HISTORICAL MEMORY AND SYMBOLIC ORIENTATIONS IN THE STRUCTURE OF NATIONAL IDENTITY: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF KAZAKHSTANI SOCIETY

Abstract

This article examines national identity in contemporary Kazakhstan through the relationship between declarative self-identification, civic belonging, historical memory, and symbolic orientations. Drawing on the concept of the nation as an imagined community, it treats national identity as a multidimensional phenomenon rather than as a simple opposition between ethnic and civic identification. The analysis is based on a nationwide face-to-face survey of the adult population of Kazakhstan conducted in 2023 (N = 4,000). Descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations with Pearson’s χ² tests, and binary logistic regression are used.

The findings show that ethnic self-identification remains prevalent at the declarative level, but does not systematically correspond to weaker civic attachment. At the aggregate level, respondents with predominantly ethnic and civic self-identification report almost identical levels of identification as citizens of Kazakhstan and similarly high levels of pride in citizenship. Shared homeland and citizenship are among the most frequently identified foundations of national unity, whereas linguistic and religious markers are less salient and more unevenly distributed across ethnic groups. Historical memory is concentrated around a limited number of shared reference points, particularly independence, while substantial proportions of respondents do not articulate specific positive or negative historical events. The holiday calendar similarly combines broadly shared cultural celebrations with more differentiated religious and less salient state-political dates. Overall, the findings suggest that national identity in Kazakhstan combines a broadly shared civic framework with ethnocultural differentiation and a comparatively thin common historical-symbolic repertoire.