K.U.'s Grandfather Survived "Golodomor" Hunger

I would like to write a life – story about my grandfather. He was 44 when he died, I think his life was intensive and it would be enough for two or even more people, but let’s start from the beginning.

My grandfather’s name is Kazhigali, he was born in 1919, in the village Sholay near Kokchetav. He lived in a very difficult time, it was a time of hunger “golodomor”. His parents died when he was only 7 years old and he began to live with his sister. But after a couple of years his sister hadn’t enough money and food for feeding him and boy went to the orphan house.

Kazhigali began to work very early, when he was 13 he worked in printing office, later he worked in Kokchetav district – committee of Komsomol. In 1939 he graduated a Pedagogical college of Kokchetav. In the same year he applied to the military – artillery college in Leningrad and Zenith Military College in Sevostopol, and chose the last one, after two years of study, he graduated in 1941. After graduation, he worked in Moscow like a military – guard during four months and then he started to work in c. Kushka, the Republic of Turkmenistan.

As you know in that period of time began a war and my grandfather was enlisted in Zenith – Military army of the South front as a lieutenant. He was at war from the first days till to the end. I really don’t know about his experience of the war, of course I read his diary, but he never wrote about the horror of that war. I can only summarize results of the war for himself. Kazhigali was wounded four times, he received a lot orders and medals, among them: two orders of patriotic war 1, 2 degree; two orders of red star; medals for liberation Vena, Praga, Budapest and others and of course he had a new rank – Captain.

Kazhigali came back home in 1946. Starting from 1947 he worked in Committee of the State Security in Kokchetav. In this period of his life he met my grandmother – Damela. She was very young girl, she only just graduated from university and worked in the school as a teacher of the history. They married in 1949 and had three children, but that was later.

After their wedding, Kazhigali had an opportunity to study in the Moscow School of Committee ofthe State Security, of course he used this chance and during the next 5 years he was in the school. In 1955 he graduated school and had a lieutenant colonel rank. After his graduation from 1955 till 1960 he worked in the Ministry of the State Security like a chief of two departments. But starting from 1960 he was ill because of his war’s wounds and after 4 years he died.

My grandfather died many years before I was born, and it’s very pity that I haven’t even seen him.I know about him only from my grandmother’s words she says he was very kind, clever and brave man and I believe her.