THE UNIVERSITY HONOURED THE MEMORY OF BORDER SERVICE HEROES

Regional scientific-practical conference dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the exploit of a border guard, junior sergeant Rajan Batyrkanov and the 15th anniversary of the death of Colonel Ruslan Zakiev while guarding the state border was held in Amanzholov University. The organisers were representatives of the university and the Department of Border Guard Service of the East Kazakhstan National Security Committee.

-The main purpose of today’s meeting is to work with the younger generation, military-patriotic education of future defenders of the country on the example of our comrades-in-arms, – said Deputy Director of the Border Guard Service of the NSC of the RK Serik Rakhimov.

The military-patriotic event began with the exhibition, which presented personal belongings of the heroes: a hand compass, photos from the family archive, binoculars, a karakul cap and parade uniforms. Each visitor of the exhibition had an opportunity to get acquainted with the dead.

Let’s remind, more than 30 years ago on the Tajik-Afghan border while fulfilling military duty at the age of 19 years old Rajan Batyrkhanov, a native of East Kazakhstan, died. The young border guard at the cost of his own life held back the breakthrough of armed militants on 28 September 1994. Then more than two hundred armed militants tried to cross the state border near the town of Khorog in the Tajik Republic and go to Afghanistan. Kazakh and Russian border guards stood in their way. Rajan Batyrkhanov was the first to enter the fight. Taking fire on himself, he allowed the units to regroup and hit the mujahideen from the rear. In the battle Rajan was wounded and died. The Kazakh batyr fulfilled his combat task – all the hostages were saved.

The feat of Colonel Ruslan Zakiyev was no less significant and colourful. In September 2009, an MI-8 helicopter crashed near the Ugamsky Gorge of the Kazygurt Mountains. On that fateful day, the officer was leading a reconnaissance and search team flying over the Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan border. Ten servicemen led by Colonel Ruslan Zakiyev died in the performance of military duty.

The second part of the scientific-practical conference began with the demonstration of a commemorative film about the heroes and continued with a minute of silence.

In the plenary session, Askar Kantarbayev, a participant of the battle in the Viskhor Gorge, made an author’s report and shared his memories of that event. The speakers were also candidate of historical sciences, associate professor of S. Amanzholov University Raushan Nurbekova, history teacher of secondary school named after Rykova Maigul Kaisenova, commander of the battalion of the CIS Border Protection Mission in Tajikistan Nygmet Sadykov and deputy head of the Department of Border Guard Service of the National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan Serik Bershbaev.

At the end of the event, an award ceremony was held. Thus, for the organisation of the scientific-practical conference of the diploma of the deputy director of the Border Guard Service of the NSC RK were awarded the rector of EKU Mukhtar Tolegen and vice-rectors of the university. In turn, the first head of the alma mater presented the medal of Kabanbai Batyr to Serik Rakhimov, Deputy Director of the Border Guard Service of the NSC of the RK.