Today in Kazakhstan, the 79th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War is celebrated. May 9th is a red-letter day on the calendar and a day off for all citizens of the country.
In Kazakhstan, rifle divisions were formed, including the world-famous 316th (later known as the 8th Guards Panfilov Division) and cavalry divisions, rifle brigades, regiments, and battalions. The overwhelming majority of men, both young and experienced warriors, were sent to the front lines. In total, 1.2 million Kazakhs were called up to serve in the Red Army. The war claimed the lives of over 600,000 of them.
The aforementioned division made history by destroying around two dozen German tanks and halting the German advance during the defense of Moscow on November 16, 1941. This event remains forever in the memory of descendants as the feat of the 28 Panfilov heroes.
Not forgotten is the military valor of other compatriots. More than 500 Kazakhs were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Four aviators - Talgat Bigeldinov, Leonid Beda, Ivan Pavlov, and Sergey Luganskiy - received this honor twice.
The Victory Banner over the Reichstag also rose thanks to the efforts of Kazakhstani Rahimzhan Koshkarbayev and his comrade Grigory Bulatov.
Earlier, Kazakhstan decided against holding military parades on May 7th and 9th.
"There are no plans to hold a military parade in Kazakhstan in 2024 in order to save budget funds and address other priorities," explained the Ministry of Defense press service.
The priority is to maintain the required level of combat readiness and mobility of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan. For similar reasons, parades were also not held in 2023.
At the same time, honoring veterans remains a priority. According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, there are 174 veterans remaining in the country, and celebrations are taking place in all regions. For example, in Almaty, 44 heroes will receive two million tenge each. In the Zhetysu region, it will be 1.5 million tenge. There are four participants and a WWII veteran living here. In the Akmola region, six veterans will receive 3 million tenge each.
Various ceremonies will take place in all districts of the city to commemorate Victory Day, honoring veterans and celebrating the resilience of the Kazakh people during the Great Patriotic War.
