Ethnic Germans in Kazakhstan face legacy of the Soviet Union

Yunna Kinereish, 22, is a Kazakh German studying public relations in Astana, the modern capital of Kazakhstan. She identifies as both German and Kazakh due to her family traditions and the culture she shares with her family. Kinereish is part of the Wiedergeburt (Revival) Association of Germans in Kazakhstan, which has approximately 223,000 members living in Central Asian Kazakhstan today.

Her family traces its roots back to the 18th century when Germans were encouraged to settle in Russia, including Ukraine's Black Sea region. However, during World War II, Soviet dictator Josef Stalin began deporting hundreds of thousands of Germans living in Russia and Ukraine to Siberia and Kazakhstan in 1941, following Hitler's invasion.

These innocent people were accused of being spies and collaborators by the Soviet regime. Over a million deportees died as a result of the harsh conditions, including hunger, forced labor, and extreme weather. Kinereish recently performed in a play at the association's youth theater depicting the fate of her Russian German ancestors.

The modern House of Friendship in Astana serves as the cultural center for German heritage in the city, offering language courses, social work, and fostering a culture of remembrance. The museum, which is part of the House of Friendship, showcases the personal items of female prisoners from the ALZhIR camp, including a photo of Gertrud Platais, a German woman who spent years in the camp for her husband's political convictions.

Despite the museum's historical significance, it receives few visitors, and many young Kazakhs are unaware of its existence.