To the Victory Day on May 9, round table "Patriotic and World War II in historical memory in Kazakhstan and China"

On may  3, 2021, an international round table was held at the Faculty of International Relations, timed to coincide with the 76th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the end of the Second World War. The discussion focused on the issue of the war in historical memory - the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) and the Japanese-Chinese (1937-1945) - two most important and interrelated parts of the world war that ended in 1945; about the continuity of collective memory in the generations of countries that fought against fascism and militarism, about the perception of war by Kazakh and Chinese youth through artistic images in films, music, documentaries, etc.

Vice-rector for social development al-Farabi University Aliya Masalimova warmly welcomed the guests of the event - professors Laila Seisembekovna Akhmetova and Alua Bakhytzhanovna Baykadamova, the granddaughter of the famous General I.V. Panfilova and the daughter of the great Kazakh composer Bakhytzhan Baykadamov, in whose family the famous Chinese composer Xian Xinghai (冼星海) lived and worked during the war.

It was noted that in the jubilee year of the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan's independence, despite the limited conditions of the pandemic, we remember and celebrate the 76th anniversary of the Victory. This Day in world history remains an unforgettable theme, since the war changed the world, the world order. As the vice-rector Aliya Masalimova said, we remember, since there is no family that would be spared the war hard times.

Presentations were made by professors of the Department of International Relations and World Economy - Mara Gubaidullina, Ermek Chukubaev, Almagul Kulbayeva, undergraduates - Bagdad Lesbaeva, M. Andagulova, A. Garifulla, A. Zhumabekova, Ni Meng, Liu Xiyao, He Li, Wang Zhimin, Wei Mingming, Wang Yan, Zhao Ming, A.Berdibekov and others.

Alua Baikadamova suggested planting trees in Almaty in memory of each soldier of Panfilov's division, and planting a garden! Laila Akhmetova invited everyone to the groups on Facebook “Panfilovskaya division” and “Descendants of Panfilov's men”: “Let's remember everyone by name! Let's call the entire Panfilov division by name, and so you can then find the names of all divisions. Mara Gubaidullina invited young people to write down the stories of their families, to find their ancestors up to the seventh generation.

The lecturers, undergraduates and students of the Faculty of International Relations, a total of 100 people, took part.

The round table was organized by the Centre for German Studies of Al-Farabi University.