On February 12, 2015, S. Toraighyrov PSU held a National Conference on Yermukhan Bekmakhanov's Contribution to the Development of the National Historical Science which was timed to coincide with the great scholar's 100th birthday.

The event began with laying flowers to the monument to Ye.B. Bekmakhanov.

Arman Akishev, Vice-Rector for Development Strategy, Educational and Social Affairs of S. Toraighyrov PSU, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor, said in his opening speech that it is deeply symbolic that the 100th birthday of the person who is rightfully considered one of the founders of the country's historical science is celebrated in the same year as the 550th anniversary of the Kazakh Khanate. “Yermukhan Bekmakhanov was the first researcher who attempted to systematically describe the history of Kazakh people starting from ancient times,” said Arman Akishev.

Aryn Orsariyev, Deputy Akim of the region, noted in his speech that the life of this great scholar was short but his contribution to the historical science was enormous. “The historical science in Kazakhstan as we now it today is inseparably connected with Bekmakhanov’s name, so all historians of our country may consider this day their professional holiday,” he said.

There is a Scientific and Practical Center of History and Ethnography named after Ye. Bekmakhanov in S. Toraighyrov PSU. Over the last 15 years, members of this Center have been carrying out a large-scale research on the history, culture and ethnography of our region and systematization of Bekmakhanov's legacy. The University has already published a 7-volume collection of Bekmakhanov's works. Then there was a presentation of the book entitled “Ermukhan and the Historical Truth” (kaz. Ермұхан және тарихи шындық) which is a logical continuation of the previous work carried out by the Center.

Nadiya Bekmakhanova, Ye.B. Bekmakhanov's daughter and Chief Researcher at the Research Institute of Microbiology and Virology of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, expressed her gratitude to all members of the Center for the great job they have done. “It's amazing. You have published more than two hundred books. Your work is a tribute not only to my father but all famous scholars of the region. Pavlodar is the land of outstanding people who cherish their historical heritage and share it with the younger generation.”

As a part of the conference program, there was an award ceremony for students who took part in the Competition for the Best Research Project in History Dedicated to Ye. Bekmakhanov's 100th Birthday. Rasul Kilash won the main prize.

Photo by Rufina Torpischeva