Historia bez kitu i M2WŚ| Ziemia atomu, deportacji i eksperymentów rolniczych - Kazachstan 1941-1964

After the outbreak of World War II, Kazakhstan became one of the main destinations for the deportation of entire nations deemed "politically unreliable" by the Stalinist authorities – Poles, Volga Germans, Koreans, Chechens, Ingush, and representatives of many other ethnic groups were deported there. During the war, some industry and cultural institutions from the European part of the USSR were also evacuated to Kazakhstan, including the famous Mosfilm film studio. In 1941–1942, Anders' Army was formed there before being evacuated by Iran to the Middle East. After the war, the republic became one of the key strategic areas of the USSR – in 1949, the first Soviet nuclear test was conducted at the Semipalatinsk test site, and in the mid-1950s, construction began on the Baikonur Cosmodrome, from which the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin, was launched in 1961. Nikita Khrushchev's rule brought partial de-Stalinization and rehabilitation of many deportees, but a significant number of Poles, Germans, and members of other nationalities remained in Kazakhstan, having no place to return to after a dozen or so years. At the same time, Khrushchev launched an ambitious program to develop "virgin lands," which initially increased grain production but, in the long run, led to serious soil erosion and ecological problems. We invite you to listen to and watch an interview with Dr. Dmitry Panto, a member of the Research Department of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk! This episode was produced in collaboration with M2WŚ and the @historiabezkitu1568 channel.