Every Sixth Resident of the Kazakh SSR Joined the Ranks of the Red Army

During the Great Patriotic War, the Kazakh people made a remarkable contribution to the victory over Nazi Germany.

According to the 1939 census, the population of the Kazakh SSR exceeded six million people. Among them, every sixth resident—a total of 1,196,164 individuals—joined the ranks of the Red Army.

Soldiers from Kazakhstan fought in every major battle: from the defense of Moscow and Stalingrad to the storming of Berlin.

“I wanted to fight. I wanted to go to the front as a volunteer. But instead, I was sent to the Riga Infantry School, where they trained officers,” — recalls veteran Bisengali Aytzhanovich.

To learn more about how Kazakhstan honors the memory of the Great Patriotic War, read here.