Plenipotentiary Representative of the Kazakh Parliament commemorates compatriots who defended Leningrad

On January 27, 2023, St Petersburg will be celebrating the 79th anniversary of the full liberation of Leningrad from the Nazi siege. On the eve of this date, Viktor Rogalev, deputy Executive Secretary of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly and plenipotentiary representative of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, commemorated citizens and defenders of Leningrad, including his compatriots who defended the besieged city. 

 

Today, on January 26, he laid flowers at the Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery at the Motherland monument and memorial plate to Kazakhswho died defending Leningrad and breaking through the Nazi blockade.

 

Plenipotentiary representative of the Parliament of Kazakhstan paid tribute to Aliya Moldagulova, Hero of the Soviet Union, and the great Kazakh akyn (poet) Jambyl Jabayev who glorified the heroic deed of the citizens and defenders of the besieged Leningrad.

 

“Aliya Moldagulova was born in Kazakhstan and later moved to Leningrad. She served in the 54th separate rifle brigade of the 22nd army of the 2nd Baltic front. During military operations she managed to destroy about 90 Nazis. The young woman died in January, 1944. During one of attacks Aliya Moldagulova, despite being wounded by a mine fragment, called her fellow soldiers to battle and participated in a hand-to-hand fight in a German trench. During the fight she was wounded a second time by a Nazi officer who shot her in the back. Aliya was only nineteen,” said Viktor Rogalev.

 

A monument to Aliya Moldagulova, Hero of the Soviet Union, was unveiled in St Petersburg on May 6, 2019.

 

“Today I recall how my native Kazakhstan helped Leningrad. The great Kazakh poet Jambyl Jabayev wrote a poem Leningraders, my children! Leningraders, my pride! which is still deeply moving. Here is an excerpt from it:

 

Leningrad is stronger and more formidable

Than ever before:

It is ready to face the onslaught!

No-one will split its stones...

 

Thousands of Kazakh soldiers fought for Leningrad. In addition to helping in battles, Kazakhs sent a lot of food and clothing to the besieged city. Many survivors of the Siege of Leningrad recall in tears the fragrant Aport apples they received from Kazakhstan. Our duty is to preserve this memory,” concluded Viktor Rogalev.