May 31 is the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Political Repression and Famine — a day to honor the memory of those who suffered during one of the darkest chapters in Kazakhstan’s 20th-century history.
Between the 1930s and 1950s, Soviet political repression turned Kazakhstan into a vast prison camp. Major Gulag camps such as ALZHIR, Karlag, and Steplag were located on Kazakh soil. Over 5 million people were deported here, and nearly 100,000 Kazakhs were subjected to political persecution. More than 20,000 of them were executed.
Many of Kazakhstan’s prominent national figures — including Alikhan Bokeikhan, Akhmet Baitursynuly, Mirzhakyp Dulatov, Magzhan Zhumabayev, Saken Seifullin, Ilyas Zhansugurov, and Beimbet Mailin — became innocent victims of this brutal period.
In addition to the repression, the devastating famines of the 1930s, caused by forced collectivization and sedentarization policies, led to the death of millions and a dramatic reduction in the population. For many families, this tragedy meant the loss of loved ones and the disappearance of entire lineages.
In 1997, May 31 was officially designated as the Day of
Remembrance for the Victims of Political Repression and Famine. Earlier, in 1993, Kazakhstan adopted a law “On the Rehabilitation of Victims of Mass Political Repressions,” which began the process of restoring justice to those wrongfully punished.
However, in 2025, several city administrations — including Almaty, Karaganda, Aktobe, and Aksai — denied permission for peaceful commemorative marches planned for May 31. In Karaganda, officials cited scheduling conflicts with cultural, sports, and construction events as reasons for the ban. In Almaty and Aksai, applications were rejected without explanation, while in Aktobe, landscaping works were given as the reason.
Similar restrictions were reported in other cities, including Astana, Oskemen, Shymkent, Pavlodar, Petropavl, Oral, and Semey. In many cases, local authorities refused to provide any justification and warned activists of potential administrative penalties, including up to 15 days of detention.
In Karaganda, a local activist who attempted to organize a memorial march was sentenced to 15 days in administrative detention. The court ruled that the individual had violated regulations on organizing and holding peaceful assemblies.
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