The second “Memory expedition” in Kazakhstan, staged by the National Association of Young Historians, is over. The historians said they returned home with very nice impressions about the Moldovans who settled there. These will be the characters of two books and a documentary.
In a news conference at IPN, project coordinator, Doctor of History Octavian Tacu said the second expedition, as the first, was interesting and full of surprises. This time, the expedition was more diverse from geographical viewpoint. Initially, the young people went to Almay region, where there is a community of Moldovans and Romanians. Afterward they travelled to Karaganda town. The historians visited the Cultural Center “Struguras” that is managed by a Moldovan woman from Ungheni. They also went to a glass factory in Almaty, which was built in 1998 by Moldovans and which is now run also by Moldovans.
“It was something unusual because this trip to Almaty was like a trip to somewhere in Chisinau. Even the driver who transported us by his car was from Volcinet, Calarasi. He keep that Romanian nucleus and spoke the same dialect, even if he went to Kazakhstan over 30 years ago,” noted Octavian Tacu. He also said that in general, the community of Moldovans is not very visible in Kazakhstan and by this trip they revitalized somehow the community. They also managed to attar the local authorities’ attention to this community.
The historians also met with students of a university from Karaganda, where they discussed the education system from there and of Moldova. The young people will also make a documentary study about the Romanian war prisoners. There will also be published a book about the Moldovan community from Kazakhstan.
Student Alexandru Ghetan said that this trip allowed him to discover the true face of Kazahstan, not only aspects studied at the geography classes. “The real hospitality of Moldovans and Romanians is seen namely abroad se vede anume în străinătate. Aceşti oameni care trăiesc printre străini, atunci când văd un om care vorbeşte în aceeaşi limbă, încep să plângă. Sunt nişte sentimente pe care nu le poţi ascunde şi pe care nu le poţi întâlni la tine acasă”, a spus Alexandru Gheţan.
Directorul OWH TV Studio, Virgiliu Mărgineanu, a spus că urmează să fie dusă la bun sfârşit montarea documentarului despre moldovenii deportaţi în Kazahstan în anii '40. Secvenţele filmate în timpul primei expediţii vor fi completate cu cele din acest an. Cel mai probabil, filmul va fi prezentat în primăvară. Virgiliu Mărgineanu a menţionat că a rămas foarte impresionat în urma acestei deplasări şi aceasta pentru că fiecare moldovean întâlnit acolo poate deveni eroul filmului şi fiecare are povestea sa.
Prima expediţie a avut loc în noiembrie, 2013, iar a doua în perioada 12-23 noiembrie anul curent. Potrivit membrilor ANTIM, în prezent în Kazahstan sunt peste 14 mii de moldoveni.