PERCEPTIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT THE GREAT FAMINE OF THE 1930s IN KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

Since 2012 on May 31, Kazakhstan commemorates the victims of the famine of the 1930s. Though there is a growing body of research on the famine of the 1930s in Kazakhstan both locally and internationally, there is lack of research on the public awareness of the famine and how it is perceived by the general, non-academic audiences. This study is designed to contribute towards filling in this gap with a focus on a specific group of the society: young people. Their perceptions are investigated with the help of the opinion poll which can be considered as the first one on the topic of the famine conducted among young people (aged 18 - 29). The study argues that there is limited public discussion of the famine and seeks to understand the relationship between the political discourse of the famine, alternative narratives of the past and the perceptions young people have about the famine