Kazakh historians gain access to previously classified documents

Kazakh scholars and historians have familiarized themselves with the documents of the state archives of Ukraine. According to them, the valuable papers can shed light on many mysteries of Kazakh history. Ukraine began publishing historical documents that were previously classified as ‘top secret’ in 2015. As a result, Kazakh scholars had been able to familiarize themselves with the material on deportation of peoples, famine, political repression and other events of the past century.

“We split into three groups. The first one worked in the archives of Kiyv. These are the central state archives of Ukraine, archives of national security. They have many archival documents that previously were not in scientific circulation. Thanks to this work, we have identified thousands of Kazakhs,” said Nurtaza Assilov, Deputy Head of the National Military-Patriotic Center of Kazakh Armed Forces.

“In particular, previously top secret documents had been made available. Scientists were given the opportunity to work in the State Security Archive of Ukraine. There are all the decrees, instructions, protocols, orders of the NKVD and the KGB between 1937 and 1991, and all of them have been put into scientific circulation. Funds are currently open, there is an opportunity to work with them, as well as with various archival research,” explained Kairat Alimgazinov, Deputy Director of the Archive of President of Kazakhstan.

Translation by Assem Zhanmukhanova

Editing by Galiya Khassenkhanova