Tazhinov 1
Amir Tazhinov
Prof. Felitsa Mullen
ENG 102b
Spring 2015
Nationality Diversity in Kazakhstan
Thesis
Kazakhstan is a unique place. Can you imagine a country with a population of only about 17
million people which has representatives of more than 130 ethnicities? Kazakhstan is a place
where your neighbors are Russian and Ukrainian, your best friends are Korean and Chechen,
the cashier in the nearby supermarket is Tatar who was born in Kyrgyzstan, and, finally, your
mother is Uzbek and your father is Kazakh.
Such variety of different nationalities in Kazakhstan emerged due to difficult political and
economic situations in the Russian Empire and in the USSR. The Kazakh lands were a part of
these two great powers starting from the beginning of 18th century until gaining the status of
the sovereign and independent country in 1991. The ethnic composition of Kazakhstan was
hugely influenced by the immigration policy of Russian Empire in 19th century, the Famine of
1919-22 and the Famine of 1932-33 in Kazakhstan, and the population transfer in the USSR in
1930-1950s.
Annotated Bibliography
Artykbayev, J. O. Istoriya Kazakhstana. Astana: n.p., 2004. Print.
This book is the summary of six standard high-school curriculum history books. It covers the
period from the Stone Age till the modern history of Kazakhstan. As a source for my project, it
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provides a lot of information regarding relations between Russian and Kazakh authorities
during the Russian Empire era. It demonstrates all required statistical information including the
results of Russian Empire Census that took place in 1897 – 36 years after the Emancipation
reform.
Dave, Bhavna. "Entitlement Through Numbers: Nationality And Language Categories In The
First Post-Soviet Census Of Kazakhstan." Nations & Nationalism 10.4 (2004): 439-459.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Apr. 2015.
Bhavna Dave conducted a study of post-soviet Kazakhstan based on the results of first census
that took place in independent Kazakhstan in 1999. In this article, she summarizes the change
in ethnic composition of Kazakhstan throughout years. She also discusses the spread of Kazakh
and Russian language in Kazakh society under the huge influence of soviet authorities. Her
work provides a great opportunity to see what Kazakhs reached as an independent nationality.
Kim,German. “Korean Diaspora in Kazakhstan: Question of Topical Problems for Minorities
in Post-Soviet Space.” - Newsletter of the Japanese Institute of Area Studies. Osaka, 2003, No.
89, c. 63-74. Web. 8 Apr. 2015
Since Korean people were one of the biggest groups departed to Soviet Union, it is very
important to pay special attention on so-called “Koryo Saram” – the term used to describe
ethnic Koreans who live in post-soviet space. German Kim who himself represents a member
of the Korean diaspora in Kazakhstan dedicated his life to studying history, life and importance
of “Soviet Koreans”. Among dozens of his works, I chose this particular newsletter because it
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focuses on representatives of “Koryo Saram” who live in Kazakhstan. The author describes the
background, the process and the consequences of Korean immigration and deportation to the
USSR.
Rysqozha, Bolat. "Valery Mikhaylov: Vo Vremya Goloda v Kazakhstane Pogiblo 40
Procentov Naseleniya"
["Valery Mikhaylov: 40 Percent of the Population of Kazakhstan Died During the Famine"].
Radio Azattyq. RFE/RL, 9 Dec. 2008. Web. 5 Apr. 2015.
This is the interview with the chief editor of a literature magazine “Prostor” Valery Mikhaylov.
He is the author of a huge work – Chronicle of Great Murrain (Khroniki Velikogo Dzhuta). In
this interview, Valery Mikhaylov summarizes main points of his work and brings facts and
reasons for a considerable decrease in a native population during 1920s and 1930s. He answers
questions regarding the Famine in Kazakhstan of 1932-33 and the Famine in Kazakhstan of
1919-22. The author clarifies the scale and the damage of these disasters towards Kazakh
nationality.
Tolts, Mark. "Ethnic Composition Of Kazakhstan On The Eve Of The Second World War: ReEvaluation Of The 1939 Soviet Census Results." Central Asian Survey 25.1/2 (2006): 143-148.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 Apr. 2015.
In his article, Mark Tolts demonstrates the extent of falsification of 1939 Soviet Census. He
pays special attention to the situation in Kazakhstan, since this country has the highest
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percentage of overall inflation of the 1939 census – 13 percent. This work helps to understand
the process and the niceties of distorting information by Soviet government in details.
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/* The emancipation of the Russian serfs took place in 1861. It was a milestone for the
released peasants. With a cooperation of government, thousands of them moved to Kazakhstan.
In 1897, the proportion of Kazakhs in Kazakhstan was about 87 percent.
The next period of great changes in ethnic composition of Kazakhstan was collectivization
and resulted Famines in 1919-1922 and 1932-33. During these two disasters, the population of
ethnic Kazaks decreased by almost three million people.
During 1930-1940s millions of */
Dave, Bhavna. Kazakhstan. Ethnicity, Language and Power. London: Routledge, 2007. Google
books. 8 Apr. 2015
Lebedeva, N. S. "The Deportation Of The Polish Population To The USSR, 1939--41." Journal
Of Communist Studies & Transition Politics 16.1/2 (2000): 28. Academic Search Complete.
Web. 7 Apr. 2015