Olzhas Suleimenov: We must not forget Kazakh soldiers who perished in WWII
Suleimenov noted that the Soviet Union had the biggest army in Europe consisting of 5,2 million soldiers on June 1, 1941. "But in September 1941 over 4 million soldiers protecting the western borders of the Soviet Union were killed, injured or taken as prisoners. Hitler and his army advanced to the center of Russia: they invaded the Baltic countries, Belarus, Ukraine, and Caucasus. The only help Stalin could count on were soldiers from the neighboring regions of Kazakhstan. The Kazakh soldiers, including the Panfilov's guardsmen, protected the areas near Moscow at the expense of their lives.
"Recently over 10,000 names of those heroes have been restored. It is only now that we learn what those people have done to win the WWII. It can safely be said that those heroes saved Moscow," the poet stressed.
Olzhas Suleimenov reminded that the Victory Day is not just a holiday. It is a tribute to the memory of 27 million people who sacrificed their lives in that war. The WWII claimed over 350,000 lives of the Kazakh soldiers.
"It was a grievous loss, the entire generation perished in that war. But it had a surprising result. The war united our people, it made them brothers. Nowadays the world faces tough times. It is on the brink of a big war. We must realize that. The price of any political mistake that undermines our unity will be immeasurably big. We mark the Victory Day never to forget the tragedy of 1941," Suleimenov said in conclusion.