Nursultan Nazarbayev Research Articles

Authoritarian succession, rules, and conflicts: Tokayev’s gambit and Kazakhstan’s bloody January of 2022 (Qandy Qantar)

ABSTRACT The authoritarian succession literature indicates that non-democratic regimes install rules and institutions that supposedly ensure a smooth transition from ruler to a chosen successor. However, this scholarship cannot explain why some authoritarian successions happen as planned while others end in surprising violence. This article unpacks the puzzle of the transition of power from Nursultan Nazarbayev (1991–2019) to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (2019–present) in autocratic Kazakhstan. Based on in-depth interviews with more than 15 informants and the analysis of media and secondary sources, we explore why and how the planned succession in Kazakhstan resulted in the bloodshed known as the 2022 Bloody January (Qandy Qantar). We demonstrate that two factors derailed the succession plan: the configuration of authoritarian rules and the presence of political ambitions of Tokayev. Our main argument is that the Nazarbayev succession plan led to elite disunity, escalating the political conflict into the violent 2022 Bloody January.

The revival of traditional culture as an element of the national security policy of the Central Asian countries in the 1991-2010's.

The subject of the study is the formation of one of the ideological components of national security policy in the countries of the Central Asian region (CAR) - the concept of preserving historical, cultural and religious traditions as the basis of social stability and security. The authors focus on the process of incorporating this concept into the theory and practice of ensuring the national security of the CAR countries at different historical stages of their development after 1991. The objects of the research are scientific theories and legal acts reflecting the relationship between culture and security in the Central Asian states, official statements and writings of the first President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, and other political leaders of Central Asia. The article touches upon the problems of countering radical religious movements and other ideological influences from outside by the CAR states, and shows the controversial nature of the measures taken in this area by the authorities of Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. Methodologically, the research is based on a civilizational approach to understanding the historical process, as well as on the idea of the influence of geopolitical trends on the internal life of countries and peoples of the modern world, including the Central Asian region. The work is based on the principles of historicism and consistency, using chronological, synchronous, dichronous, comparative and other methods of historical research. The novelty of the study lies in the generalization of data revealing the role of traditional values in the security systems of the CAR countries. The results of the work include a set of facts and theoretical provisions on the evolution of the security ideology of the CAR countries and can be used in scientific projects in the field of universal history and political science. The authors conclude that the revival of traditional culture and the local version of Islam (Hanafism) in the 1991-2010's were consistently considered by the leaders of the CAR countries as one of the most important factors in strengthening the state, its independence and international authority. This line was carried out most fully and consistently in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which was reflected in the development programs, legislation, scientific and journalistic literature of these countries. There is a tendency in Kazakhstan to integrate cultural policy based on traditional civilizational values with national security policy.

Narrating the state in miniature: philatelic representations of Kazakhstan, 1992–2021

ABSTRACT Postage stamps, despite being somewhat cloaked over time by both obscurity and sheer ubiquity, are important official, primary source state documents. The iconography and visual data on the stamp have been used by states to project an official narrative, at times crossing into propaganda. Scholars have analysed these data to access how a given state has sought to portray itself to both domestic and international audiences. Over the course of its first 30 years of post-Soviet independence, Kazakhstan has produced 1130 visually distinct postage stamps. Visual content analysis reveals that much (nearly 45%) of this state’s philatelic representation can be assigned to two thematic categories: Nature and Notable People. Iconographic representations found on Kazakhstan’s first stamp issue (and others featuring the Golden Man), selected representations of flora and fauna species, a selection of stamps displaying Nursultan Nazarbayev imagery, and other selected stamps displaying multiple themes are scrutinized. These representations additionally project a concretization of the state and its territory, as well as sovereignty. While the messaging medium is miniature, for Kazakhstan the narrative itself is monumental.

Management of urbanization processes in the context of regional development of Kazakhstan

Object: The intention of carrying out this study is to learn how the Kazakhstan system of administration takes control of its development process.Methods: In the course of writing the article, various methods were used, which include interviews with experts, politicians and government officials; general scientific research methods; as well as a comparative method that allowed us to see the features of the development of urbanization in Kazakhstan.Findings: Several findings were observed from the study that was conducted. First, Kazakhstan emphasized development in terms of urbanization and the growth of the major cities. While at the jubilee meeting of the international scholarship “Bolashak” in Astana, a city in Kazakhstan, the first President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, highlighted the importance of the towns that were densely populated with more than a million people residing in them (Nukusheva et al., 2023). The study also found that about 58.9% of the people who resided in cities and towns in Kazakhstan were tremendously significant compared to the country's population in 2010 (54.5%). Further research showed that the country had become more revolutionized and urbanized in the past decade. Comparing the difference between the last ten years and now, the number of city occupants has outshined the rural set-up by more than 8%.Conclusions: This research shows how much hard work costs for the Kazakhstan government to move its peopleto the cities to get revolutionized. It is recommended that studies to be conducted to fully understand why the disparityin population growth exists between rural and urban areas.

Kazakhstan’s nationalistic globalism: Paradox, language, and higher education

Globalism is a neoliberally influenced focus on world markets and the knowledge economy particularly from the perspective of transnational economic entities. Nationalism concentrates on promoting the country as an entity distinct and special among other countries. When combined, as in Kazakhstan’s case, the two perspectives constitute a paradox. This paper explores Kazakhstan’s paradoxical strategy of using success globally to enhance regard nationally. The roles of language and higher education are discussed in pursuing this strategy. The commentary extends a previous qualitative study of the speeches and strategic plans of Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan’s primary post-Soviet architect and President, from Kazakhstan’s independence in 1991 to Nazarbayev’s stepping down in 2019. Current events in the region, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, are included in the discussion.

РОССИЙСКО-КАЗАХСТАНСКИЕ ОТНОШЕНИЯ В ПОСТКРЫМСКИЙ ПЕРИОД: ФАЗА СТАБИЛИЗАЦИИ

The article investigates the evolution of the Russian-Kazakhstani relations at the second stage of the post-Crimea period (August 2016 – March 2019). Based on a wide range of official sources and periodicals, it identifies the main trends and issues of bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, and humanitarian spheres, as well as at the interregional level. It determines the main factors that influenced the interaction between Moscow and Astana. It pays particular attention to the role of the presidents of Russia and Kazakhstan in promoting and strengthening their alliance and strategic partnership. It concludes that the period under consideration was a time for relative stabilization of Russian-Kazakhstani relations, which replaced the powerful turbulence that emerged in the context of the events of the “Ukrainian crisis” and “Crimean Spring”. However, despite the significant results achieved by the parties during the period, they failed to solve their most important challenge, which was the excessive dependence of the system of their interaction on the foreign policy preferences of Russia and Kazakhstan’s national leaders. As a result, the active development of the bilateral cooperation was ensured not so much by objective reasons as by the support provided to the process by Presidents Vladimir Putin and Nursultan Nazarbayev. Therefore, Nazarbayev’s resignation as head of state could result in unpredictable consequences for Russia-Kazakhstan relations.

‘To Speak to the Hegemon’: The Visions of Soviet Past in the History Coursebooks of Central Asia Countries

The article analyzes the content of history coursebooks in selected republics of Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The author focuses on the matter that is less frequently interpreted but nevertheless has a significant influence on the societies – the most recent editions of coursebooks on the national history of the 20th century. The republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan were chosen because in each of these states the Soviet heritage is debated for different reasons, and its evaluation is redefined to a different degree. The analysis focuses on the newest editions of coursebooks, written from the perspective of more than two decades of independence; they were also revised and expanded during the periods of increased political dynamics in all three countries: in Kyrgyzstan, after two sudden changes of the government; in Uzbekistan, after the death of Islam Karimov; and in Kazakhstan, after Nursultan Nazarbayev’s voluntary stepping down from the office of the president of the republic. The author pays special attention to the differences in various national historical narratives relating to the key historical events of the Soviet period (from the point of view of Central Asian countries): the creation of national republics within the Soviet Union, the participation of republics of this region in the events of World War II, the process of the collapse of the USSR. The author juxtaposes the contemporary historical narrative with the parallel historical policy in these republics. The author also points to the degree of closeness of today’s historical narrative in Central Asia to the narrative developed during the Soviet period. Such a comparison shows significant differences between the analyzed countries in the degree of change of the language base developed in the Soviet period. The study also shows a different tendency to reject the Soviet historical concept. This indirectly gives an answer to the question of the possibility of liberating today’s Central Asian historical narrative from the ‘complex of hegemon’, which is characteristic of postcolonial countries.

Petersburskie wystąpienie Kassym-Żomart Tokajewa: uwarunkowania, treść i konsekwencje z punktu widzenia relacji w trójkącie Rosja–Kazachstan–Chiny

The aim of the article is to answer the question of how relations between Kazakhstan and the two key superpowers – Russia and China – involved in the policy of the Central Asian region have changed in the light of Russian aggression against Ukraine. The starting point for the discussion on the complex relations in the Russia-Kazakhstan-China triangle is the speech of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg in June 2022. It triggered an avalanche of comments indicating that Kazakhstan, in the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, fears of sanctions from the West and concern for stable socio-economic development driven by revenues from the sale of natural resources, is not ready to support Russia in its confrontation with the West. On the other hand, it intends to follow the Chinese path, seeing Beijing as an influential patron who will stop Moscow from aggressive actions against Kazakhstan. The theoretical basis of the article is the concept of omni-enmeshment. In the literature on the subject, it is assumed that its implementation provided Kazakhstan with stability, security and continuity of the existence of the political regime associated with the person of Nursultan Nazarbayev. The authors assume that this concept could have been realized as long as the powers involved in the region maintained a balance in mutual relations. The war with Ukraine and the confrontation with the West caused Russia to deliberately destroy the Kazakh model of international order in the region. It may take aggressive actions against Kazakhstan because it has not sufficiently taken care of the infrastructural security of its energy links with the West. For many years, Kazakhstan has avoided clientelist obligations towards one of the superpowers, but facing Russia's actions, it is clearly inclined to seek protection from China, which is ready to accept the burden of responsibility for the security of the region, in the interest of the security and success of the Belt and Road Initiative.

CONTEMPORARY ART OF THE PUPPET THEATER IN THE CONTEXT OF THE NATIONAL CULTURE OF KAZAKHSTAN

The author of the article considers the question of understanding the role of keeping alive and embodying national traditions in the modern theatrical space (on the example of the play "Er Tostik" of K. Yezhembek, staged by K. Eshmuratova). The analysis of the play "Er Tostik" is presented from the point of view of using a new range of expressive means and introducing modern genres of musical art as an original directorial solution. The purpose of this article is to study the contemporary art of the puppet theater in the context of the national culture of Kazakhstan.
 In modern conditions of social development, when the whole world is on the verge of two times – two millennia: the second millennium is coming to an end and the third millennium is about to begin, due to objective and subjective reasons, among the urgent problems of the present, problems concerning not only the economic and political sphere, social development, but also no less an important one is the spiritual sphere. It is not for nothing that the processes that we can observe in our time with all the brightness and acuteness illuminate a wide range of problems in the field of spiritual culture of the country.
 One of the topical issues of the spiritual development of modern Kazakh society is keeping alive the national traditions and values. And this topic became the key for the state project "Tugan Zher", developed on the initiative of the First President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The deep essence of the goal-setting of the presented state project is the formation of the cultural code of the nation, without which it is impossible to solve the tasks of strengthening national unity, developing human capital and civil society.
 The formation of cultural codes is the core of the formation of cultural identity, which as you know should be formed starting from an early age, in the so-called sensitive period of personality development. It is obvious that puppet theater as an artistic phenomenon is in this sense one of the most effective forms of art. It is no coincidence that researcher E.Y. Romanovsky emphasizes that "the national is inherent in the very nature of the puppet theater. We can say that this theater has always had regional specifics or sought to express through the universal, some unique qualities of culture."
 The modern Kazakh puppet theater, like society, is going through an age of active restructuring, when old norms and ideas fade into oblivion, revealing the way to a new methodology, a synergetic scientific approach. Today we can see how the puppet theater of the XXI century performs the functions of a research laboratory, diagnostics of public sentiment, a forecaster of the social future and a creative space for the formation of national values of a new generation.
 Characterizing the repertoire policy of the modern Kazakh puppet theater it can be noted that, perhaps, the main goal of a particular collective is the opportunity to vividly reflect not only the peculiarities of the national identity of culture, but also to highlight the most important ideas and problems of modernity in their work. In the performances that define the face of the theater, attention is paid to the multidimensionality of Kazakh culture, the spiritual world of the contemporary, reflecting the problems of the common man.

Art and Protest in Kazakhstan

Recent events in Kazakhstan show that political art has the potential to be a potent form of protest in some of the most authoritarian states in contemporary Central Asia. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, artists in Kazakhstan and elsewhere in the region began turning away from the canon of Socialist Realist art, with its sole aim of serving the regime and depicting its visions of the future. New forms of contemporary art emerged, drawing sharp contrasts with official art in form, content, and culture, as more artists insisted on freedom from state patronage and control. In the political upheaval following the resignation of long-ruling President Nursultan Nazarbayev, artists have inspired protests with pointed critiques.

Latinization of the Kazakh Alphabet: Implications for Education, Inclusion, and Social Cohesion in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s decision to transition its Kazakh language from the Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet has serious implications for language policy, communication, education, inclusion, and social cohesion. This critical qualitative study, underpinned by a discourse-historical approach, employs critical discourse analysis to analyze statements of ex-President Nursultan Nazarbayev and semi-structured interviews with Kazakh language educators and social media articles to determine the nature and effects of the Latinization of Kazakh on social cohesion, inclusion, and inclusive education. The findings indicate that Latinization of Kazakh is gradually becoming more ethnically oriented, implying that the inevitable formation of included and excluded language groups. These patterns in society might undermine social cohesion and inclusion, hinder their maintenance and hamper efforts to achieve inclusive education, which prioritizes equality for all social groups through proper access to knowledge.

Reflection of The Socio-Economic Developments in Kazakhistan After USSR to Turkey

  The process of the collapse of the USSR, which began under the leadership of the Baltic countries, ended with the declaration of independence of the countries under its rule in 1991. Kazakhstan, which has been in the mosaic of the USSR for more than 70 years, declared its sovereignty on October 25, 1990, and independence on December 16, 1991. In the elections held on December 1, 1991, Nursultan Nazarbayev was elected the first President of independent Kazakhstan. The first country to recognize it was the Republic of Turkey.  Before this period, "social, cultural, and economic" relations between the two countries were practically non-existent. After Kazakhstan gained independence, mutual political contacts resumed. Agreements have been signed with Turkey in many areas. A great contribution to the prosperity of Kazakhstan today was made by the first President of the country, Nursultan Nazarbayev. Turkey has established close cooperation with Kazakhstan, which is in our heart and cultural geography, and has strengthened the relationship that it has been striving for years. This study included field research and a literature review. In the study, the connection between Kazakhstan and Turkey was interrupted during the period of Soviet Russia. With the collapse of the USSR, very important opportunities appeared. The importance of this study lies in the fact that it reveals the importance of these relations between the two countries. A point will be given for further research on the connection between Kazakhstan and Turkey. Keywords: USSR, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Trade, Culture.

KAZAKH LITERATURE OF THE INDEPENDENCE ERA IN THE AZERBAIJANI LANGUAGE

The article describes the features of Kazakh-Azerbaijani inter-literary relations in the post-Soviet period, and also analyzes the works of Kazakh authors and folklore works of the Kazakh people translated into Azerbaijani. The paper notes the high intensification of inter-literary contacts between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. Such an expansion of interpersonal relationships among creative figures is, of course, determined by the general state of interstate relations. 
 In the post-Soviet period, Turkic-speaking writers, representatives of various national literatures began to feel their inner involvement in the general Turkic processes with particular clarity due to deep historical and socio-political changes and the strengthening of creative contacts. For example, such works translated into Azerbaijani as "Turkestan", "And me, you, death, lull me to sleep" ("Olum, mane agi de") Magzhan Zhumabayeva, "Kazakhstan's Way", "The Heart of Eurasia" by Nursultan Nazarbayev, "The Clay Book" by Olzhas Suleimenov, "When the Wolves Howled" by Sabit Dosanov, "Idikut" by Akhmetzhan Ashiri were highly appreciated among Azerbaijani readers. "Alash Arystary" in the Azerbaijani language shows that translators in their creative activity go not only beyond the national geographic framework, but expand the internal boundaries of the national artistic worldview.
 The works of the Kazakh genius confirm that the historical and cultural ties of the Kazakh and Azerbaijani peoples go back centuries. In particular, in the "Words of Edification", in the poems "Iskander", "Masut", "Tales of Azim" traces of centuries-old oriental wisdom are found. In the era of independence, the fame of classical Kazakh writers went far beyond the borders of their country. Many of them have become internationally significant personalities. So Abai as a universal cultural phenomenon at the turn of the century became an essential fact of world culture. The interrelation and literary contacts between writers of Turkic speaking countries have given rise to well-known Turkologists to talk about the concept of a single "Turkic speaking literature" and the need to accelerate the creation of a "new era".

Design & Society: Design as a Force for Behavioral Change at Scale in Kazakhstan

Through an examination of the relationship of politics and aesthetics this paper challenges outdated human-centered modes of design in order to offer a new framework—Design & Society—which accounts for the role that politics, ideologies, systematic relationships, context and narratives play and have played in shaping the lived reality of past, contemporary and future life. Through a deep examination of the politico-design economy of Astana (since renamed Nur-Sultan) championed by former president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev this paper peels back the strategic layers for the creation of Astana. Relevant to designers, policy-makers, futurists, business interests, and those studying the urban environment in general as well the nation of Kazakhstan in particular, this paper unravels the layers of history, demographic pressures, and geopolitical posturing that have intentionally placed Astana as a force changing Kazakh society forever by causing behavioral change at scale. This paper outlines a three-stage process of creation: conceptualization, materialization, and realization to track the design process of Astana and its effects at large on a personal level for millions of Kazakhs. In the conceptualization stage, the paper tracks the motivators from the past, the present considerations and future goals for the design of Astana. In the materialization stage, the threads are weaved together into the architecture of the three most prominent buildings in the Kazakh Capital: The Palace of Peace and Accord, Khan Shatyr Shopping Center and Baiterek tower. In the realization stage, the impact on the individuals of Kazakhstan is considered. Through this study, the dance of Design & Society and the ever evolving impact of one onto the other is presented as a key lens for all future studies of design.

Genesis of the Eurasian Idea and Eurasian Practice in the Republic of Kazakhstan

The idea of creating the Eurasian Union belongs to the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. Until 2011, this initiative was popular in the academic and expert community of Kazakhstan. There has been a groundswell of support. It was partially embodied in the foundation of such regional organizations as the Eurasian Economic Community, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Astana has lost leadership in promoting Eurasian integration since 2011. Although Kazakhstan is an active participant in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the initiative is gradually being transferred to the Russian Federation. This article is devoted to the analysis of the genesis of the Eurasian idea and Eurasian practice in Kazakhstan, highlighting the qualitative stages in the dissemination of the ideas of Eurasianism and Eurasian integration in Kazakhstan. Comparative analysis, event analysis, political monitoring and process of tracking were used in the article. The authors conclude that the ideological content of Eurasianism in Kazakhstan has undergone a certain genesis and has almost exhausted itself at this stage. Kazakhstan has now taken a stand on rigid economic determinism in the implementation of the EAEU project and has moved away from the broad set of tasks of Eurasian integration, as originally presented by N. Nazarbayev. This is largely due to the internal political development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the changes in the ethnic composition of the population, the arrival of a new generation of managers, the beginning of a new stage in the formation of a national state and nation-building, which are reflected in new conceptual documents and national programs. At the same time, it was Eurasianism that corresponded to the specifics of Kazakhstani society and contributed to interethnic interaction and harmony, just as at this stage, Eurasian integration helps to preserve Kazakhstans sovereignty and strengthen its position in the system of global economic relations. However, there is a significant conceptual and semantic gap in understanding the essence of Eurasianism and the current practice of building a sustainable Eurasian integration core, an active participant of which Kazakhstan could become.

The Ideological Foundations of Eurasian Economic Integration

The article analyzes the significance of Eurasian ideology for modern economic integration, the reasons for its limited use in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), and the possibilities and prospects of adapting Eurasianism for the purposes of economic development and integration. Many international economic integration associations (e.g., the EU, USMCA, ASEAN) have a common or similar ideological and value-based foundation, which ensures stronger integration. The EAEU was initially established without a common, integrating ideological basis, although the first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, suggested using Eurasianism as the ideology of integration. Sergey Glazyev also wrote about the importance of integrative ideology for the development of the EAEU. However, these attempts to introduce Eurasian ideology for a stronger integration were not supported by the rest of the EAEU countries. This was largely because most EAEU members, including Russia, were driven by short-term economic interests, forgetting about more important long-term, strategic goals. Moreover, there are important ideological divisions in society and in the political elites of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan - primarily the division between adherents of the ideology and practices of Western liberalism, oriented toward EU integration, and supporters of an ideology close to Eurasianism and defense of traditional values, oriented toward the development of integration in the Eurasian space. The reproduction of such divisions in the EAEU countries, as well as the absence or weak development of an integrative ideology, largely determines the inconsistent and not always effective integration in the EAEU. Eurasianism can become an integrative ideology, which, if developed and adapted to modern realities, can ensure a stronger economic integration. This requires overcoming illusions about the possibility of integration of Russia and other post-Soviet countries into the EU, pursuing an active information policy in the Eurasian countries, showing the commonality of geopolitical and economic interests of EAEU countries and the opposition of these interests to those of the USA. Eurasianism can effectively counter the threat of ethnic nationalism in the EAEU countries by emphasizing Eurasian integration as a necessary condition for preserving the sovereignty of Eurasian countries, their traditional values, and the combination of tradition and innovation.

Қазақстан Республикасы Ұлттық архив қорларының «Рухани жаңғыру» бағдарламалық мақаласындағы идеяларын іске асыруға қосқан үлесі

The article provides the analyses of the work of the National Archives of the Republic of Kazakhstan aimed at reviving the history of the country. The contribution of the country’s archives to the issues raised in the program article by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, “Focus on the Future: Spiritual Revival”, is studied. The implementation of programs adopted by the state in connection with the modernization of archives is described. The authors analyze the activities of the archives of Kazakhstan over the years of independence and classify them step by step. For example, between 1990 and 2000, the storage units in the republican archives focused on the status of received cases, during the celebration of these dates, a description of the work done by the collected country’s archives, exhibitions, documents. To consider the “white patches” of the history of Kazakhstan, the regional archives collected documents on Kazakhs who went abroad in the twentieth century, the tragedy of famine and repression, and submitted them to the General Archives. In 1995, the International Conference dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the country’s archives was examined. The conference was attended by representatives of archival departments of the CIS countries. In addition, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Great Victory, a large-scale event was held, which included a list of citizens from different regions of Kazakhstan who went to the front in search of soldiers killed and missing in the Great Patriotic War. As a result, The Book of Remembrance of each region was published. The authors tried to dwell on the issues of research work of archives in this direction. In 1997, in the “Year of National Reconciliation and Remembrance of Victims of Political Repressions”, the country’s archives contributed significantly to this noble cause by raising documents on the dusty shelves of archives to justify innocent people who were shot during the political repressions of the 1930s. The adoption of the Law on the National Archives in 1998 made this year special for the country’s archivists. Since this year was declared the Year of Unity of Peoples and National History, scientific and theoretical conferences, fundamental works on the history of the country, scientific articles based on archival materials have been widely published. The authors tried to study the results of comprehensive research conducted based on state programs adopted in 2000, such as “Cultural Heritage”, “People in the flow of history”, “Archive–2025”

STUDYING OF ABU NASR AL-FARABI’S TREATISE “RYSALA FI-S SYASA”

The article presents the historical and chronological order of the scientific study of the work of the Kazakh thinker Abu Nasr al-Farabi (260/870 AH - 339/950 AH) "Risala fi-s Sias" (Treatise on Politics). Since the time of gaining independence by the Kazakh people, great changes have taken place in the spiritual life of the people. Projects such as: “Cultural Heritage” (2003), “People in the Stream of History” (2013), “Seven Edges of the Great Steppe” (2018), implemented within the framework of independence, as well as in 2020. with the support of international organizations such as UNESCO, ISISCO, an event was held on the occasion of the 1150th anniversary of the birth of Abu Nasr al-Farabi. Thanks to such organized events, there was a great opportunity to restore the written heritage of scientists and thinkers. Despite the fact that many eastern scientists, including Abu Nasr al-Farabi, were born and raised in the ancient Kazakh steppes, they spent most of their lives outside the Kazakh steppes. The rarest manuscripts of al-Farabi were preserved in foreign libraries and archives. This made it possible to investigate and return scientific works and manuscripts to their native lands. As part of the “Year of Farabi” (2020), Kazakh scientists conducted comprehensive research in the field of searching for the written heritage of the thinker, preserved in world archives, collecting manuscripts, reading, and researching. Numerous scientific conferences and symposiums have been held to analyze, interpret, recognize and popularize the heritage and ideas of the scientist. After the Republic of Kazakhstan gained historical independence (1991) by decree of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Kazakh National University (KazNU) named after Abu Nasr al-Farabi organized the search, collection, study, translation and scientific description of al-Farabi's manuscripts in the world archives. As part of this project, manuscripts of the work of the scholar Risala fi-s Siasa (Treatise on Politics) under various titles were found in the world's archives and rare collections.

Captured Courts and Legitimized Autocrats: Transforming Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Court

Contemporary dictators routinely co-opt institutions crucial for democratic governance. Although an extensive literature examines why and how aspiring autocrats bring elections and parties under their control, constitutions—and the judicial or quasi-judicial bodies charged with interpreting constitutions—are often assumed to reflect the existing balance of power. But following regime change, constitutional courts’ power of review makes them integral for establishing political supremacy. We detail how President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan captured the Constitutional Court via its transformation into the Constitutional Council. The uncertainty and upheaval of the post-Soviet collapse created opportunities for formal institutional changes that made the court susceptible to executive capture. Nazarbayev subsequently used the council rulings to lay claim to democratic and constitutional legitimacy in a clear example of authoritarian constitutionalism. To trace the process of capture and legitimation, we examine key court rulings throughout the president’s tenure using a database of Constitutional Council decisions.

Казахстан на пути реформ

The holding of early presidential elections has become a necessary condition for the implementation of a large-scale reform program announced by President K.-J.Tokayev. Along with steps to eliminate the influence of the first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, this program was the reaction of the current government to the mass protests in January 2022. The program provides for a wide range of reforms in the field of political and economic modernization. At the same time, the main directions of the foreign policy course are not subject to revision. The President plans to continue the multi-vector foreign policy, despite the radical contradictions between the main partners of Kazakhstan.