Cultural identity of Kazakhstan: a historico-philosophical analysis

This article is devoted to the philosophical interpretation of Kazakhstan’s cultural identity through the lens of historical and
cultural development. The authors critically examine the traditional historiographical model that traces the beginning of
Kazakhstan’s history to the Stone Age, arguing for a more critical approach to such chronology, particularly given the
climatic aridization that occurred in the region at the turn of the second to first millennium BCE. The philosophical analysis
presented here reconsiders the nomadic lifestyle as a form of productive rather than appropriative economy. This rethinking
allows for the recognition of early cultural coherence and an intrinsic logic in the historical development of the region. It is
emphasized that the cultural identity of the Kazakh people was formed within the broader Turkic world, which is
characterized by a unified way of life and common ethnocultural foundations. Historical evidence suggests that the peoples
inhabiting the territory of present-day Kazakhstan since ancient times shared similar lifestyles, cultural identities, and,
presumably, ethnic composition – all being of Turkic origin.
Special attention is given to the transformation of ethnocultural identity under colonial and Soviet influence, during which
the cultural self-identification of Kazakhs and other ethnic groups was subjected to external political and cultural pressures.
Today, Kazakhstan, having gained sovereignty, faces the challenge of being a multiethnic and multicultural – and thus
multi-identity state. The primary task is to support and enhance the harmonious character of this condition.