Abstract:

On November 24, 2020, the State Commission for the Full Rehabilitation of Victims of Political Repressions of Kazakhstan was created by the decree of the president of Kazakhstan K.Zh.Tokayev. The Commission focuses on rehabilitation of the victims of political repression in the period of 20-50s of the XX century of Soviet Kazakhstan. Employing Aleida Assmann’s (2016) theory of how historical traumas shape collective identities and the role of commemorative practices in collective memory, both official commemoration and lived experiences passed down from generation to generation, this paper analyzes the role of the State Commission and its influence in the formation of the collective and national identity of contemporary Kazakhstan. Drawing on expert interviews held with the members of the Commission and publicly available materials on their meetings, the author argues that the work of the Commission does not serve collective healing of the victims and recovery of cultural memory of the blind spots of the tragic past through collective memory. Instead, it serves as a political memory by State institutions to shape national identity. Through an interdisciplinary approach integrating political science with insights from history and international relations, this article aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the multifaceted ways in which tragic past and political rhetoric intersect to shape national narratives and their influence in collective healing.