Nursultan Nazarbayev took oath of office 26 years ago

ASTANA. KAZINFORM On December 10, 1991, the Supreme Council of the Kazakh SSR adopted the Law "On renaming the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic into the Republic of Kazakhstan". It was on this day that the ceremony of inauguration of the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, which received 98.8% of votes in the Presidential elections, Kazinform correspondent reports.  

The solemn event was held in the Palace of the Republic in then-capital city of Almaty. The President was Presented a chapan and famous Kazakh poet Shakir Abenov gave Nursultan Nazarbayev a bata (blessing).

The oath ceremony was followed by a gun salute and animal sacrifice.

In his book, Tañğalamın ömirdiñ ğajabına writer Bolat Bodaubay cited a well-known public figure and scientist Myrzatay Zholdasbekov who was involved in the organization of the event.

"The inauguration ceremony was nearing its end. Everything went as was expected. However, there were some funny moments and I still get goosebumps remembering one of them. It was when the National Flag on the scene suddenly began to fall. However, the Head of State managed to immediately catch it with one hand. I still wonder how the Head of State noticed it as the flag was behind him. It seems to me that this case has a symbolic meaning. The head of state is indeed the person who raised the flag of our state, which nearly fell. Honestly, after the event, he never aired any discontent over this matter, although he could. We later found out that when the curtains were being closed on the stage the air from the rapid movement shook the national flag stand," Myrzatay Zholdasbekov said.