Territory of Kazakhstan has come to be mastered by man nearly a million years ago. As early as the age of Lower Paleolith the ancient man settled down on these Karatau lands fit for normal life, rich with game and wild fruit. It is there that they have found ancient settlements of Stone Age. By and by, in the centuries of Middle and Upper Paleolith the man came to master Central and Eastern Kazakhstan and Mangyshlak area.

As have been shown by excavations of the neolythic settlement Botay in the North Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan constitutes the area of horse-mastering (breeding) and that of formation of nomad civilizations. Archeologists revealed dwellings, numerous hand-made articles of stone and ivory which present the ancient history and archeology of Kazakhstan in the Stone epoch in an altogether new way.

As early as the Bronze Age, some four millenia ago, the territory of Kazakhstan was inhabited by tribes of the so called Andron and Begazy-Dandybay culture. They were engaged in farming and cattle-breeding, they were fine warriors who handled combat chariots marvellously. To this day we can see images of chariots drawn on rocks where ancient people would arrange their tribal temples and sanctuaries with the firmament as their natural cover. On the surfaces of black cliffs burnt with the sun people would chisel out scenes of dances, images of sun-headed deities, mighty camels and bulls as impersonations of ancient gods.

Burial mounds of noble warriors scattered all throughout Kazakh steppes are known for magnificient size of mounds and burial vaults proper. Particularly famous are such necropoles in the steppes of Sary-Arka and Tagiskent in the Transaral area. People of that epoch were not only fine warriors, shepherds and farmers but also skilled metallurgists. They would take bronze and manufacture axes, knives, daggers and various decorations thereof.

It were they who initiated development of copper which is being practiced to this day - they are Zhezkazgan and Sayak copper quarries of today. Ancient people lived in large settlements and ancient towns surrounded with walls and fosses. These towns were inhabited with warriors and craftsmen, priests and farmers. These tribes lived on the territory of Kazakhstan for about a thousand years - from the XVIIth century BC to IX-VIII centuries AD.

Later on they were ousted by Saks. Such was the name given to this tribe by ancient Persians. The Chinese called them "se" whereas Greeks chose to call them Scythians. They were essentially nomads, semi-nomads and farmers. Yet, first and foremost, they were excellent horsemen. In fact Saks were the first ever horsemen in the world to master arrow-shooting at full tilt.

In VI-II centuries BC Saks set up their first state with its centre in the Zhetysu (Semirechje) in South-East Kazakhstan. Kings of Saks were at the same time high priests. Saks had written language and mythology of their own, they were known for their well developed art of world standard labelled in research papers as "animal-styled art". Respective subjects were represented by predators and herbivourous animals and the struggle therebetween. Sheer masterpieces made of gold and bronze serve as worthy exhibits of best museums of the world.

Linguistic situation was just as complicated. As is traditionally believed, in the course of the first millenium BC the population of Kazakhstan was mostly represented by native speakers of Indo-European and Indo-Iranian languages. However, of late, they are inclined to think that tribes of the Bronze Age, particularly those of Saks, included tribes that spoke prothoturkic languages.

In the Issyk burial mound that harboured the world-famous "Golden Man" they have found a silver bowl whose bottom bore an incription consisting of 26 characters. They have failed to read it to this day. Some think that the incription is made in one of the Iranian languages, others insist on its prothoturkic origin. Anyway, this must be the very period that highlighted formation of the cast of mind and the language of medieval and modern Kazakhs, their phychological stereotypes, in fact, of many an element of their culture, everyday life and folk rites.

 

The middle of the first millenium AD is a fairly important stage in the history of all Turks in general and Kazakhs in particular. The period is marked with manifest changes in ethnic media: predominant now there become Turkic tribes which chose Altai as their natural centre. Written sources of the VIth century register the term "Tyurk" which is pronounced as "Tutszyue" by the Chinese and as "Turk" by Sogdians.

Archeological study of Turkic monuments makes it possible to somehow compare "these" Turks with certain Turkic tribal associations. In the Sayano-Altai region they have identified certain archeological cultures which might well be likened to early Kyrghyzes, early Kypchaks or early Oguzes. In the course of not infrequent intestine wars, tribal discords, struggle for power and pastures a part of Turkic tribes that inhabited steppes and valleys of Kazakhstan moved southwards - to Central Asia ( say, Tyurgeshes, Karluks, Kypchaks, Uzbeks, Oguzes, Turkmens-Seldzhuks), to Asia Minor, to Caucasus (Turkmens and Seldzhuks), to Eastern Europe (Kangars and Pechenegs, Kypchaks-and-Polovtsians, Torks-and-Oguzes, black Klobuks and Karakalpakians).

Starting from the IV-th century up to the beginning of the XIII-th century the territory of Kazakhstan was the seat of West-Turkic, Tyurgesh, Karluk Kaganates, of the state made by Oguzes, Karakhanides, Kimeks and Kypchaks. All of them successively replaced one another up to the very Mongol invasion. After the invasion, i.e. in the beginning of the XIIIth century, there have shaped up uluses of the Mongol Empire of Zhuchi-Khan and Zhagatai which later gave birth to Ak-Orda, Mongolistan and finally to Kazakh Khanate.

Essentially all these states were mixed economies. Tribes of cattle-breeders had farming tribes as their neighbours, steppes and cities supplemented each other. Such cities as Taraz, Otrar, Ispijab, Talkhir were set up right in the way of the Grand Silk Route which served as a reliable link joining antiquity and Middle Ages, the West and the East: Japan, Korea and China with Central Asia, Iran, the State of Seldzhuks, Rus, Byzantium, France and Italy.

 

It is through the Grand Silk Route that dancing arts, painting, architecture and music made their way from one people to another. Incidentally, it was the way along which various religions advanced: Manicheism and Buddhism, Christianity and Islam with the latter becoming predominant (starting from the VIIIth century) and subsequently the only faith of Kazakhs. In late XIV - early XVth century on the bank of the Syrdaria-river, in the city of Turkestan they erected a religious sacred place worshipped by all Turkic-speaking nations - a complex of Khodja Akhmed Yasavi. The nation that inhabited the territory of Kazakhstan would avidly absorb and assimilate all the ideas and achievements of various civilizations making -in its turn - its own contribution to the treasury of world culture, be it economy or handicraft or music: among numerous accomplishments one may name a mobile dwelling "yurta", saddle and stirrups for a horse, combat arts on horse-back, carpet ornaments and silver juvellery, sweet melodies and music reminding of an impetuous gallop of steppe horses... All these factors have determined integrity and continuity of ancient and medieval history of Kazakhstan

Mesolith, Neolith, XII - III centuries BC

Formation of a cultural community. The borders enclosed Kazakhstan, steppe areas of West Siberia, the Altai, northern areas of Central Asia. A tribal community, formation of tribes and tribal alliances. Hunting, fishing, rudiments of mining, weaving. Ever increasing settled mode of life of the population as the climate gets more damp and warm. Primeval faiths.

Late IV - early III centuries BC. Eneolith.

Judging from the examination of 200 ancient sites of settlements of the Stone Age - transition to Eneolith on a local basis as a result of development of production forces. The population was ready to go over to cattle-breeding as the climatic conditions become more favourable for horse-breeding. Close ties between the cultures of Central Kazakhstan, Siberia, Urals and Central Asia. Cattle-breeding, horse-breeding, woodworking, bone carving, fishing, hunting, collecting eatables.

Bronze Age. IInd century BC

Androne version of the Prothoeuropeoid race (central, northern and eastern areas of Kazakhstan). Mediter-ranean version of the Europeoid race (West and South-West of Kazakhstan). Steppes of Siberia, Priuralje, Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Androne tribes conducted mostly a settled way of life filled with cattle-breeding and farming. Development of mining and metallurgy. Cult of fire, the Sun, the Moon and the stars. There appears a cult of forefathers and a faith in the life hereafter. Rites of imposing a taboo on cattle and implements of production assigned by tribal chiefs or rich families.

Ist century BC

Cattle-breeding tribes. Anthropological type successive to Androne predecessors. Central Kazakhstan. An alliance of tribes. Nomadic cattle-breeding, mountain workings of copper in Northern Pribalkhashje, those of tin on the river of Ishim, in the mountains of Kokshetau. Gold mining in the area of Stepnyak, Bestobe, Maikain. Emergence of jewellery production.

IX - VII centuries BC

Emergence of nomadic cattle-breeding

VI - IV centuries BC

Conventional name- Savromate - Sarmate group of tribes. West and North Kazakhstan (present-day territory of Atyrau, West-Kazakhstan, Aktobe and - partially - Kostanay regions). Alliance of tribes. Cattle-breeding. Fire-worshippers. The cult roots in the Androne epoch.

VII - IV centuries BC

East-Iranian tribes. Indoiranian ethnic and linguistic communities. Impact of tribes of Central Kazakhstan and Semirechje on East Kazakhstan. Basis of the antropological type: Europeoid one with a slight admixture of the Mongoloid one, predominant are features of Androne type with a transition to a type of Central Asian interfluve. East Kazakhstan. Monuments of the Zaisan basin are close to those of Semirechje. Culture of the Pavlodar Priirtyshje, closely related to that of the North of Kazakhstan, gravitates to the communities of West Siberia, to the culture of nomadic Ugor tribes. The names of the tribes failed to reach our times. Southern, steppe areas of East Kazakhstan are associated with the name of Saks. On the whole all of them are closely related tribes. An alliance of Sak tribes. Cattle-breeding. In VII-VI centuries BC - formalization of Scythian-and-Siberian animal style in fine arts.

Ist century BC

On the territory of Zhetysu (Semirechje) a process of formation of Usunes' statehood is underway. Following the example of Khoresm there spring up cities in the area.

VII - IV centuries BC

Saks-Tigrakhauda, same as Massagets Day (Dakhs) in the South of Kazakhstan, Issedones in Central Kazakhstan, Arimasps in South East Kazakhstan constituted the Sak tribal alliance. Partially northern areas constituted the Savromate confederation of tribes. Proliferation of Mongoloid groups.

IInd century BC

Nomadic state of the Usunes. Emergence of fighting squads of the Usunes. Seminomadic cattle-breeding.

II century BC - early XV century AD

Functioning of the Grand Silk Route.

Ist century BC

Ethnopolitical unification of the kangyuis in the area of Talas, Syrdaria, the Otrar basis. It possessed certain attributes of a state. First attempts of minting coins.

The year of 47 BC

The first wave of Huns' advance to the territory of Kazakhstan. Alliance of tribes headed by a ruler (shanjuy), a Council of elders.

Ist century AD

The second wave of Huns' advance. Their proliferation lasted nearly three centuries.

VI century 552 - 554

Turkic kaganate. First allusion of the name of Turks. A nomadic state. Nomadic cattle-breeding. Emergence of a written language. Tengrianism, an effort of introducing Buddhism as a state religion.

603

Disintegration of the Turkic Kaganate into West and East areas with the centre in Semirechje. The capital is Suyab in the Chu valley. Synchretization of two fun-damentals - a society based on cattle-breeding and that based on settled farming.

656

Kimek tribal alliance was comprised of 7 tribes: Eimur, Imak, Tatar, Bayandur, Kypchak, Lanikaz, Arzhlau. All of them integrated in Kazakhstan from Central Asia. They inhabited the Irtysh area with the capital in the city of Kimakiya in mid-reaches of the Irtysh-river. In VIII-X centuries there forms an ancient Turkic (Kimako-Kypchak) linguistic group. Tengrianism, Buddhism, Christianity of Nestorian persuasion.

840

Formation of the Kimek federation (confederation). Inheritable power. Taxation system.

VI - first half of the IXth century

Major composition: North-Iranian tribes. Ousting of the Iranian languages by the Turkic ones. Political subordination to Turkic dinasties, incorporation in West-Turkic, Tyurgesh and Karluk Kaganates.

694 - 756

Existence of Tyurgesh Kaganate and its disintegration in 756. It occupied the territory lying between the rivers of Chu and Ili, thus controlling caravan routes of Semirechje. Headquarters: Big ones in the city of Suyab, the Minor ones - in Kungut. The Turkic language. Tengrianism.

VI - VIII centuries

Sogdians in Semirechje. Assimilated themselves within the Turkic environment. Development of farming and construction. According to experts Buddhist temples were built by Sogdians. Zoroastrism.

IInd half of the VIIIth century

Karluks (pertaining to the Europeoid type). They were comprised of 9 groups. First inhabited the area between the West Altay and the Tarbagatay, then migrated to Semirechje. Karluk confederation of tribes. Cattle-breeding, hunting. The Turkic language. Tengrianism, Islam.

737 - 748

Arabs. In 910 Arabs undertook a number of aggressive crusades to Central Asia and South Kazakhstan. Dissemination of the Arabic culture and language (Al-Khorezmi, Al-Farabi, Al-Biruni, Ibn Sina). Caliphate. Cattle-breeding, hunting. Cities: Jend, Farabzi, Synak, Sauran, etc. Tengrianism. Shamanism. By and by - Islam.

766 - 940

The Karluk State.

IX - early XI centuries

Oguzes. 22 tribes. Mongoloid racial look is predominant. Initial areas of settling were South Eastern regions of Central Asia, then Semirechje and Syrdaria basin. An early feudal state. A confederation of tribes with the capital in Yangikent.

820 - 1005

The State of Samanides.

893 - early XIth centuries

The Kimek Kaganate

942 - 1212

The State of Karakhanides - a Kaganate. A feudal hierarchic system. Horse-breeding, farming. State religion - Islam.

Late XII - early XIII centuries

The Naimans. The Naiman alliance of tribes of segiz-oguzes sprang up in mid-VIII on the territory between the Upper Irtysh and the Orkhon, i.e. from the Khangay to Tarbagatay. In early XII - late XIII centuries they appeared in East Kazakhstan and Semirechje. Ongoing was the process of formation of uluses of nations not obligatorily blood-related to each other. Each ulus was ruled by a Khan and common law was at work. Such system may well be regarded as "a state of initial type". Nomadic cattle-breeding. Hunting. People lived in nomad tents made of felt. There was no money whatsoever. A kypchak group of languages. Kiraites. Part of the Kiraites were Christians of Nestorian persuasion.

Early XI century

A Kypchak association. In ethnogenesis of Kazakhs a fairly tangible role belongs to East-Kypchak tribes which in XII-early XIII were quite close to an ethnic national group. Upper reaches of the Irtysh (Central Kazakhstan). By the end of the XIth century they occupied a huge territory of Kazakhstani steppes from the Irtysh in the East to the Volga in the West with certain groups penetrating in Mangyshlak. The XIth century gave birth to the name of Desht-i-Kypchak (Kypchak steppe). By the middle of the XIth century Kypchaks reached South Russian steppes, that's why in Oriental sources East Kypchaks came to be called Desht-i-Kypchaks. State-wise association of Kypchaks. The stage of the formation of early feudal relations. Social and class inequality. Private ownership of cattle, land, pastures.

1243 - mid-XV century

The Golden Horde. Prior to the 60s of the XIIIth century it was a part of the Mongol empire. The great Khan was the head of the Genghisides. He possessed a concentration of military, legislative and administrative power. The country was administered on the basis of written legal norms and legislative regulations - the so called "The Great Yasa" of Genghis Khan. Divan as the central executive body. Islam.

Early XIV century

The Ak Horde. The Ak Horde comprised the eastern portion of the Juchi ulus. Its territory embraced a part of the present-day Kazakhstan to the East of the Ural river and to the North of the Aral Sea and the Syrdaria river. From 1428 the power changed hands to the dinasty of the Shaibanides. Abulkhair-Khan stood at the head of the new ruling dinasty. Islam. Shamanism.

1346

Mogulistan. By mid-XIV the Chagataides state disintegrated into a western and an eastern parts. The eastern portion gave rise to Mogulistan. Its territory - South-East Kazakhstan and Kyrghyzstan. Various handcrafts, cattle-breeding, farming and trade.

1428

Abulkhair's Khanate(the state of Uzbek nomads) included lands lying to the East of the Nogay Horde: from the river of Yaik (Ural) in the West to the lake of Balkhash in the East and from the Aral Sea and the lower reaches of the Syrdaria in the South to mid-reaches of the Tobol and the Irtysh in the North.

1426 - 1440

The Nogay Horde with a biy as the head of the state. And a Turkic-speaking (Kypchak) council in addition.

1465 - 1466

Kazakh Khanate. South-East Semirechje - the valley of rivers Chu and Talas. Cattle-breeding and farming. The Turkic (Kazakh) language. Islam. The cult of Tengri.

1558 - 1628

Yesim-Khan. The city of Turkestan as a centre of the Khanate. Law-making activities.

1643

Orbulak battle. Victory of Janghir Khan and Jalantos-batyr over the Jungar occupants

1680 - 1718

Tauke-Khan. Claims of Jungar Khans to Kazakh territories. "Zhety Zhargy" - a code of laws.

XVI - early XVIII

A Khanate. Division into 3 juzes. Formation, centuries development and consolidation of Kazakh statehood. Nomadic cattle-breeding. Agriculture. Caravan trade. Islam

1710

A congress of Kazakh tribal rulers, sultans and batyrs in the Karakum.

1723

Jungar invasion into Kazakhstan. Nomadic cattle-breeding. Mongol group of languages. Buddhism.

1723 - 1730

Patriotic war of the Kazakh people against Jungar invasion.

1721 - 1781

Abulay-Khan - an outstanding national (state) and military figure of Kazakhstan.

XVIII - first half

Russia's maintaining fortifications along Uralsk, of the Orenburg and Siberian lines.

XVIII century

1731: The Junior Juz Khan takes out Russia's citizenship. Forced expulsion of Kazakhs from the areas lying between the Volga and the Yaik (Ural) rivers. Farming, cattle-breeding, military service, various handicrafts. Christianity, Islam. Commencement of converting Kazakhstani population in Christian faith.

1783 - 1797

Uprising of Junior Juz Kazakhs headed by Srym Datov against Russian proliferation.

1801 - 1845

Formation of the Bukeev Khanate in the area lying between the Volga and the Ural rivers. Accountable to tsarist government represented by the Orenburg Administration. The Khan's Council as a consultative body. The Khan had an office of its own. Agriculture. Christianity.

1822

"Charter of Siberian Kyrghyzes". Enclosed in West Siberia are Kazakhstan's territories occupied by the Middle and (partially) Senior Juz under the name of "A region of Siberian Kyrghyzes". Setting up of the Cossacks. Nomadic cattle-breeding, farming. The Kazakh language. Moslems.

1836 - 1838

National-liberation movement of Kazakhs headed by Isatay Taimanov and Makhambet Utemisov.

1837 - 1847

National-liberation struggle headed by Kenesary Kasymov. Khan Kenesary Kasymov's proclaiming restoration of statehood.

Early XIXth century

A feudal state. An aggression of Khiva, Bukhara and Kokand against South Kazakhstan. Invasion of a part of the territory of the Junior, Middle and Senior Juzes.

XVIII - first half of the XIXth century

The Kokand Khanate.

20 - 40s of the XIXth century

Formation of counties: Karkaraly, Kokshetau, Ayaguz, Bayanaul, Akmola, Aman-Karagay ones.

Mid - XIXth century

Reforming of Cossack troops. Commencement of peasants' migration to Kazakhstan.

1854

Commencement of peasant migrants' settling on the territory of Kazakhstan.

1856

Formation of the Alatau county.

1863 - 1864

Completion of the Senior Juz' joining Russia.

1867 - 1868

Reforms in administrative, judicial and financial policies on the territory of Kazakhstan. Formalization of regions, uyezds and volosts.

1869 - 1870

Uprising of Kazakhs in Uralsk and Turgay regions and on the Mangyshlak.

1867

Establishment of the Turkestan General-Governship within the Syrdaria and Semirechje regions.

Second half of the XIXth century

Conspicuous Kazakh enlighteners - Chokan Valikhanov, Ibray Altynsarin, Abay Kunanbayev.

70-90s of the XIXth century

Two-stage migration from East Turkestan to Semirechje.

1881 - 1884, 1894

9,572 families of Uigurs and 1,147 ones of Dungans. Formation of 5 volosts.

XIX - early XXth centuries

Development of cities, industries, secular and religious education of Kazakhs.

1897

Census of the population. Number of the population in the cities of Kazakhstan: Uralsk -36,446; Ust-Kamenogorsk - 8,721; Verny - 22,744; Pavlodar - 7,738; Semipalatinsk - 20,216; Perovsk (Ak-Mechet) - 5,058; Petropavlovsk - 19, 688; Kokshetau - 4,962; Jarkent - 16,094; Karkaralinsk - 4,451; Kustanay - 14,275; Zaisan - 4,402; Aulije-Ata - 11,722; Atbasar - 3,038; Akmolinsk - 9,688; Irghiz - 1,512; Gurjev - 9,322; Turgay - 896.

Late XIX - early XXth centuries

Massive peasants' migration to Kazakhstan from Russia.

1905 - 1914

Upsurge of social movement of Kazakhs - A.Baitursynov, A.Bukeikhanov, M.Dulatov and others.

1916

National-liberation movement of Kazakhstan's peoples against colonial oppression of the Russian autocracy.

November 1917 - March 1918

Establishment of Soviet power on the territory of Kazakhstan

December 5-13, 1917

IInd All-Kazakh Congress in Orenburg. Formation of Alash-Orda - provisional people's Council (Government) of the Kazakh autonomy.

August 26, 1920

Formation of the Autonomous Kyrghyz (Kazakh) Soviet Socialist Republic with the capital in Orenburg.

February 2, 1921

A decree of the Central Executive Committee of the Kyrghyz (Kazakh) ASSR on returning to Kazakh working people of lands withdrawn by tsarism in favour of big estates of nobility and landlords as well as for monastries and for the colonization fund.

March 14, 1921

A decree of the Central Executive Committee of the Turkestan Republic on renaming the city of Verny into Alma-Ata.

April 19, 1921

A decree of the Kyrghyz (Kazakh) ASSR on returning to Kazakh working people of lands withdrawn by tsarism in favour of Uralsk and Siberian Cossack troops.

June 12, 1924

Enactment of the USSR Central Executive Committee on demarkation of Central Asia. Reunification of all Kazakh lands within the confines of the Kyrghyz (Kazakh) ASSR.

October 27, 1924

By virtue of the Enactment of the USSR Central Executive Committee the Kyrghyz (Kazakh) part of Turkestan was annexed to the Kyrghyz (Kazakh) ASSR. Rearrangement of administrative division of the Kazakh ASSR had been accomplished by the beginning of 1925. The population increased by 1,468,000 people to make a total of 5,230,000 people. In 1926 Kazakhs constituted 61.3% of the whole population. Ak-Mechet - the capital of the Kazakh ASSR.

February 1925

Transfer of the capital of the Kyrghyz (Kazakh) ASSR from Orenburg to Kzyl-Orda.

April 15-19, 1925

The Vth Congress of Soviets of the Kyrghyz (Kazakh) ASSR. Restoration of the historically correct name of the Kazakh people and renaming of the Kyrghyz ASSR into the Kazakh ASSR.

January 13, 1926

Opening of the Kazakh State Drama Theatre.

December 20, 1928

Session of the Kazakh Central Executive Committee legalized transition to the new, latin alphabet.

May 1929

Transfer of the capital of the Kazakh ASSR from Kzyl-Orda to Alma-Ata.

April 1930

Construction of the Turksib railway line. In May 1929 the number of those engaged in the construction amounted to 39,500 workers and employees.

1925 - 1932

Collectivization. Losses in the number of population made up nearly 2,000,000 people (Kazakhs), i.e. 49% of the initial amount.

August 1928 - first half of 1933

Confiscation of the economies owned by major bais (rich people). Almost 145,000 heads of cattle were subjected to expropriation.

1929 - 1932

Armed uprisals of peasants, opposition to forced collectivization and the policy conducted by the Soviet regime. All in all - 372 uprisals with a summary participation of nearly 80,000 people.

1929 - 1933

Forced collectivization. Mass deaths caused by starvation and migration of the population beyond the confines of the Republic.

December 1936

Transformation of the Kazakh ASSR into a Union Republic (Kazakh SSR).

March 1937

Adoption of the Constitution of the Kazakh SSR.

1938

Formation of the Kazakh SSR. On June 24, 1938 - election to the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR.

1937 - 1938

Massive political repressions.

1941-1945

The Great Patriotic war. In war years 1, 196, 164 Kazakhstanis fought among the rest of the combatting troops. Casualties amounted to almost 410,000 of the Kazakhstanis.

1937 - 1951

Deportation of whole nations to Kazakhstan: Koreans, Germans, Karachays, Chechens, Ingushes, Balkars, Kabardines, Kalmyks, Crimean Tatars, Meskhet Turks of Georgia, Ukrainians, Greeks, Georgians, etc.

1954

Commencement of development of virgin and fallow lands.

1959

Census of the population. Overall number of the population of the Republic - 9,295,000 people with Kazakhs making up 2,787,000 people (29.8%).

1979 - 1988

The Afghan war. 21,979 Kazakhstanis participated therein.

December 1986

December developments. Almost 9,000 Kazakh youths had to leave Kazakhstan and move to other Republics.

1989

Census of the population. The Republic numbers 16,465,000 people.

October 1990

Declaration of state sovereignty of Kazakhstan.

December 1991

Proclamation of state independence of Kazakhstan.

January 1993

Adoption of the Constitution of sovereign Kazakhstan.

August 1995

Adoption of the new Constitution at the all national referendum.

October 1997

Elaboration of the Programme of Kazakhstan's strategic development up to 2030.

Since December 10, 1997

Akmola has become the new capital of the country.