May 3, 2025 – A significant round table discussion dedicated to the tragedy of the 1920s-1930s famine and its impact on the formation of the Kazakh diaspora abroad took place at the Ch.Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology in Almaty, with the support of the Cultural Center of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Almaty. The event brought together leading historians, scholars, and diplomats from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Iran.
Opening the session, Ziyabek Yermukhanovich Kabuldinov, General Director of the Ch.Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Doctor of Historical Sciences,1 Professor, emphasized the importance of in-depth study of this tragic page in Kazakhstan’s history. The round table was attended by the Attaché of the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Almaty, Representative of the Sagdi Hossein Agazadeh Foundation, the Vice-Rector of the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Zainidin Karpekovich Kurmanov, as well as Iranian scholars: Leading Researcher of the National Archive and Library of Iran, PhD, Professor Nuri Mustafa, and Professor of Allameh Tabatabai University, PhD Tishiyar Mandana.
During the event, unique archival data from Iran were presented, shedding light on the fate of Kazakhs forced to relocate to Iran during the famine. These materials serve as a valuable source for studying the scale of the tragedy and the migration routes of the Kazakh population.
Special attention was paid to the presentation of new publications. The book “Tarikh-e Oljaitu”, prepared under the editorship of Zhenis Zh.Zh., Deputy General Director of the Institute of History and Ethnology for International Relations, was presented. Also showcased were the multi-volume collections “1931-1933 Zhyldardaghy Asharshylyk: Auliyata Oniri Boyynsha Nauybet Kuagerleri Men Urpaktarynyn Estelikteri. Sukhbat Materialdarynyn Zhinagy. Koptomdyk. I Tom” and “1931-1933 Zhyldardaghy Asharshylyk: Almaty Oblysy Boyynsha Nauybet Kuagerleri Men Urpaktarynyn Estelikteri. Sukhbat Materialdarynyn Zhinagy. Koptomdyk. II Tom”. These collections, which include memoirs of eyewitnesses and descendants of famine victims, were compiled by Tungyshbay Baikulov.
Active participants in the discussions included representatives from the Ch.Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology: Chief Researcher, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Orazgul Mukatova, Head of the Department of Ancient and Medieval History of Kazakhstan and Adjacent Countries, Candidate of Historical Sciences Zhanymkhan Oshan, Chief Researcher, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor Sayin Borbasov, Leading Researcher, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Ainagul Kaipbaeva, as well as the Chairman of the Association of iranists of Kazakhstan, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor Bolatbek Batyrkhan, and young historians.
The round table underscored not only the depth of the historical tragedy but also the importance of international cooperation in researching its consequences, particularly in the context of the formation of the Kazakh diaspora abroad.
