On the night of April 4, the well-known Kazakh journalist Gadilbek Shalakhmetov passed away at the age of 80. Shalakhmetov, a Soviet and Kazakh publicist, was a prolific writer with over 300 scientific and journalistic articles to his name. He was a recipient of the Lenin Komsomol Prize, a distinguished figure in Kazakhstan, and an academician of the Kazakh National Academy of Natural Sciences.
Born on June 9, 1943, in Almaty, Shalakhmetov began his career as a metallurgical worker before transitioning to become a commentator on national television while studying at the Kazakh Polytechnic Institute. Over the years, he held various editorial positions in Kazakh television and cinema, eventually becoming the chief editor of the Kazakh SSR State Cinema.
In the 1990s, Shalakhmetov served in various roles within the Kazakh SSR presidential office, including overseeing press relations and public opinion research. He also held positions in the Ministry of Press and Mass Media of the Kazakh SSR, chaired the Kazakh State Tele-Radio Broadcasting Company, and led the Presidential Press Secretary's Office in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
In 1993, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Interstate Television and Radio Company "Mir," established by eight sovereign states of the CIS in October 1992. From 2000 onwards, Shalakhmetov worked as an advisor to the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan and held prominent positions in Kazakh media organizations and parliament.
Shalakhmetov's contributions extended beyond journalism, as he served as the President of the Kazinform National News Agency, a deputy in the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and an advisor to the President of Samruk AO. In August 2009, he became the head of the Department of Tele-Radio and Public Relations at the Eurasian National University named after L.N. Gumilyov.
The passing of Gadilbek Shalakhmetov marks a significant loss in the Kazakh journalistic and academic community, following the recent death of another prominent Kazakh publicist and political scientist, Seydakhmet Kuttykadam, at the age of 78.
