President Tokayev calls for Kazakhstanis to remember victims of famine and political repression

In his post on X (formerly Twitter) President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid tribute to all those people who suffered from the mass famine and political repression in the XX century. The president underlined that the country’s government has been doing a lot to restore historical justice.

Tokayev has also emphasized that experts continue to examine grim chapters of Kazakhstani history and they are trying to do so objectively.

«Today is the 31st of May when we are paying tribute to the victims of political repression and famine of the last century. We will able to cope with new challenges and achieve success in building a fair and harmonious society only if we have learned our lesson from dark chapters of our history and remember them,» Tokayev wrote on X.

On May 31, Kazakhstan celebrates Memorial Day for the Victims of Political Repression. During the Soviet repressions close to 100,000 Kazakhstanis were unfairly arrested and more than 20,000 of them were executed. Moreover, about 5 million people from other parts of the Soviet Union were forcefully relocated to Kazakhstan.

According to President Tokayev, the Soviet totalitarian regime has left a deep scar on the self-consciousness of the people of Kazakhstan.