Monument Of Former Kazakh President Nazarbaev Removed From University

A monument of Kazakhstan’s former President Nursultan Nazarbaev has been removed from a site in front of the National Defense University in Astana. The Defense Ministry said on January 12 that the monument was removed because the institution is no longer named after Nazarbaev, adding that the sculpture is being temporarily kept in one of the ministry’s depots. The monument depicting Nazarbaev in a military uniform was unveiled in 2020 to mark his 80th birthday. Nazarbaev and his clan lost power after unprecedented anti-government protests that ended with deadly unrest across the country in January 2022. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.