Almaty: The Kazakh government has been actively promoting the Kazakh language through a series of strategic initiatives, notably introducing mandatory Kazakh language testing for civil servants. This move comes as the use of Kazakh among the general population gains momentum across various sectors, marking a significant shift in the country’s language policy landscape. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kazakhstan has intensified efforts to reshape its language policy as part of its broader quest for linguistic sovereignty.
According to Global Voices, the 2023-2029 Language Policy Concept aims to expand the use of the Kazakh language across diverse fields such as science, IT, media, and governance. This includes a pivotal transition from the Cyrillic script to the Latin alphabet. Recently, 13 projects in media and information services were launched to establish modern approaches and address the challenges facing the Kazakh language. The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Aida Balaeva, noted that Kazakh-language media consumption has become dominant, with 80 percent of the audience now consuming content in Kazakh.
The inclusion of the Kazakh language in Hollywood dubbing, as one of just 30 languages, highlights its growing international recognition driven by rising domestic demand. The language’s accessibility is further enhanced by its integration into social media, apps, and video games, catering to the younger generation. Rustam Burnashev, an Associate Professor at the Faculty for Global Politics at the German-Kazakh University in Almaty, pointed out that the current linguistic shift has been a slow but steady process since the Soviet era.
Figures indicate a rise in enrollments in Kazakh schools from 32.4 percent in 1991 to 66 percent in 2019, suggesting a potential decline in Russian language use among the youth. Russian proficiency remains regionally concentrated, primarily in the north and central regions, which house large populations of ethnic Russians. Historically, the widespread use of Russian as a lingua franca is rooted in Kazakhstan’s Soviet legacy, during which ethnic minorities were deported to the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, relegating Kazakh to private life and rural entities.
Demographic changes over the years have further facilitated the linguistic transition. Since gaining independence, Kazakhstan’s Oralman (Returnee) repatriation program has brought back around one million ethnic Kazakhs, many of whom do not speak Russian, accelerating linguistic shifts in both rural and urban areas. The number of ethnic Russians in Kazakhstan has been decreasing since the collapse of the Soviet Union, with some choosing to learn Kazakh as a means of empowerment.
In 1989, Kazakh was designated as the official language in the Kazakh SSR, while Russian was maintained as the language of inter-ethnic communication. Following independence, several initiatives aimed at boosting fluency in Kazakh, Russian, and English were launched. While official reports claim success, independent assessments remain skeptical. Nonetheless, these programs have helped reposition the Kazakh language in society.
Under different leadership, the Kazakh nation-building strategy has evolved. Former President Nursultan Nazarbayev promoted unity through diversity, while current President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has shifted focus towards inclusivity. The Kazakh language is now viewed as essential for all citizens’ participation in political, social, and economic life.
The ongoing linguistic changes in Kazakhstan are not without tensions. Public scandals, court cases, and social conflicts reflect the debate between those advocating for decolonization and national identity and those warning against perceived anti-Russian sentiment. Language remains both a political tool and a reflection of political dynamics, with the rise of Kazakh as a national language driven by intrinsic motivation for self-preservation.
Given Russia’s increasingly aggressive rhetoric towards Kazakhstan, it is unlikely that the Kremlin is content with the current linguistic and social discourses in Kazakh society.