INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE «THE GREAT STEPPE AND KAZAKH STATEHOOD»

On February 24, the international scientific and practical conference "The Great Steppe and Kazakh Statehood: modern approaches and new views" was held in the Library of Elbasy. The event was organized by the Library of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Elbasy and the Institute of State History of the Committee of Science of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The event was attended by Russian and foreign historians, university professors, doctoral students and master’s degree students.

The conference was based on the presentation of new books by the famous scientist historian, Professor Burkitbay Ayagan "Ulyq Ulys – Altyn Orda memleketі tarıhy (course of lectures)" and "History of Ulyq Ulys  – Golden Horde (course of lectures)", which on the basis of new facts and in an accessible form reveal one of the landmark periods of the history of Kazakh statehoo.

In his welcoming address, Director of the Library of the Elbasy, candidate of political sciences Bakytzhan Temirbolat noted: "30 years is a very short time for history. However, for Kazakhstan, which over the past three centuries has been gripped by political and socio-cultural pressure from the outside, these 30 years have become a Rubicon for the newly opened horizons of the implementation of the national idea, the construction of an independent state and confidence in its future, the basis for which was laid by the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Elbasy N.A. Nazarbayev back in the 1990s and today it is confidently continued in the course of the Head of state K.K. Tokayev.
Unfortunately, in colonial and Soviet times, national history was hardly studied. It was consigned to oblivion. Attempts of the first professional historians as Yermakhan Bekmakhanov and Begezhan Suleimenov to objectively write the national history of the Kazakh people ended in repression. And only independence allowed us to openly and open-mindedly study our past. Our Elbasy is right when he says that "the people who do not remember their history or are deprived of it, lose all their bearings and are no longer capable of purposeful actions."

National history as the core of ideology is consistent only with a comprehensive objective view, the reliability of which is possible taking into account meticulous research. ... To explore in-depth the history of the state handed down to descendants, to present a true description of the lives and destinies, the legacy of the outstanding, brilliant personalities of the Great Steppe is our civic and human duty as representatives of the Kazakh state and Kazakh intellectual society".
Director of the Institute of History and Ethnology named after Ch.Valikhanov, Doctor of historical sciences, Professor Ziyabek Kabuldinov, state and public figure of Kazakhstan, lieutenant general, Doctor of historical sciences Abai Tasbulatov made speeches at the plenary session.

- Thanks to the 30th anniversary of our country's independence, thanks to the work of historians of countries and archives, we were able to learn through historical science the history of the Great Steppe and the Kazakh statehood. As a military man, I had the opportunity to learn and study the military affairs of that time through the works of Rashid ad-Din, Marco Polo, Bartold, Juvaini, Ivanin and other scientists. But this, of course, is not enough for military historians, I think. It is very important for us to understand how the war was fought, how the personnel were trained, the study of tactics, operational art, and the strategy of war. I’ve read the books presented today and I want to point out that they contain fascinating facts, links to the original sources. This is very important. And very interesting books have been written. Especially with regard to the military art of nomads, noted A. Tasbulatov.

Z. Kabuldinov in his speech on behalf of the staff of the Institute of History and Ethnology named after Ch. Valikhanov congratulated the organizers and wished the conference success, interesting discussions, original solutions and interaction of the historical community throughout the Eurasian space.
- Taking advantage of the presence of colleagues from abroad, as well as domestic scientists, I would like to emphasize that only through joint efforts we will be able to restore our true and objective history. In any case, the states created on the territory of Eurasia, Ulug Ulus is part of the world civilization, and there is no reasonable scientific data for the previous prohibitions on the study of its history. Over the past period, scientists have done a lot to study the history of Ulug Ulus. Nevertheless, today scientists - historians, ethnologists, archaeologists, political scientists, sociologists, linguists, and even specialists in political psychology - have a lot of work to do on further, systematic, objective research of the Golden Horde", B. Ayagan said, presenting his new publications. – I would like to express my deep gratitude to those who supported me in writing this short course of lectures.
The reports were also presented by Professor Emeritus of the University of Wisconsin Yulay Shamiloglu (USA), Professor of the Institute of Archeology named after A.Kh. Margulan, Doctor of historical sciences, Professor Zeinolla Samashev, Director of the Institute of the Turkic World, Associate Professor of the Faculty of Political Science Meriem Hakim (Turkey), Head of the Department of the Institute of State History of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, doctor of historical sciences, Professor Gani Karasaev, Professor of the Department of history, historiography and source studies of the Bashkir State University, doctor of historical sciences, Professor Roza Bukanova (RF, Ufa), Professor of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Doctor of historical sciences, Professor Maksat Alpysbes, a leading researcher at the Institute of State History of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, PhD Zhaksylyk Sabitov, etc.
- The achievements of independent Kazakhstan are a great pride for all the Turkic countries. And the article of Elbasy, who laid the foundations of a new sovereign state in the XX century, "Seven Facets of the Great Steppe" inspired the entire world community, and especially us, who study the history, politics, past and future of the Turkic peoples. The civilization of the Great Steppe is multifaceted, vast and deep", Meriem Hakim stressed.