Presidential Archives to create Great Famine database

Those attending the meeting were the scholars and historians who have been studying the issue for a long period of time – Talas Omarbekov, Kaidar Aldazhumanov, Svetlana Smagulova, Beibit Koishibayev, Aizhamal Kudairbegenova and famous writer Smagul Elubayev.

Welcoming the participants, Director of the Archives of the President of Kazakhstan Boriz Dzhapparov noted that establishment of a unified database of the victims of the Kazakh mass famine is an integral part of studying the tragic pages of the country’s history. The implementation of the project is impossible without participation of scholars, writers, publicists and archivists as well as all those willing to contribute to the it.

“In 90s of the last century, Kazakh scholars did a great job on studying this theme with the active involvement of prominent historian Manash Kozybayev. Numerous conferences, roundtable meeting were held and researches were conducted. To my mind, the representatives of science should support this initiative of the Presidential Archives. Such project will evoke a wide response in our community,” told Beibit Koishibayev.

According to Smagul Elubayev, the researchers of this theme give different data on the number of famine victims. The project needs to focus on the issues of public importance, for example, on memorialization of these tragic events.

Aizhamal Kudaibergenova shared her view on the project too. In her opinion, the unified database of the victims of the famine will be useful for studying one of the most complicated periods of our history. Not only major archives of Kazakhstan, but also small regional records, probably, containing data and materials about this tragedy, should be attracted to this work.

Following the meeting, the participants agreed to establish a working group on implementation of the “Famine” project.