Kazakhstan celebrates the 100th
anniversary of legendary Sagadat Nurmagambetov - the country’s First Minister
of Defense, Hero of the Soviet Union. An exhibition dedicated to Khalyk
Kaharmany, who made a significant contribution to the formation of the Armed
Forces of Kazakhstan, has opened in Astana. It features personal items such as
the parade uniform of the Army General, documents and awards, rare wartime and
post-war photographs, as well as articles about the hero. The pictures show his
encounter with the U.S. Secretary of Defense in Almaty in 1994 and
participation in the UN meeting. Among the most valuable exhibits is the Decree
on the transformation of the State Defense Committee into the Ministry of
Defense. The event participants shared their memories of Sagadat Nurmagambetov.
“I remember, I was very happy when it was
announced that Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General Sagadat
Nurmagambetov had been appointed Chairman of the State Defense Committee. I
hurried back to my homeland. I was even ready to serve as an ordinary soldier
under his command. I wanted to meet this great man and shake his hand. My dream
came true,” said Khalyk Kaharmany Bakhytzhan Yertayev.
“It was indeed a very challenging period. Firstly,
it involved immense responsibility. It was a time of breakdown, officers were
leaving. As you already know, they could return from a business trip at 6 a.m.,
and a couple of hours later he was already heading to work. Our requests to have
a rest remained unanswered,” said Aisulu Nurmagambetova, Sagadat
Nurmagambetov’s daughter.
