A Nation’s Tribute to Kindness, Unity, and the Enduring Spirit of Hospitality
Every year on 1st March, the vast and diverse nation of Kazakhstan pauses to observe one of the most profound and moving public holidays in the world, the National Day of Gratitude, known in Kazakh as Algys Aytu Küni. It is a day unlike most national celebrations. There are no battles commemorated, no independence proclaimed, and no monarch honoured. Instead, this remarkable holiday exists solely to give thanks, to recognise the extraordinary kindness that the Kazakh people showed to millions of displaced, deported, and desperate souls who arrived on the sweeping Central Asian steppes throughout the turbulent 20th century, and who found not hostility, but warmth, bread, and belonging.
It is a holiday about humanity. And in a world increasingly defined by division, it speaks with quiet but powerful resonance.
The Origins of the Holiday
The National Day of Gratitude is an official holiday in Kazakhstan observed on March 1. It was established in 2016 to celebrate the anniversary of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan.
The initiative to create the holiday belongs to the first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. The idea was announced at the XXII session of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan in April 2015. In his address to the Assembly, Nazarbayev spoke plainly and from the heart about what the holiday should represent: “It would be fair to mark the day of the formation of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan as the Day of Gratitude of all ethnic groups to each other and to the Kazakhs who showed mercy, accepted these people as relatives. This day can become a bright holiday of mercy, friendship, love of all Kazakhstanis for each other.”
On 14th January 2016, the head of state, Nursultan Nazarbayev, declared the Foundation Day of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan as the Day of Gratitude. The date of 1st March was chosen deliberately, it is the anniversary of the founding of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan in 1995, the institution at the very heart of the nation’s approach to interethnic harmony.
The Historical Context: A Century of Displacement
To understand the National Day of Gratitude, one must understand the extraordinary historical forces that shaped Kazakhstan’s population throughout the 20th century. It is a story woven from suffering, displacement, and, ultimately, remarkable resilience.
Deportations Under Stalin
From the 1930s to 1952, the Soviet government conducted forced mass deportations of various ethnic groups, affecting at least six million people. Among those deported were Koreans, Germans, Poles, Finns, Karachais, Kalmyks, Chechens, Ingush, Balkars, Crimean Tatars, and Meskhetian Turks.
Between 1928 and 1938, a sharp and significant decline in the Kazakh population was caused by collectivisation, Asharshylyq (famine), and Stalinist political repression. According to historical records, it is estimated that between 1920 and 1954, over 1.5 million people were deported to Kazakhstan from various regions of the Soviet Union.
The reasoning behind the mass deportations was coldly political. During the Second World War, the Soviet Government deported many ethnic groups, Poles, Koreans, Germans, Greeks, Crimean Tatars, to Kazakhstan because it feared they would collaborate with the Nazis. Entire communities were uprooted overnight, loaded onto cattle trains with barely the clothes on their backs, and dispatched to the remote Kazakh steppe, a land utterly unfamiliar to them, thousands of miles from home.
The Virgin Lands Campaign
The deportations were followed by yet another great wave of migration. In the 1950s, about a million Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians arrived in Kazakhstan during the Virgin Lands Campaign, Soviet leader Khrushchev’s grand agricultural project to turn the Kazakh steppes into productive farmland. Industrial workers, engineers, and builders poured in from across the Soviet Union. In essence, every fifth person in Kazakhstan was a special settler.
The Scale of It All
The entire 20th century in Kazakhstan was a complex process of formation of a multi-ethnic people. First, the resettlement of peasants during the Stolypin reforms sent 1 million 150 thousand people from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. In the 1930s, collectivisation added 250 thousand dispossessed. During the years of repressions, 11 special camps appeared on the territory of the republic. At the same time, industrialisation mobilised 1.2 million builders of industrial facilities from all over the country. In 1937–1944, more than 1.1 million representatives of deported peoples found a second home in Kazakhstan. And if we consider the evacuees, about 1.6 million people.
The Kazakh Response: Bread, Shelter, and Humanity
What makes the National Day of Gratitude so moving is not merely the scale of the displacement, it is what happened next. The Kazakh people, themselves enduring devastating hardship under Soviet collectivisation and famine, chose to open their homes and share what little they had with strangers thrust upon their land.
The essence of the Day of Gratitude lies in the kindness and mercy Kazakhs showed to people, welcoming them with warmth and compassion, despite their own challenging circumstances. There are numerous stories of how Kazakhs shared their last loaf of bread and lent a helping hand to people for whom Kazakhstan was a new country back then. Generations later, many Germans, Koreans, Poles, and Jews, among many deported ethnicities, call Kazakhstan home.
A Korean Family’s Story
Among the most deeply personal testimonies is that of Konstantin Kim, editor-in-chief of Koryo Ilbo, Kazakhstan’s national Korean-language newspaper. His grandparents were among those forcibly relocated, and their survival was made possible by the generosity of Kazakh families. “My grandmother, Shek Bon Chun, was deported to Ushtobe in the Zhetisu Region, the first settlement point for Koreans in Central Asia. She always told me how the Kazakhs, despite their own struggles, extended a helping hand, shared food and bread. Thanks to their acceptance, Koreans were able to survive, integrate and rebuild their lives.”
His grandmother’s story did not end in memory alone. When he arranged her visit back to Ushtobe in her final years, she walked through the village, reconnecting with the land and people who had once sheltered her. “Before leaving, she told me, ‘Now my lifelong dream has come true. I have thanked this land and the people who helped us survive the war.’”
A Chechen Community’s Gratitude
The Association of Chechens and Ingush of Kazakhstan traditionally initiates charitable activities on 23rd February, marking the anniversary of the forced deportation of Caucasus peoples, including the Vainakhs. As Gratitude Day approaches, the association with regional ethnocultural leaders, entrepreneurs, youth, and volunteers assists over 1,000 families nationwide.
Yusup Keligov, co-chairman of the Vainakh Association, speaks of what the Kazakh welcome meant to his people: “In this turbulent era, Kazakhstan stands out as a territory where a unique blend of cultures and traditions has formed, thanks to historical factors. Despite global conflicts and information wars, Kazakhstan remains a bastion of cultural diversity, having weathered countless trials and challenges.”
An Estonian Community Remembers
Toomas Tirs, Ambassador of Estonia, emphasised that Kazakhstan became a home for Estonian people who began migrating in the 20th century. “Pokrovka village in the Akmola Region was the first Estonian settlement, and last year it celebrated its 130th anniversary. During my visit, I spoke with local elders who recalled that time, emphasising the good and friendly relations among nations.” He added warmly: “In our language, we have the word ‘kodumaa’, which means a motherland, so Estonians who live in Kazakhstan can proudly say that this country has become their kodumaa.”
The Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan — The Institution Behind the Day
The National Day of Gratitude is inseparable from the institution it honours, the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan (APK), established on 1st March 1995.
Since its independence, Kazakhstan has paid special attention to national unity as the country is home to more than 130 nations. In this regard, the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan strengthens the interests of all ethnic groups and ensures the strict observance of the rights and freedoms of citizens irrespective of their origin.
Currently, 620 ethnocultural associations operate in the country. The list of the largest communities includes the Slavic, Ukrainian, Uyghur, Tatar-Bashkir, Azerbaijani, Uzbek, Korean, Kurdish, and Turkish communities.
In 2007, the APK achieved a remarkable constitutional milestone. The Assembly of the Peoples of Kazakhstan was renamed the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, this concept shows us one nation. In 2007, the assembly consolidated its constitutional status and now has nine seats in the Majilis, the lower house of the Kazakh Parliament.
This holiday is considered the Day of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan which unites all nations living on the territory of Kazakhstan under a single Shanyrak, the circular crown of a traditional Kazakh yurt, symbolising a shared home and sky above all people.
The Mangilik El — The Concept of the Eternal Nation
Central to the philosophy underpinning the National Day of Gratitude is the concept of Mangilik El, meaning Eternal Nation or Eternal Land, a national patriotic idea promoted by the Kazakh state as the foundation of its identity.
The Day of Gratitude is the day of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, uniting the entire nation and all nationalities of the country under a single Shanyrak, the main core of the national patriotic idea “Mangilik El”, the Kazakh identity aimed at the eternal unification of the people of Kazakhstan.
Mangilik El rests on several core values: national unity and interethnic harmony, secular governance and tolerance, economic growth and innovation, Kazakh cultural identity, and the rule of law. The Day of Gratitude serves as the annual living expression of these values, a moment to breathe life into principles that might otherwise remain abstract.
How the Day Is Celebrated
The National Day of Gratitude is marked across Kazakhstan with a rich array of cultural, charitable, and civic events that reflect the extraordinary diversity of the nation’s people.
Cultural Festivals and Performances
The Day of Gratitude is an important holiday for people of different ethnic groups living in Kazakhstan. All ethnic communities’ express gratitude to each other and the Kazakh people and celebrate their co-existence as one nation.
Across the country, ethnocultural associations organise festivals highlighting their traditional music, dance, food, and costume. The celebrations are a magnificent tapestry of cultural diversity, Korean drummers, German folk dancers, Tatar singers, Chechen performers, and Kazakh dombra players sharing the same stage in a joyful expression of shared belonging.
Charitable Acts and Community Service
The spirit of the day is expressed through charitable activities, with ethnocultural associations, youth groups, volunteers, and entrepreneurs assisting thousands of families across the country. On Gratitude Day, it is customary for organisations and individuals to reach out to the elderly, veterans, disabled citizens, and vulnerable families with gifts of food, companionship, and practical support, mirroring the act of generosity that the day commemorates.
Presidential Address and National Events
The President of Kazakhstan traditionally addresses the nation on this day. Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted the special meaning and deep symbolism of the holiday, adding that “its values embody the strong traditions of mutual assistance and the indestructible unity of our people.”
Educational Events in Schools and Universities
Students across Kazakhstan prepare presentations and videos, taking an active part in discussions about the history of the holiday. Students of other nationalities learn about the history of their ancestors through their family memories of Kazakh people’s support during the periods of voluntary emigration and forcible deportation. Today’s students are the descendants of these people who moved to Kazakh land many years ago, Uzbek, Uyghur, Tatar, Turkmen, and German nationalities all studying side by side.
Kazakhstan Today: A Nation of 130 Ethnicities
Kazakhstan has managed to unite representatives of over 130 ethnic groups and 18 confessions, representing more than 18 million people. Friendship, trust, solidarity and cohesion have become familiar to every Kazakhstani, historically recognised givens. Thanks to this, a unique model of social harmony and national unity was formed in the republic, which has been highly appreciated by the world community.
Kazakhstan’s multiculturalism is an asset, fostering unity rather than discord. Each ethnic group is able to preserve its unique identity, language, and customs, and this cultural exchange enriches the spiritual landscape of Kazakh society.
Vladimir Chepel, a local official in the Zhetysu region, captures the feeling that many Kazakhstanis hold about their shared history: “For me, this holiday is a day of endless gratitude to the Kazakh land and Kazakh people. Because we can say that the Kazakh people shared their last bread, regardless of nationality and religion. Other ethnic groups trapped by fate and finding shelter on Kazakh soil are extremely grateful to the Kazakh people. They found warmth and shelter.”
A Holiday With Evolving Meaning
While the Day of Gratitude is warmly embraced across Kazakhstan, there are also thoughtful voices calling for its deeper meaning to be truly lived, rather than simply commemorated. Ruslan Idrisov, a journalist in Kazakhstan, emphasised the deeper significance of the day, noting that its essence should extend beyond official commemorations. “At first, the Day of Gratitude sounded exactly like gratitude to the Kazakh people, but later I noticed that government officials began to talk about mutual gratitude. However, it seems to me that the concept of gratitude has been somewhat devalued in Kazakhstan,” he said, urging that appreciation should be reflected in daily actions rather than reserved for symbolic dates.
It is a healthy and important tension, the challenge faced by every nation that enshrines a value in law: how to keep it alive in the hearts of people, not just on the pages of a calendar.
Final Thoughts
Kazakhstan’s National Day of Gratitude stands apart from virtually every other national holiday in the world. It does not celebrate a military victory, a declaration of independence, or the birthday of a monarch. It celebrates something quieter, deeper, and rarer, the simple, extraordinary act of one people opening their arms to another in their hour of greatest need.
In a world where the stories of mass displacement and forced migration too often end in exclusion, suspicion, or tragedy, Kazakhstan’s history offers a different kind of story. A story of shared bread on a frozen steppe. Of a grandmother deported to Central Asia who, decades later, returned to thank the land that saved her life. Of a nation built not from one people, but from many, held together not by uniformity, but by a shared commitment to humanity.
This is a day aimed at uniting the people of Kazakhstan, paying tribute to the history of the country, and uniting all nations and peoples under one roof, a holiday when citizens express respect and gratitude to each other.
And in that simple, generous act of gratitude, freely given and sincerely felt, lies one of the most powerful lessons that any nation can offer the world.
“Kindness knows no boundaries — and neither does gratitude.”
Kazakhstan’s National Day of Gratitude, Algys Aytu Küni, is celebrated every year on 1st March.
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