March 1 is the Day of Gratitude, a nationwide celebration in Kazakhstan.
This day, coinciding with the founding of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan and the beginning of spring, is when representatives of various ethnic groups express their gratitude to the hospitable and generous Kazakh people who welcomed them in difficult times. Having been deported to unfamiliar lands, many people found shelter in Kazakh families, received food, and were treated with warmth. This boundless generosity allowed Kazakhstan to become home to many ethnic groups who put down roots here.
On the eve of this special day, we spoke with Liza Arnoldovna Gotman, a specialist at the Center for Advanced Training and Retraining of Personnel at Shakarim University.
— "My parents were deported to Kazakhstan in 1941 simply because they were German. They grew up embraced by the Kazakh people, learning their culture and traditions. Since I was born in the Abay region, it was impossible for me not to speak Kazakh," Liza Gotman began her story.
Her mother, Lidiya Shrainer, was deported from the Georgian SSR at the age of nine, and her father, Arnold Ernstovich, came from Luxembourg. Both were raised in Kazakh orphanages and later found themselves in Abay land. Learning the Kazakh language, they eventually married and fully integrated into Kazakh society.
Liza’s brother Karl was placed in a different orphanage, and they lost contact. Decades later, in 1998, Karl’s wife and children managed to find Liza. Unfortunately, by that time, Karl had already passed away.
In 1992, Liza graduated high school with honors and entered the economics faculty of the Semipalatinsk Institute of Meat and Dairy Industry, choosing the Kazakh department. Her teachers were often surprised to see a blonde girl in a Kazakh-speaking group. Due to the lack of textbooks in Kazakh, she spent nights translating materials from Russian. Yet, her diligence, perseverance, and active participation in public life helped her succeed.
After graduation, she started working at her university as a lecturer in economics. Over the years, she has held various academic and administrative positions, receiving numerous awards for her contributions to education.
— "Many ask me how I learned Kazakh. I always say: ‘How can one forget a language absorbed with mother’s milk?’ Having grown up in a Kazakh village and studied in a Kazakh school, I consider Kazakh my native language," she says.
Liza is married to a Kazakh man, and in their household, they speak only Kazakh and follow Kazakh traditions.
— "The Day of Gratitude is a time for all ethnic groups in Kazakhstan to express their deep appreciation to the Kazakh people. On behalf of my parents and myself, I thank the Kazakh people for their kindness and hospitality," says Liza Gotman.
