Law & Governance
Adopted on August 30, 1995, this is the current fundamental law of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan
In 1643, Kazakh forces led by Zhangir Khan used a trench warfare tactic to defeat a vastly larger Dzungar army in this famous battle
The Battle of Orbulak
In 1949, this site in eastern Kazakhstan became the primary location for the Soviet Union's nuclear weapons testing
The Semipalatinsk Test Site (Polygon)
This medieval city was a major center of science and trade on the Silk Road and the birthplace of the philosopher Al-Farabi
Otrar (Farab)
This medieval mausoleum in Turkistan, built by Tamerlane, is the first Kazakh site to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list
The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi
This 1917 political movement sought autonomy for the Kazakh people and was led by figures like Alikhan Bokeikhanov
The Alash Orda (Alash Party)
This 1729 battle near Lake Itishpes marked the final decisive victory of the unified Kazakh Juzes over the Dzungar invaders
The Battle of Anyrakay
This protest in December 1986 against Soviet leadership appointments is considered a pivotal moment in the movement for Kazakh independence
Jeltoqsan (The December Uprising)
These ancient monuments, found across the Kazakh steppe, consist of vertical stones carved with images of deer and other animals
"Deer Stones"
This epic novel by Mukhtar Auezov, depicting the life of a famous poet, is considered the greatest work of 20th-century Kazakh literature
The Path of Abay (Abay Zholy)
This Khan, known as the "Lycurgus of the Steppe," introduced the Zheti Zhargy (Seven Charters) in the late 17th century to stabilize the three Juzes
Tauke Khan
This 751 AD battle between the Abbasid Caliphate and the Chinese Tang Dynasty took place on Kazakh territory and led to the spread of Islam in the region
The Battle of Atlakh (Battle of Talas)
Kazakhstan was the first country in the world to voluntarily do this in 1991, despite inheriting one of the world's largest arsenals
Relinquish its nuclear arsenal (Close the Semipalatinsk Test Site and return weapons to Russia)
This settlement in Northern Kazakhstan provided the first archaeological evidence of horse domestication in human history
The Botai Culture settlement
This educator and linguist created the first Kazakh alphabet based on Arabic script and wrote the first Kazakh linguistics textbooks
Akhmet Baitursynov
Before the Kazakh Khanate, this 14th-century state (the eastern wing of the Golden Horde) provided the political foundation for the modern Kazakh state
The White Horde (Aq Orda)
This leader headed the last major armed uprising against the Russian Empire's colonial expansion from 1837 to 1847
Kenesary Khan
On October 25, 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR adopted this document, which is now celebrated as Republic Day
The Declaration of State Sovereignty
Discovered in the Altai Mountains, this archaeological site is famous for "frozen tombs" that preserved organic materials and clothing of early nomads
The Berel Mounds
This 19th-century scholar and explorer was the first Kazakh to receive a full Russian military education and travel to the "forbidden" city of Kashgar
Shokan Ualikhanov
This 16th-century legal code became the first unified law of the Kazakh people
Qasym Khannyn Qasqa Zholy (The Bright Path of Kasym Khan)
During WWII, this Almaty-based infantry division became world-famous for their defense of Moscow in 1941
The 316th Rifle Division (The Panfilov Division)
This international organization, founded in 2001, counts Kazakhstan as a founding member to ensure regional security
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
The "Golden Man" of Issyk belonged to this specific group of nomadic tribes mentioned by Herodotus and other ancient historians
The Saka-Tigrakhauda (Pointed-hat Saka)
This 11th-century work by Yusuf Balasaguni is a classic of Turkic literature and provides a guide on how to govern a state justly
Qutadgu Bilig (Wisdom of Royal Glory)