Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic

The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Kazakhstan, was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1936 to 1991. It was located in northern Central Asia and was created on 5 December 1936 from the earlier Kazakh ASSR, which was an autonomous republic of the Russian SFSR. The Kazakh SSR shared borders with Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and also had an international border with the People's Republic of China.

With an area of 2,717,300 square kilometres, it was the second-largest republic in the USSR, after the Russian SFSR. Its capital was Alma-Ata, now called Almaty. During its time as part of the Soviet Union, it was ruled by the Communist Party of the Kazakh SSR and was known for its strong economy, especially in mining and farming.

In 1990, the leaders of the Kazakh SSR announced that the land would be self-governing. In April 1990, Nursultan Nazarbayev was elected president, a position he held until 2019. In December 1991, the Kazakh SSR changed its name to the Republic of Kazakhstan and declared independence, becoming the last republic to leave the USSR on 16 December 1991. The Soviet Union was officially dissolved on 26 December 1991. Kazakhstan joined the United Nations on 2 March 1992.

Name

The republic was named after the Kazakh people, a Turkic ethnic group from Central Asia. The Kazakhs were historically nomads who had built a strong khanate before they were taken over by the Russian Empire.

History

The area that would become Kazakhstan started as the Kirghiz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1920, part of a larger Soviet state. It was renamed the Kazak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1925 and became a full republic in 1936, known as the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic.

During this time, many changes happened. The government built railways and factories, and many people moved into the area. Some tough times included difficult farming policies that caused hunger, and many people were moved from other places. Education improved, and many new schools and technical schools opened. During World War II, many people from Kazakhstan served bravely.

In the 1950s and 1960s, more people were encouraged to move to Kazakhstan to help grow food. New factories for chemicals and defense were built, and agriculture became very important. The famous Baikonur Cosmodrome was built, launching important space missions like Sputnik and the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin.

In 1986, a change in leadership caused protests in the capital city. In 1990, Kazakhstan held its first elections, and later that year declared sovereignty. In December 1991, Kazakhstan declared independence, becoming the last Soviet republic to do so. The Soviet Union officially ended on December 26, 1991, and Kazakhstan joined the new Commonwealth of Independent States.

Population dynamics

According to the 1897 census, Kazakhs made up most of the people living in what is now Kazakhstan, with 81.7% of the total population. Other groups included Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars, Uyghurs, Uzbeks, Moldovans, Dungans, Turkmen, Germans, Bashkirs, Jews, and Poles. Later, more people from groups like Belarusians, Koryo-saram, Chechens, and Kalmyks came to live in the area.

Famines

Big problems happened in the 1920s and 1930s because of serious food shortages. During this time, many Kazakh people suffered greatly. The number of Kazakh people went down a lot between 1926 and 1939 because of these difficult times. People in Kazakhstan still remember this hard period today.

Economy

Before the Soviet era, Kazakhstan had very little industry or large farms. Most people lived as nomads or moved their animals for food. The Soviet Union built many factories and farms in Kazakhstan, but this came with big challenges. Rules from Moscow and a strong focus on heavy industry caused problems for the local economy.

During World War II, many factories from places closer to the fighting were moved to Kazakhstan to keep them safe. This helped both the Soviet Union win the war and grow Kazakhstan’s economy. Later, a big project called the Virgin Lands Campaign tried to grow more food, but it didn’t work as well as hoped. Under leader Dinmukhamed Kunaev, Kazakhstan grew stronger economically and became an important place for trade in the Soviet Union. However, when changes in Soviet policy happened, the economy slowed down, leading to unhappy citizens and the end of Soviet control in Kazakhstan.

Soviet Union Central Asia Second World War Eastern Front (World War II) Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site Baikonur Cosmodrome Virgin Lands Campaign Nikita Khrushchev Dinmukhamed Kunaev Perestroika Glasnost

Culture

In the early days of the Soviet Union, leaders encouraged the development of Kazakh culture. The Kazakh language began using a new writing system, but later this changed to a different script under new leadership. During this time, the government moved many different groups of people to live in Kazakhstan.

Later, leaders tried to mix cultures more evenly. Over time, local leaders helped bring back some traditions. The culture of Kazakhstan became a mix of its own traditions and ideas from the Soviet government. There were some early challenges between different groups of people, but these eased over time.