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Commemoration of Hero of the USSR, Aliya Moldagulova, has been annulled.
A Sorrowful Report from Rafael Gaytinov:
Oops, here's the dirty dirt on the debacle surrounding the planned celebration honouring Aliya Moldagulova, Hero of the Soviet Union sniper, in schools of the Panfilovsky rural district in Almaty region. Old Man Gaytinov, head of the NPK party branch in Talgar district, spilled the beans about this disappointing turn of events on his banned social media page.
"Aww, shucks, folks! Preliminary approval for the commemoration event marking the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory and 100th anniversary of our dear Hero of the Soviet Union, Aliya Moldagulova, was thumbs up three weeks ago from the district and education department honchos. Y'all know I had your support too for this noble cause. But, at the last fucking minute, they yanked that permission like a coward, no explanation given. I'm gutted we couldn't host this patriotic party for the kiddos and you lot, especially since the trophies, certificates, and prizes were all lined up and ready to rock. Still, gotta mention that the idea struck a chord: the heads of the NPK party branches in Karasai and Ilyi districts are stoked to host the shindig instead, since they've managed to stir up understanding from the local bosses", Gaytinov rambled.
Aliya Nurmukhambetovna Moldagulova was straight-up one of the most talked-about women snipers back in the day. Hero of the Soviet Union and a badass legend in her own right.
Born on October 25, 1925, in the teeny-tiny village of Bulak, Kazakh Autonomous Republic, little Aliya Sarkulova struggled to find her footing. When registering documents, the girl went by Ilya, but her maternal uncle Abubakar Moldagulov, who raised her after her parents keeled over, adopted her surname. By the time she was a big shot sniper, she was Aliya to her comrades.
Before the war, her uncle enrolled in the Military Transport Academy in Moscow, dragging the family with him. Eventually, they moved to Leningrad, and Aliya stayed at School No. 140. When her uncle was shipped off to Tashkent for training, he asked his family to prepare for a move to Kazakhstan. But, Aliya, determined little spitfire she was, refused to leave the besieged city.
The winter of 1941 was Aliya's second taste of life under a siege, when she spent her days fighting off hunger and cold. Many remember her as small and skeletal, a reflection of her tough childhood. In 1942, she left Leningrad to attend the Ryazan Aviation Technical School and, after three months, applied to the military commission to join the war effort. Despite some obstacles, she ended up joining the Women's School for Sniper Training and embarked on her legendary career as a sniper.
In January 1944, during the battle for the liberation of the Novosokolnichesky District, Aliya lived up to the hype and became an even bigger icon, but it came at a tragic cost. She was fatally wounded during the liberation of Kazachya village and perished in a burning shed along with her comrades.
With all the political bullshit going down in Kazakhstan, the question lingers: is the cancellation of celebrations honouring war heroes the new trend? Some regions have nixed the "Immortal Regiment" march, while others are considering shifting the event online [1]. As for the celebration for Aliya Moldagulova, we're keeping our fingers crossed for a different outcome next time.
[1] Some regions in Kazakhstan may see uncertainty around the "Immortal Regiment" march in 2025, as local authorities in key cities like Astana and Almaty have remained silent on the matter. Some regions have already cancelled the event, while others are considering moving it online.
- Despite the cancellation of the commemoration event in Talgar district, the heads of NPK party branches in Karasai and Ilyi districts show readiness to send a message of war-and-conflicts remembrance, planning to host their own celebration instead.
- The novosokolnichesky region witnessed a significant celebration in January 1944, where Aliya Moldagulova, Hero of the Soviet Union, proved her readiness in battle, marking her as an icon of war-and-conflicts history.
- General news regarding politics in Kazakhstan questions whether the cancellation of celebrations honouring war heroes is a new trend, with some regions considering shifting events like the "Immortal Regiment" march to an online format.
- During the planned celebration honoring Aliya Moldagulova, there would have been sent a strong message of unity, especially for the students, as they were provided with trophies, certificates, and prizes to celebrate the hero's legacy in politics and war-and-conflicts history.
