Crossroads Asia | Society | Central Asia

The Fall of Victory Day in Kazakhstan

In Kazakhstan, although Victory Day celebrations still took place on May 9, the Soviet focus is increasingly being replaced by expressions of national pride.

The May 9 Victory Day celebrations retain their Soviet tone in Russia, even if in diminished form this year.

While Russia continues to place heavy emphasis on celebrating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany 81 years ago, the holiday’s importance is diminishing across much of the former Soviet space. 

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was one of only two Central Asian heads of state present when Russia hosted its annual commemoration of victory in World War II. While Tokayev’s attendance at the much-diminished May 9 parade signalled continued diplomatic support for Moscow, commemorations inside Kazakhstan continue to drift away from their Soviet roots.

This year saw no military parades anywhere in Kazakhstan while the president was in Moscow. Instead, officials laid flowers at the Defenders of the Fatherland memorial in Astana. Meanwhile, a local version of the Immortal Regiment march, where families parade with portraits of relatives who fought during World War II, took place in the southern city of Almaty after questions about its approval.

Despite Soviet flags still being visible during the march – now known as Batyrlarga Tagzym, Tribute to the Heroes – they were far outnumbered by Kazakh flags and ribbons. Officials further reinforced this shift by handing out ribbons in Kazakhstan’s turquoise-and-yellow national colors before the march began.

In recent years, Kazakhstan has worked extensively to reshape the national meaning of the holiday, minimizing Soviet symbolism at celebrations across the country. This was already evident at last year’s parade in Astana, where Soviet remembrance was almost entirely replaced by displays of Kazakh nationalism.

This trend reflects not only changing historical memory, but Kazakhstan’s broader pragmatic effort to strengthen ties with foreign partners and position itself more clearly as an independent actor on the international stage.

The last Victory Day parade in Kazakhstan took place in Almaty in 2019. It also marked the country’s last official Immortal Regiment march complete with Soviet flags and the traditional black-and-orange St. George ribbons. Kazakh military personnel took part as well, marching and riding through applauding crowds.

In the years that followed, the COVID-19 pandemic halted public commemorations. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kazakhstan further altered its approach to Victory Day remembrance.

Authorities moved to stop Immortal Regiment marches and instead promoted digitized remembrance of Kazakh World War II veterans through the Tribute to the Heroes campaign.........

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