EXHIBITION "TIME FOR FUNDAMENTAL DECISIONS" | The library of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Today, on August 25, 2021, in the city of Semey, East Kazakhstan region, the opening of the exhibition "Time for Fundamental Decisions" took place, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site.

The exhibition was organized by the Library of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Elbasy with the support of the akimats of the East Kazakhstan region and the city of Semey.

In his welcoming speech, the director of the Elbasy Library Bakytzhan Temirbolat called deeply symbolic the fact that the anniversary of the closure of the landfill is being held under the sign of a significant date - the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan's Independence.

“We, the people of Kazakhstan, greet the 30th anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site with special feeling. The land of Semey, sacred for the Kazakh people, where such great sons as Abai, Shakarim, Mukhtar Auezov lived and worked, where the capital of Alash Orda was located, was subjected to an inhuman experiment in the twentieth century, becoming the main nuclear test site of the USSR. Over the course of forty years, 456 nuclear explosions have been carried out here. The end was put in 1991, when the First President of the country, Nursultan Nazarbayev, closed the landfill by his decree. This became the most important decision not only for Semipalatinsk residents and Kazakhstan as a whole, but also for the entire world community. The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev continues the policy of Elbasy to promote anti-nuclear initiatives and strengthen international security. At the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2019, the Head of State noted that achieving a world free of nuclear weapons remains a top priority for Kazakhstan",-Bakytzhan Temirbolat said and handed over to the director of the East Kazakhstan Regional Universal Library named after Abai Gulnar Zhigitbaeva a book from the Elbasy Library as a gift.

The exposition in its entirety presents a complex of archival materials, museum exhibits and books from the collection of the Elbasy Library, and is also the result of the work of the team on the study of the most important pages of the modern history of Kazakhstan. A special place is occupied by international awards of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev for his contribution to the cause of nuclear disarmament and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

During the opening of the exhibition, Deputy Akim of the East Kazakhstan Region Azamat Mukhamedchinov said: “Kazakhstan's policy aimed at ridding mankind of nuclear weapons and strengthening the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction has earned the recognition of the international community and consolidated the country's global leadership in this area. A special role in this belongs to the First President of our country - Elbasy Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev, who fundamentally and consistently defended these positions from the rostrum of the UN, international forums, as well as during personal meetings with the heads of nuclear powers”.

In an atmosphere of modern geopolitical instability, when countries are competing in the arms race, including nuclear weapons, the role of Kazakhstan as a peacemaker and author of the idea of banning nuclear weapons is especially important. In this regard, the National Report of Kazakhstan “Manifesto. Peace. XXI century” presented by N.А. Nazarbayev in Washington on March 31, 2016. The Manifesto received the status of an official document of the General Assembly and the UN Security Council.

The exhibition "Time for Fundamental Decisions" consists of three sections:

1. Section "Wounds of Semey" - this is materials that convey all the drama of the consequences associated with the activities of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site;

2. In the section “Elbasy's initiatives on the way to a nuclear-free world”, the initiatives of N.A. Nazarbayev, aimed at strengthening a world free from the nuclear threat were shown on the basis of materials from the library, archive, museum fund;

3. Section "The Right to a Peaceful Atom" - a set of archival materials, museum exhibits and books about the activities of N.А. Nazarbayev to promote the idea of using the atom for peaceful purposes and to ensure security measures in relation to the proliferation of nuclear technologies.

The exhibition "Time for Fundamental Decisions" will run until September 27 this year. The materials of the exposition can also be found on the website of the Elbasy Library: https://elbasylibrary.gov.kz in the "Exhibitions" section.