantly, a proper understanding of it, one cannot expect objectivity in judgments about modern political trends. The memory of millions of innocent victims of totalitarianism is sacred. There can be no historical interpretations here, and even more so, no justification for the inhumane and fundamentally flawed state policies of that time,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev pointed out.
At the same time, in his words, history should not be subjectively and prejudicially politicized or used as a tool for implementing various destructive plans and spreading populist ideas.
“Our society must uphold a high level of civic responsibility. Repressions and famine were not only a tragedy for the Kazakh people - although we suffered greatly, perhaps more than anyone - but also for most of the peoples of the former Soviet state. Therefore, it is crucial to learn these bitter lessons from the past so that such tragedies never happen again. Our people are the guardians of the unique cultural code of the civilization of the Great Steppe. This has helped us endure and preserve human dignity in times of fateful challenges. Following the ideals of solidarity, humanism, and brotherhood, our ancestors extended a helping hand to all those who suffered during the years of cruel hardship. That is why today, the foundation of our national identity is built upon values such as mutual assistance, responsibility, and tolerance,” the President of Kazakhstan noted.
Today President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan paid a visit to the “ALZHIR” Museum and Memorial Complex of Victims of Political Repressions and Totalitarianism to honor the memory of victims of political repressions and famine.
