MONUMENTS TO THE DEFENDERS OF THE MOTHERLAND

A stone's throw from the canal leading to the Ichim, this monument is dedicated to the victims of the Great Patriotic War - the name given to the Second World War in the former USSR - whose end is celebrated one day later than in the West, on May 9, 1945, corresponding to the time difference between Berlin and Moscow when the capitulation of the ^Third Reich was signed, in this case on May 8 for Western Europe. The ensemble consists of an eternal flame facing a statue of a woman, as in all the Central Asian republics, symbolizing the mother or wife mourning her son or husband. Frescoes evoke the great hours of Kazakhstan's history, with the Silk Road and the Timurid armies, and finally the Soviet period corresponding to the victory over fascism. Ceremonies are held on victory anniversaries, not to be confused with those on May 7, the date chosen by the Kazakh President to honor the defenders of the homeland. These were previously celebrated on February 23, a date set by Moscow for the whole of the former USSR, from which Kazakhstan wished to emancipate itself by choosing its own date. Fireworks and concerts are held in the city, and over time May 7 has become just as celebrated as May 9. Since 2018, however, there have been no military parades in Astana on either date, officially due to budget restrictions. Strange, when you look at Astana's expensive buildings..