Maksutova Künzila Kabıqyzy was born on June 4, 1964, in the village of Abai, formerly part of the Chapay district of the Ural region (now part of the Terakty district of West Kazakhstan). She completed her eight-year education in Abai village in 1979 and graduated from Kalinin School in Akzhaik District in 1981. In the same year, she could not enter higher education and worked while studying at a vocational school. In 1985, she moved to Almaty to study at the Automatic Electric Communication Technical School.
In 1986, during her second year of study, a significant historical event occurred. Following the retirement of D. Kunaev and the replacement of the leadership with another representative of a different ethnicity, many students protested and participated in a peaceful demonstration in the Brezhnev Square (now known as Republic Square) in Almaty. Künzila, along with other students, joined the protest, which was filled with energy and hope, as they believed their voices would be heard by the authorities. Unfortunately, the peaceful demonstration turned into a violent clash when military forces surrounded the protesters.
The protesters, including Künzila and her peers, were beaten and arrested. She vividly remembers the brutal violence, especially against the girls who were mercilessly struck by the soldiers. Künzila herself was beaten, placed into a military vehicle, and taken to the police station, where she was interrogated throughout the night. She describes the harsh conditions and torture, with the interrogators repeatedly beating them. After enduring the physical abuse, Künzila was released at around 11 pm along with another girl. She was fined 40 rubles and barely made it back to the dormitory.
The following day, when she went to the technical school, she faced harsh disciplinary actions, including being summoned to the party meeting, expelled from the Komsomol, and given a severe reprimand. However, she was relieved that she wasn't expelled from her studies. Künzila graduated in 1988 and began working at the District Communications Department in Akzhaik, where she worked for 23 years in the same field.
In 2012, Künzila moved to Uralsk, where she started her own business, and she continues to work in this field today. In 2021, she was officially rehabilitated and received a document recognizing her participation in the December 1986 events. She later met with other December 1986 veterans and, in February 2022, the Western December Society was legally registered, with Künzila becoming its chairwoman. She is actively working with fellow December veterans to honor and share the legacy of the December 1986 events.
Künzila Kabıqyzy’s life has been marked by her bravery during a pivotal moment in Kazakhstan's history and her continuous dedication to preserving the memory of those who stood up for justice
