Kazakhstan didn't forget Dinmukhamed Konayev

In Kazakhstan this year passes under the sign of 100th anniversary celebration since the birth of the long-term head of the republic Dinmukhamed Konayev. Three times the Hero of Socialist work awarded by eight awards of Lenin, the academician Konayev headed the republic during more than three decades, 26 years from them in the rank of the first secretary of the Republican Communist Party.

His nephew, the president of Dinmukhamed Akhmedovich Konayev Fund Eldar Askarovich Konayev tells about whether D.A.Konayev is remembered in Kazakhstan, how he is treated today:

- Dinmukhamed Akhmedovich Konayev's international Fund was created in 1992. The compatriots, who deeply respected my uncle, acted with such initiative. He went about the country, met with the inhabitants, penetrated into their problems, tried to help whenever it was possible. That is, the Fund was created originally as charitable. But in August of the next year Dinmukhamed Akhmedovich died and the extreme importance was got by memorial activity.

The board of Fund included very known people, respected in Kazakhstan. The vice-president is Kenes Mustakhanovich Aukhadiyev and the honourable president is Sultan Suleymenovich Jiyenbayev.

D.A.Konayev's Fund is the international non-governmental, public, non-profit organization. Legal entities and citizens of any states can take part in its activity on a voluntary basis. We constantly cooperate with funds, the international organizations, the state structures and non-governmental associations, educational institutions of the different countries of the world. The fund makes the researches of the social, economic and political problems, actual for a present stage of the Kazakhstan and world history.

The award by the name of D.A.Konayev is founded in separate branches of science, technicians, literatures, arts and architecture. The grant by the name of D.A.Konayev is established to the best students - excellent students of metallurgical, mountain and economics departments of higher educational institutions of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

- Probably, the archive in Fund is solid?

- The archive includes the text, electronic, audiovisual, photo materials connected with the activity of D.A.Konayev and reflecting the most considerable events of socio-political history of Kazakhstan. The basis of collection is made by the materials donated by a family of Konayev, his friends and colleagues.

The archive contains more than 10 000 units of storage, among which Konayev's personal funds, and also of M. B. Iksanov, Sh. Sh. Ibragimov, K.B. Saudabayev, Z.S. Omarova, I. Akhmetov and many other state, public figures, key scientists of the country, outstanding cultural figures and art.

- Are D.A.Konayev's books published today?

- Certainly, his books were published both in the Russian and in Kazakh languages. People read the books “About My Time” and “From Stalin to Gorbachev”. In 2012 the book of memoirs of D.A.Konayev is published which narrates about exclusively rich life which has captured the events of several historical eras. In the first part the author tells about the childhood and a family, years of study and the beginning of labour activity. The second part is devoted to the republic life in different years. The author remembers the political and statesmen with whom he happened to work - Khrushchev, Kosygin, Brezhnev, Gorbachev. In the third part the problems of today are covered.

--- Today is the XXI century, how do you think, can the lessons of life of D.A.Konayev be applicable today?

- In order that these lessons were applicable, it is necessary to know well the life and activity of D.A.Konayev, his creativity. This year is the year when the 100th anniversary since the birth of this outstanding person is celebrated. There is a law in the republic according to which the state actively participates in the organization of anniversaries of political and public figures, cultural figures, then, so far as the matter is about the century. Also the active work was carried out –the mass of interesting actions was carried out.

But it didn't stop after all. So, in 1994 at the initiative of president Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev, the decree about perpetuation of memory of D.A.Konayev was adopted.

The president made the report on celebrations. He told that D.A.Konayev worked when Kazakhstan wasn't the independent state and was one of the republics as a part of the USSR. It is natural that many issues should be resolved in Moscow: then the leader of the republic couldn't be so free in the decisions, as now. But Dinmukhamed Akhmedovich made much. He was a communist up to the end of his life and it is his choice which needs to be respected.

- There is such point of view that the heads of Brezhnev's time had no special value. In this regard there is a wish to ask such question: how Konayev is treated in Kazakhstan today?

- I’ve already told that the resolution on perpetuation of memory of D.A.Konayev was accepted 18 years ago. And the people met it with big enthusiasm. Today there are the streets called in honour of the long-term head of Kazakhstan almost in all big cities of the republic. In our capital Astana one of the beautiful prospectuses has his name. Many schools, public organization have this name too! In a year of century the monuments to D.A.Konayev appeared in Taldy-Kurgan, Taraz, Chimkent.

Our Fund has regional branches which carry out a lot of work that memory of this person never grew dim. The flowers to Dinmukhamed Akhmedovich's bust are assigned in his birthday in Almaty - it is already the tradition! Not only the heads, but also simple people come here. They go to a museum, take part in “Konayev readings”, bring the memoirs.
“D.A.Konayev's house -museum” is created by akimat of Almaty according to the resolution of the president of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.A.Nazarbayev in October, 2001. The presentation of a museum took place on January 12, 2002 in day of the 90th anniversary of D.A.Konayev. The house- museum settles down in one of the most picturesque and green corners of the city on crossing of M. Tulebayev Street and Bogenbay Batyr Street. The display area of a museum makes 210 sq.m. The exposition of a museum contains the materials in documents, photos, personal belongings, souvenirs and works of art.

We held an interesting action this year: “My name is Dinmukhamed!” Many people came, they told why received such name, said that revere D.A.Konayev's memory. Therefore, I can tell you that the matter is not in official actions – the experience of our communication with citizens of Kazakhstan says that the memory of Dinmukhamed Akhmedovich is live in the people. And it is very important!

- Dinmukhamed Akhmedovich didn't make a political testament, but, for certain, he spoke more than once about what has to be the politician and the manager?

- He didn't make that political testament, but, of course, more than once spoke this subject. After all he, first of all, was a practitioner. By the way, he allowed nobody of relatives to hold any party posts while he was the first secretary of the Republican Communist Party. In 1983 he addressed me for new work and first of all told: never confuse fussiness with efficiency and roughness with insistence!

And so he approached to all heads. His credo as the head was – never to offend the people and obligatory to achieve the result! And, of course, he wanted very much that there was a modern, objective head after him in the republic. Such heads and there was much of them he always put in the forefront.

- Nursultan Nazarbayev was nominated by him too?

- I remember how in December, 1979, Nursultan Nazarbayev, then the second secretary of the Karaganda regional committee of party, was elected as the secretary of the Central Committee of the industry. Dinmukhamed Akhmedovich always treated him very warmly. He had no children and gave his heat to other people. So he belonged to Nursultan Abishevich – he saw in him the person who will continue the business of all his life, helped him.

And to appoint N.A.Nazarbayev as the chairman of the board of ministers of the republic was his idea too. As we see, this choice of Dinmukhamed Akhmedovich was very true. And for me as D.A.Konayev's nephew, is very pleasant that our president didn't forget this person who has made a lot of for the development of Kazakhstan.