POLITICAL IDENTITY IN MODERN KAZAKHSTAN THROUGH THE PRISM OF HISTORICAL MEMORY OF THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR

Abstract

Growing international instability has increased the importance of historical memory as a mechanism for shaping and reproducing political identity. Within contemporary memory politics, the memory of the Second World War occupies a central place due to its strong potential to foster social cohesion.

This article aims to identify the mechanisms through which political identity is reproduced in contemporary Kazakhstan, with particular attention to the role of historical memory of the Great Patriotic War. This objective is pursued by examining the structure of collective memory and the principal channels through which it is transmitted and reproduced. A comparative analysis of memory politics in the European Union, Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan provides an additional analytical framework for the study.

The scientific contribution of the research lies in advancing the understanding of historical memory as a mechanism for the reproduction of political identity. Its practical significance stems from the possibility of applying the findings to the development of state memory policy, educational programmes, and commemorative practices.

The study employs a mixed-methods research design combining quantitative and qualitative analyses of a sociological survey of 606 respondents, thematic coding of open-ended responses, and interpretation of the findings through the theoretical perspectives of collective memory and political identity.

The findings demonstrate that the collective memory of young people in Kazakhstan is predominantly structured around narratives of heroism, collective labour, and the shared contribution to Victory. These narratives create a common symbolic space that underpins the political community. Education, museums, commemorative practices, and mass media constitute the principal channels through which historical memory is reproduced. The analysis also reveals no statistically significant relationship between the language of everyday communication and political identity, suggesting the emergence of an inclusive model of political identity that transcends both ethnic and linguistic boundaries.

The study develops a multi-level model of political identity reproduction consisting of institutional, symbolic, cognitive, and integrative dimensions. The proposed framework may be applied to improve educational policy, commemorative practices, and state memory policy aimed at strengthening social cohesion and civic identity.

Funding: The article was prepared within the framework of a research project funded by a grant from the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, IRN AP26104221, “The Impact of Local Collective Memory on the Development of Local Communities.”