Victory Day in Astana

Haileybury Astana was proud to play a role in Victory Day, a very important part of Kazakhstan’s post-Soviet culture and held as a national holiday.  The School was host to two veterans of World War Two, both Heroes of the Soviet Union and friends for over 60 years, who had seen action in the Defence of Moscow and Battle of Stalingrad whilst still teenagers.

It was a pleasure to watch as these gentlemen discussed their experiences with members of Year Six, with gentleness and humour together with real emotion and honesty.  Later, staff and pupils, together with our guests, laid flowers at the Astana War Memorial, and were all honoured by a traditional Kazakh blessing which members of the crowd joined us in.

Nationalities, cultures and traditions blurred together in the midst of the memory of events which both shaped and changed the world; the inspiration, courage and humility shown by our visitors is an example to us all, wherever we come from.