Pavel Kazantsev: Our historical memory is not tainted by falsifications

Our historical memory is not tainted by falsifications and distortions, said Pavel Kazantsev, deputy Chairman of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, at the plenary session of the international parliamentary conference Historical Memory: the Great Victory Obtained Through Unity, BelTA reports.
“We are discussing the legacy of the Great Victory common for our countries. Kazakhstan has also made a worthy contribution to the fight against fascism. Here combat units of the Red Army were formed. During the war, 1.2 million Kazakhstanis joined the ranks of the Soviet armed forces (with the total population of Kazakhstan being 6 million at that time). Over 100,000 Kazakhstani soldiers were decorated with orders and medals; over 500 became Heroes of the Soviet Union. Kazakhstan also provided a reliable homefront. There were base hospitals and evacuated factories deployed on our land. The heroism of doing the work of two or three people in the rear for the sake of Victory will also remain in our memory. Women and young people toiled at factories. In those terrible years, Kazakhstan became home to millions of Soviet people whose homes were destroyed by the fascists,” said Pavel Kazantsev.
According to him, several generations of Kazakhstanis grew up on these examples of heroism. “That is why for us patriotism is not just an empty word. All important political documents mention patriotism,” said the deputy Chairman. “Deputies also inquire about restoring and preserving historical memory. Together with veterans’ organizations, deputies have initiated a draft law on military and patriotic education. It proposes to establish the status of cadet schools and classes, raise the prestige of military professions, strengthen primary military training. Additional norms will be introduced to support the children’s military and patriotic movement. We plan to adopt the law by the end of the year.”
“Our historical memory is alive with the stories of living witnesses of the war and not tainted by falsifications and distortions. Today’s dialogue must be conducted for the sake of the younger generations whose reality is overflowing with false information. Common approaches should be developed to counter the information warfare caused by the desire to belittle the role of the Soviet Union in the victory over fascism, revise the results of the Second World War and rehabilitate Nazism. And key events such as today’s play a significant role in this,” emphasized Pavel Kazantsev.