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ASTANA : May 31, 2025 \u2014 President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered an address today at the ALZHIR Memorial Complex to honour the victims of political repression and famine, reaffirming Kazakhstan\u2019s commitment to preserving historical truth and drawing enduring lessons from one of the darkest chapters in the nation\u2019s past.<\/p>\n
The event, marked annually on May 31, commemorates the millions who suffered and perished as a result of Stalinist terror, forced collectivisation, and famine in the 20th century. Speaking before descendants of those imprisoned at ALZHIR \u2014 the notorious \u201cCamp for the Wives of Traitors to the Motherland\u201d \u2014 President Tokayev emphasised the sacred responsibility of remembrance and the dangers of historical distortion.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe memory of millions of innocent victims of totalitarianism is sacred,\u201d the President said. \u201cThere can be no justification for the inhumane and fundamentally flawed state policies of that period. We must never allow such tragedies to repeat themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
He condemned efforts to politicise or reinterpret history, warning that glorifying architects of repression or erasing the suffering of victims undermines national values and unity. \u201cHistory must not be read through the lens of the political present. Unfortunately, this happens far too often,\u201d he noted. \u201cWe must free ourselves from the victim complex \u2014 constantly looking backward is a sign of weakness.\u201d<\/p>\n
The President highlighted Kazakhstan\u2019s substantial efforts to rehabilitate the memory of those repressed. He pointed to the establishment of the State Commission for the Full Rehabilitation of Victims of Political Repressions, which over the past three years has reviewed over 2.5 million archival materials and rehabilitated more than 300,000 individuals unjustly persecuted during the Soviet era.<\/p>\n This work, he stressed, is not merely symbolic but represents a comprehensive re-evaluation of historical injustice. \u201cA 72-volume collection and a 12-volume archive of cases against Alashorda leaders have been published. These are unprecedented efforts that have not been undertaken even in other countries with similar histories,\u201d Tokayev stated.<\/p>\n The ALZHIR complex, where around 8,000 women were imprisoned from 1938 to 1953 \u2014 including wives of prominent Kazakh intellectuals \u2014 now serves as a site of national remembrance and education. \u201cOur ancestors endured unimaginable suffering. But they also showed extraordinary humanity and solidarity, helping others in times of hardship. This spirit of unity, tolerance, and mutual support forms the bedrock of our national identity today,\u201d the President said.<\/p>\n President Tokayev also linked historical reflection with contemporary progress. He outlined the broad political and constitutional reforms undertaken since the 2022 national referendum, including the establishment of a Constitutional Court, the expansion of parliamentary powers, and the introduction of direct elections for local officials. He reaffirmed that the principle of \u201cIndependence above all\u201d must remain sacred in the national consciousness.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Kazakhstan-ALZHIR-Victims.jpg\")