KAZAKHSTAN-RUSSIA BORDERLANDS: THE HISTORICAL MEMORY OF THE KAZAKHS OF ALTAI AS A FACTOR OF INTERSTATE COOPERATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48371/ISMO.2025.59.1.011Keywords:
memory, historical memory, cultural memory, memory research, traditional values, nation-building, national identity, national ideaAbstract
An important factor in modern Kazakhstan-Russia interstate cooperation is the historical memory of the Kazakhs living in the Russian borderlands. The article examines the ethnocultural characteristics of the Kazakhs living in the Altai Republic, whose number exceeds 12 thousand people. The main part of this ethnic group is concentrated in the Kosh-Agach region, the historical formation of which is associated with the resettlement of Kazakhs from the Ust-Kamenogorsk district of the Semipalatinsk region in the last third of the 19th century. These migration processes were caused by the search for pasture lands, which contributed to the development of the territory of the modern Chui steppe.
The Kazakhs of Altai, belonging to the Middle Zhuz (Sargaldak, Naiman, Uaki and others), demonstrate the unique nature of ethnocultural adaptation caused by prolonged interaction with local ethnic groups and the specifics of natural and climatic conditions. As a result, the Kazakhs of Altai have formed a unique ethnocultural identity, different from the identity of the Kazakhs of Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia, where traditional culture is preserved in a more authentic form.
Particular attention is paid to the role of traditional values in the preservation of historical memory, which act as a mechanism for maintaining ethnocultural identity and community sustainability in conditions of socio-cultural transformation. The study emphasizes the importance of historical memory as a key factor ensuring the continuity of cultural traditions and the formation of self-awareness of the Kazakhs of Altai.
As part of the study, an expert survey was conducted to study the problem of national-patriotic sentiments and the preservation of traditions in border areas. The results obtained allow us to draw a conclusion about the role of the traditional values of the Kazakhs of Altai as a mechanism for preserving historical memory, as well as their influence on ethnocultural identity in modern conditions.
