Whereas Russia continues to put heavy emphasis on celebrating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany 81 years in the past, the vacation’s significance is diminishing throughout a lot of the previous Soviet area.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was one in all solely two Central Asian heads of state current when Russia hosted its annual commemoration of victory in World Battle II. Whereas Tokayev’s attendance on the much-diminished Could 9 parade signalled continued diplomatic help for Moscow, commemorations inside Kazakhstan proceed to float away from their Soviet roots.
This 12 months noticed no navy parades wherever in Kazakhstan whereas the president was in Moscow. As a substitute, officers laid flowers on the Defenders of the Fatherland memorial in Astana. In the meantime, an area model of the Immortal Regiment march, the place households parade with portraits of family members who fought throughout World Battle II, occurred within the southern metropolis of Almaty after questions on its approval.
Regardless of Soviet flags nonetheless being seen through the march – now often called Batyrlarga Tagzym, Tribute to the Heroes – they have been far outnumbered by Kazakh flags and ribbons. Officers additional bolstered this shift by handing out ribbons in Kazakhstan’s turquoise-and-yellow nationwide colours earlier than the march started.
In recent times, Kazakhstan has labored extensively to reshape the nationwide that means of the vacation, minimizing Soviet symbolism at celebrations throughout the nation. This was already evident eventually 12 months’s parade in Astana, the place Soviet remembrance was nearly completely changed by shows of Kazakh nationalism.
This development displays not solely altering historic reminiscence, however Kazakhstan’s broader pragmatic effort to strengthen ties with overseas companions and place itself extra clearly as an impartial actor on the worldwide stage.
The final Victory Day parade in Kazakhstan occurred in Almaty in 2019. It additionally marked the nation’s final official Immortal Regiment march full with Soviet flags and the standard black-and-orange St. George ribbons. Kazakh navy personnel took half as properly, marching and using by applauding crowds.
Within the years that adopted, the COVID-19 pandemic halted public commemorations. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kazakhstan additional altered its method to Victory Day remembrance.
Authorities moved to cease Immortal Regiment marches and as a substitute promoted digitized remembrance of Kazakh World Battle II veterans by the Tribute to the Heroes marketing campaign. Kazakhstan additionally kept away from holding a navy parade till the eightieth anniversary of World Battle II’s finish in Europe final 12 months. Even then, the parade in Astana was held not on Could 9, however on Could 7 – Defender of the Fatherland Day – celebrating Kazakhstan’s personal armed forces relatively than Soviet victory.
With out a bodily outlet to commemorate veteran family members, a number of teams pushed to revive the Immortal Regiment marches in 2025 underneath the Tribute to the Heroes slogan. Although initially banned, marches in Almaty and several other different cities have been authorised solely days earlier than Could 9 final 12 months.
Even so, the continuation of the march was removed from assured this 12 months.
Whereas Immortal Regiment occasions stay standard throughout the previous Soviet Union, Kazakhstan is among the many post-Soviet states actively making an attempt to reshape the celebration. This 12 months, Almaty’s mayor once more waited till Could 7 earlier than approving the march.
In the course of the procession itself, overt Soviet nostalgia appeared visibly diminished. At one level, a participant shouted, “Glory to the Crimson Military,” solely to be met with instant boos from a lot of the encircling crowd.
Though altered in type, the Almaty march nonetheless turned the most important occasion of the vacation interval, as final 12 months’s navy parade was not repeated on both Could 7 or Could 9. As a substitute, a variety of smaller cultural occasions occurred throughout the nation, from nationwide equestrian video games to performances of Kazakh music.
Regardless of being in Moscow on the day itself, Tokayev additionally issued his congratulations to the nation on Could 9. His message notably prevented Soviet nostalgia, as a substitute emphasizing the bravery of Kazakhs and expressing hope that the Kazakh flag would “[a]lways rise underneath our clear skies, symbolizing the peace-loving, progressive aspirations of our folks.”
Whereas this shift has accelerated since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it additionally aligns with Kazakhstan’s wider efforts to deepen worldwide relations, significantly with companions such because the EU and america. Current years have introduced main commerce agreements and rising diplomatic engagement. By transferring away from Soviet-centered remembrance, Kazakhstan is signaling its ambition to outline itself by itself phrases, not as a state primarily formed by its former imperial ruler and closest historic collaborator.
Soviet reminiscence stays a visual a part of Victory Day commemorations, however Kazakhstan is taking more and more deliberate steps to distance itself from that legacy. Whether or not this symbolic transformation will additional strengthen the nation’s worldwide positioning stays to be seen, however the route of journey is changing into tough to disregard.
