Historical Memory of the Great Patriotic War in Contemporary Kazakhstan

Abstract

The article discusses the 15 years lasting (2010–2025) experience of Laila S. Akhmetova – the Chairman of the Commission for Memory Preservation of the Peoples of Eurasia and Africa Assembly, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of Political Science at al-Farabi Kazakh National University - to preserve the historical memory of Kazakhstanis about the Great Patriotic War. The author's reflections concern changes that are occurring in the paradigm of public thinking, why there is a destruction of what was done in the twentieth century, the nature of «mankurtism», the need for children of veterans to leave their memory of the war, told them by their fathers. This work shows the attitude of state institutions, scientists, public figures and ordinary citizens of Kazakhstan to issues of memory and history of the country. Also, this material tells a brief history of the issue, personal experience, problems and ways to solve them, recommendations, describes the contribution of the author as a public figure, scientist, historian, writer, journalist to the solution of the issue of preserving the memory of the Great Patriotic War.