Photo exhibition dedicated to Victory Day to take place in Almaty and Astana in early May

A photo exhibition dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the World War II will open in Almaty on May 6 and in Astana on May 7, Tengrinews reports.

Advisor to the US Consulate General in Kazakhstan on media, culture and education Charles Martin explained that the exhibition was a joint project of the United States Embassy and Kazakh historians.

The exhibition will present photos of veterans and heroes of the war as well as photos from the national archives of Kazakhstan and the United States.  Besides, a special attention will be paid to the role women played in achieving the victory.

A similar exhibition will be held by Kazakhstan’s Embassy in Washington.

According to the US diplomat, the organizers wanted to emphasise Kazakhstan's role in the World War II, in particular, Kazakhstan served as a corridor for the humanitarian aid supplied by the United States.

While researching this topic, the organizers of the photo exhibition discovered some interesting, and previously unknown facts. “Several days ago we found out that then American Vice President Henry Wallace visited Kazakhstan in 1944. He had a secret mission. He flew to Siberia from Alaska, and then from there by train he came to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to check how the American cargos and military aid were delivered in the Soviet Union. He visited Almaty and Semipalatinsk,” Charles Martin said.

In addition, the US Embassy also invited a famous American jazz band Ari Roland to perform in Kazakhstan on May 9. The concert will be held in Almaty in the Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen.

Charles Martin assured that the photo exhibition and the concert was only a part of the celebrations that the United States prepared together with Kazakhstan. “We need to remember the veterans. We have been cooperating with the Council of Veterans in Almaty, which has been implementing the project. Within its frameworks young volunteers make video interviews with veterans to make suer their stories are not forgotten. An American historian will arrive in Kazakhstan in May and he will speak about cooperation between the United States and the Soviet Union, and with Kazakhstan in particular, during the war,” Charles Martin said.

Reporting by Dmitriy Khegai, writing by Assel Satubaldina, editing by Tatyana Kuzmina