The history of Kazakhstan and nationalism is a complicated one. Upon the nation’s independence from the soviet union, it was comprised of primarily non-ethnic Kazakhs, with Kazakhs making up a minority of the population. However, as demographics shifted and more Kazakhs began to immigrate from surrounding areas, and non-ethnic Kazakhs began to emigrate, there was an explosion in nationalist ideology almost as a celebration of the newfound homogeny of the nation-state; this allowed for a reformation in the politics of the nation. However, the roots of this change in national consciousness stem primarily from the end period of the soviet union when the replacement of an ethnically Kazakh leader was a Russian. This indiscretion by the USSR led to large-scale civil unrest in December of 1986, dubbed a “manifestation of Kazakh nationalism.” This came alongside nuclear tests taking place in the country during the period of Soviet rule. These factors led to a growing sense of displeasure with the soviet government and a sense of national identity that led to a more traditional sense of nationalism developing in the years that followed gaining independence in 1991. this growth in Kazakh nationalism in term led to a divergence from Russia over time, especially after the start of the war in Ukraine in late February 2022 when Kazakhstan decided to distance themselves from the aggressing nation of Russia in favor of maintaining their national interests.
Lilley, Helen, and Andrei . “Nationalism as a Political Factor in Late-Soviet Kazakhstan.” GeoHistory, Geohistory.today, 8 May 2020, https://geohistory.today/nationalism-late-soviet-kazakhstan/.