Nation-building policies and interethnic relations in post-Soviet Kazakhstan.

Abstract

Inner-state conflicts arising from cultural, ethnic, linguistic and other differences started appearing after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Kazakhstan, being one of the main recipients of the Slavic diaspora in Soviet times encountered the problems of interethnic distrust and alienation after 1991. Despite the fact the Kazakhstani government had announced as its main priority the construction of a civic nation and of the feeling of belonging to one state, it strongly supported Kazakh self-consciousness, which led to several consequences, one of which was intensive emigration of the Slavic population. It has resulted in demographic, socio- economic and interethnic tensions. Despite the fact these were studied to some extent, no comprehensive approach has been taken to analyze these issues. Therefore, this research paper aims to answer the question of how the Kazakhstani nation- building policy influenced the relations between Kazakhs and Russians. Given that the instilling of the national idea can be achieved through many institutions this research focuses on the historical narratives in school and university textbooks; administrative regulations and legislative systems, and their implications for each ethnic group; plus their implementation in the symbolic realm of the cities, which...

Inner-state conflicts arising from cultural, ethnic, linguistic and other differences started appearing after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Kazakhstan, being one of the main recipients of the Slavic diaspora in Soviet times encountered the problems of interethnic distrust and alienation after 1991. Despite the fact the Kazakhstani government had announced as its main priority the construction of a civic nation and of the feeling of belonging to one state, it strongly supported Kazakh self-consciousness, which led to several consequences, one of which was intensive emigration of the Slavic population. It has resulted in demographic, socio- economic and interethnic tensions. Despite the fact these were studied to some extent, no comprehensive approach has been taken to analyze these issues. Therefore, this research paper aims to answer the question of how the Kazakhstani nation- building policy influenced the relations between Kazakhs and Russians. Given that the instilling of the national idea can be achieved through many institutions this research focuses on the historical narratives in school and university textbooks; administrative regulations and legislative systems, and their implications for each ethnic group; plus their implementation in the symbolic realm of the cities, which...