It is known that on November 24, 2020, the Presidential Decree established the State Commission for the Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Victims of Political Repression. The Commission must fulfill its mission to restore historical justice, that is, to provide full legal and political rehabilitation to victims and survivors of repression. It is impossible to put an end to the study of the horrors of political repression. Because the consequences of the Bolshevik and Soviet regime from 1917 to 1953 were far-reaching.

It is known that on November 24, 2020, the Presidential Decree established the State Commission for the Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Victims of Political Repression. The Commission must fulfill its mission to restore historical justice, that is, to provide full legal and political rehabilitation to victims and survivors of repression. It is impossible to put an end to the study of the horrors of political repression. Because the consequences of the Bolshevik and Soviet regime from 1917 to 1953 were far-reaching. In his address on the occasion of the Day of Remembrance of Victims of Political Repression and the Holodomor in 2021, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said: "The Commission must restore historical justice for the people of Kazakhstan who suffered from the policies of the left-wing forces. This is not only the responsibility of the state, but also the duty of the entire society. "We will learn from history and do everything possible to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again." On December 23, 2020, the Prime Minister's resolution approved the Regulation on the Project Office of the State Commission on Full Compensation for Damage to Victims of Political Repression. The head of the project office was Sabyr Kasymov, President of the Kakharmandan Republican Public Foundation. The head of the project office is a scientist with extensive experience in this field, who participated in the work of three commissions on the rehabilitation of victims of political repression. He effectively applied the extensive experience and scientific results obtained in the work of these commissions in the work of the State Commission created in 2020. During 2020-2023, under the leadership of the chairmen of the State Commission for Full Compensation of Victims of Political Repression, Krymbek Kosherbayev and Erlan Karin, multi-level, large-scale work was carried out. By decision of the State Commission, a methodological subcommittee was created. To organize the work of regional commissions, the Methodology Subcommittee developed "Methodological Guidelines for Members of the State Commission, Subcommissions and Working Groups (General)", as well as a "Memo" (instruction) on the work of regional commissions for the comprehensive rehabilitation of victims of political repression in the cities of Astana, Almaty, Shymkent and the regions and "Methodological Guidelines for organizing the activities of regional commissions for the comprehensive rehabilitation of victims of political repression." The documents define the tasks of regional commissions, the specifics of organizing operational-search activities, the main methods and principles of the activities of regional commissions. The main purpose of creating regional commissions is to collect new data, identify the types and mechanisms of repression, search for places of repression in villages, establish the names of unclaimed victims and survivors, as well as identify and analyze other information related to this topic, and prepare recommendations for the full implementation of the Decree of the Head of State at the local level. In order to organize scientific research and explain this study methodology, the project office regularly held meetings with the heads of regional commissions - deputy akims of regions and cities of national significance, directors of regional archives, members of working groups of regional commissions, as well as seminars on individual categories of victims of repression. Regional commissions organized scientific and practical conferences and round tables with the participation of foreign and Kazakhstani scientists and specialists. The head of the project office S. Kasymov demanded that scientists and experts of the State and regional commissions, when delivering oral reports at conferences, seminars and meetings, be guided by the tasks set by the Head of State - the restoration of historical justice in relation to innocent victims of mass political repressions, or more precisely, the full rehabilitation of victims and casualties. For a comprehensive study of the main categories of victims and survivors of repressions, the State Commission created subcommissions for declassification, 10 research working groups, as well as regional commissions in the regions and cities of republican significance and working groups on thematic areas under them. The State Commission included 10 research groups, which were later reduced to 3 research groups. After the creation of the State Commission, many researchers gained access to archival data related to political repressions, and the new data became the basis for many research topics, many scientific papers were published. These works make a significant contribution to the fight against the remnants of Soviet consciousness. The totalitarian regime of the Soviet type left an indelible mark on the consciousness of two generations. The most important value and capital of the state are its people. The future of a society that is unable to respect its people is bleak. The loss of a person is a great tragedy. The Soviet government neglected universal human values ​​and trampled on the natural rights of people to life. There are probably few people in society whose grandparents were not persecuted. Few are the settlements and families that survived the political repressions of the 1920s-1950s. Our famous domestic scientists have published and continue to publish fundamental scientific works on the topic of repression, making a significant contribution to the consolidation of national identity. The new generation of young people is also increasingly writing on the topic of oppression. However, the scale of the repressions carried out by the Soviet authorities is so enormous that there is no end in sight to their study. Perhaps, a thorough study of this issue will take at least 30 years... The most important issue today is the full justification of the innocent victims of 1917-1950. "We can pave the way to a better future only by remembering each of those who were innocently punished," the president said. In order to remember each of them, we must first justify all innocent victims. To this end, as part of the information support for the activities of the State Commission, information and explanatory work was carried out in all regions of the country using regional television channels, regional, city and district newspapers, news portals, and social networks. The 20-volume collection "People's Memory" includes not only archival materials, but also interviews and surveys of living victims and survivors (their descendants). It should also be noted that the study was prepared by the Project Office and methodological consultations were provided.

It is known that the Soviet government introduced such concepts as "enemy of the people", "socially dangerous element", "counter-revolutionary", "bourgeois nationalist" and other concepts that are alien to our hearts. A "Glossary" has been developed, which examines the "terms" that entered historical circulation during the Red Empire from a modern point of view. Legal scholars working within the framework of the state commission have developed new conceptual scientific discoveries and conclusions proving that the study of the processes of repression and justification cannot be limited to formalized victims. In particular, it has been proven that representatives of the Kazakh nation were persecuted twice in a row, both as citizens and as defenders of the rights and interests of the Kazakh people. This fundamental issue was completely ignored in previous scientific studies and regulatory legal acts. A scientific and legal analysis of the main state acts adopted by party and Soviet bodies during the USSR period, as well as the main acts (adopted by punitive bodies) that served as the basis for mass political repressions of Kazakhstanis was conducted. The activities of government bodies and punitive bodies were analyzed in the light of the Soviet Constitution and laws with the aim of fully rehabilitating innocent victims. As part of the work of the State Commission, a new concept of full compensation for damage to victims of repression in Kazakhstan, a research methodology, and the specifics of repression in the country were defined; The main (basic) categories of victims and those affected by political repression were established, and a special methodology, fundamental scientific and theoretical principles, and criteria for substantiating each basic category were developed. The commissions worked on declassifying documents in state and special archives. As of today, as the press reports, more than 240 scientists and experts of our country have been involved in the work of the State Commission, 150 of whom have received access to classified documents, more than 2 million 600 thousand archival documents have been declassified, more than 311 thousand victims and victims have been justified within the framework of the current legislation on the justification of victims of mass political repressions. All work carried out by the State Commission complies with international standards, legal norms and values. Under the leadership of the well-known lawyer I. Borchashvili, the working group developed the draft laws "On the full rehabilitation of victims and survivors of political repression", which includes the main categories of victims and survivors of political repression in villages and towns that were not included in the previous law, and "On the status and political rehabilitation of persons who fought for the political independence of Kazakhstan", politically justifying our heroes who died for the cause of national liberation, independence and territorial integrity of Kazakhstan, and people who defended their religion, and "On forced refugees who left Kazakhstan in the 1920-1930s", which our compatriots living abroad have been waiting for and are waiting for so long. The ideas of individuals who fought for freedom, the ideas of scientists, their social and political activities, organizations, newspapers and magazines are waiting for political justification. There are quite a few issues around the topic of persecution that have not been given a political assessment. If the first draft law is adopted, more than 10 main (basic) categories of victims and victims of repression that are not justified in legal terms will be fully justified. The second draft law arose from the need for political justification of certain categories of victims of repression. Therefore, it is necessary to politically justify scientists and creative people who became innocent victims of their scientific ideas, clergymen, people who fought for freedom, independence and territorial integrity of Kazakhstan. The third draft law concerns persons and their descendants who were forcibly displaced, scattered and live abroad. Refugees are people who are forced to leave their home country and move to another country, unable to resist or tolerate the pressure of certain forces in society (political, economic, ethnic oppression, war, natural disasters). Refugee status is granted in accordance with international and national legislation. It is impossible to fully describe the work of the State Commission over the past 3 years in a short article. All people with a high sense of nationalism took part in this sacred cause initiated by the President. Although they were not part of the commission or working groups, there were citizens who contacted the Project Office on their own and were happy to send new information. Among the researchers, there were those who examined the archive documents “with their own eyes.” For example, it is known that Soviet politicians, driven by the idea of ​​a “deadly fight against hunger,” took up any weapon available to them and called those who fought the tyrannical regime such negative names as “bandits” and “robbers.” There were also those who used these names in a humorous manner. Misconceptions were also corrected during the seminars held. However, the researchers who found new data honed their professional skills and were armed with fresh views. Each was looking in his own direction. Thanks to the painstaking research work carried out tirelessly, under the guidance of the Project Office, the multi-volume “Collection of Materials of the State Commission” was published. The first two collections were published in 2021, and in 2022, 29 collections containing 14,107 documents were published. 121 people took part in the development of the collection, including 28 republican working groups, 67 regional commissions, 16 members of the Project Office, 11 employees of the Institute of History and Ethnology named after Sh. Ualikhanov. Among the 31 collections, the collection of archival documents and materials "Fighters for Freedom, Independence and Territorial Integrity of Kazakhstan" is published for the first time. This is very good news for a society that is aware of its history. The number of people looking for their ancestors has increased. In 2023, 19 volumes were published based on new data. This news will undoubtedly be welcomed by ordinary people. Because there are many people in our society who are looking for their grandfathers... For this reason, the work on compiling the 20-volume collection "People's Memory" under the supervision of the Project Office was intensively carried out and developed in all corners of the country. The Project Office developed a plan for a collective monograph, and its sections were written by the project executors in accordance with the studied category of victims of political repression. Our filial duty to our ancestors who suffered and were innocently persecuted is to fully justify those who were not justified and restore their names. Historical justice must be fully restored to prevent the tragedy from happening again in the future. Everyone must be shown at their own height. The Soviet regime was doomed, and a mass vindication of the innocent victims of a state that has gone down in history would heal the wounds in the hearts of their generation. It would lift the spirits of the people and strengthen our unity and solidarity. This is one aspect of the problem. And there are still many questions around the topic of repression that have not been fully explored. For example, villages are numbered and undergo changes, some villages are destroyed; religious popular uprisings, individuals from all over the country who supported the Alash intellectuals; Goloshchekin's tragedy "Little Kazan", in which the people were mercilessly exterminated; children who died in orphanages during the famine; fundamental themes such as families (women, children) subjected to political repression. In addition, it is urgent to conduct an inventory and install memorials in the villages and districts where people shot during the years of famine and political repression are buried. On May 31 last year, on the occasion of the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repression and Famine, the Head of State wrote on Twitter: "Today we remember the victims of political repression and famine. This massacre of totalitarianism brought great suffering to our people. "It is very important to continue to deeply study the tragic periods of our history and protect the innocent victims of mass murder," he wrote. Continuing the Aktau case is a very important task in raising national consciousness. Kuralay SARSEMBINA, Candidate of Historical Sciences, employee of the Institute of State History