The challenge "My Story of Victory", dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, has been launched in Almaty. Schoolchildren, youth and residents of Almaty actively participate in the online campaign, who post photos of their relatives who participated in the war or family archive photos of the war years on social networks, accompanying them with short stories or memories.
Almost every Almaty family cherishes the memory of their grandfathers or grandmothers, whether they are black-and-white photographs, yellowed letters, or personal items. And the memory of the exploits of our ancestors, of the hundreds of thousands of Kazakhstanis who showed loyalty to the Motherland and self-sacrifice for the sake of our peaceful sky, will be eternal!
For example, Irina Amirova, a resident of Almaty, shared the story of her great-grandfathers.
"Both great-grandfathers fought in our family. One is an infantryman, the other is a sapper. They had never met, but their paths crossed in one thing — in the belief in Victory. The first one returned home without a leg, but with the love of life. The second one went missing in 1943 near Smolensk. His name is stamped on the obelisk, and every May we bring flowers there. These two destinies are like two sides of a war: the pain of loss and the strength to stand up. My family keeps their memory alive so that no one forgets the price we paid for this world. This is my story of Victory."
Another social network user, Aizhan Maratova, told the story of her grandfather's brother.
"My grandfather's brother was one of those who stood to the death for Leningrad. He rarely talked about the war — he was silent more, and it was clear that he had left a lot inside himself. On Victory Day, he was always restrained, but one day, when the whole family came to the monument to the fallen, I saw his lips tremble and tears sparkled in his eyes. He quietly said that the real victory was not only in the liberation of cities, not only in the fact that fascism had been defeated. The victory lies in the fact that the people stood up, survived all this terrible time ... and did not become embittered, did not lose a person in themselves. These words of his are etched in my memory forever."
In social networks, Almaty residents actively share the stories of their grandfathers and grandmothers. It was here that the famous rifle divisions were formed, bravely defending their Homeland.
In the early days of the war, training grounds for shooting and the art of modern combat appeared in the vicinity of Almaty. In 1941, the Almaty Rifle and Machine Gun School alone trained 2,429 young officers for the army.
From among the conscripts and volunteers, the famous 316th Infantry Division was formed under the command of Major General Ivan Panfilov, who performed feats shoulder to shoulder in key battles of the war.
On August 13, 1942, the 100th Rifle Brigade left Almaty for the front. It became one of the first national formations.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/almaty-almaly/press/news/details/975126?lang=kk