President addresses Kazakhstanis on Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repressions and Famine
According to the Akorda press service, in his address the Head of State said that political repressions in the first half of the last century ruined lives of millions people, citizens of the former Soviet Union. More than 100,000 people were unreasonably convicted, the fourth of them were pronounced sentences of death. There were 11 forced labour camps in the territory of Kazakhstan. Sadly remembered KARLAG and ALZHIR labour camps at the initiative of the First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev became the historical memorial complexes which show anti-human nature of totalitarianism.
Some 5 million people were deported from other parts of the former Soviet Union to Kazakhstan. Our people underwent through devastating famine. Wild collectivization led to unprecedented disaster in the Great Steppe which turned actually to a global humanitarian disaster. Passing through the hardships our people have strengthened their spirits, become stronger in its unity and solidarity. The Head of State stressed that tragic chapter of history are here to stay with the country’s historical identity. That’s why the victims of political repressions and famine will be remembered through the ages.