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Books that help you better understand your identity in Kazakhstan
Books that help you better understand your identity in Kazakhstan
The debate over national identity sits at the heart of today's world. Terms like "identity", "reflection", "civic engagement", "coloniality", "mindfulness" and "political views" are cropping up continuously in public discourse as forward-thinking Kazakhstani readers seek to parse events unfolding at home, across neighboring nations, and globally while coming to terms with their own place in today's agenda.
Literature shapes worldviews, clarifying our inner lives while grounding our interactions with the world around us.
The Voice Media compiled a list of nine fiction and non-fiction titles exploring Kazakhstan across various historical eras. Diving into these works offers a path toward understanding what it means to be Kazakhstani—through individual experience, shared history, and cultural roots.
Literature shapes worldviews, clarifying our inner lives while grounding our interactions with the world around us.
The Voice Media compiled a list of nine fiction and non-fiction titles exploring Kazakhstan across various historical eras. Diving into these works offers a path toward understanding what it means to be Kazakhstani—through individual experience, shared history, and cultural roots.
"Ak-Orda: History of the Kazakh Khanate" by Radik Temirgaliev
Historian Radik Temirgaliev examines one of the largest state entities in the history of the Dasht-i Qipchaq, known over time as the Ak-Orda, Urus Yurt, and the Kazakh Khanate. The book focuses heavily on the geopolitical preconditions of its formation and the consolidation of the Kazakh ethnos.
"The Nomads" by Ilyas Esenberlin
A sweeping epic canvas reconstructing the history, trial, and spirit of the Kazakh people from the 15th through the mid-19th centuries. Esenberlin was the first author to write about the nomads of the Great Steppe during the eras of Genghis Khan, the Golden Horde, and pre-Mongol times.
"Chronicle of the Great Famine" by Valery Mikhailov
An extensive study detailing the causes and systemic nature of the Kazakh tragedy during the early 1930s. Unpacking the mechanisms of Soviet ethnocide, the book gathers testimonies from survivors of the mass starvation, shedding light on the loss of 1.5 million lives, over a million refugees, the execution of protesters, and a shattered economy.
"The Hungry Steppe: Famine, Violence, and the Making of Soviet Kazakhstan" by Sarah Cameron
A scholar of Central Asian history examines the catastrophic famine, analyzing how its memory continues to shape modern diplomatic dynamics between Kazakhstan and Russia alongside debates on recognizing collectivization-driven starvation as genocide. Drawing on archival records and personal memoirs in Kazakh and Russian, Cameron critically reassesses Soviet violence, modernization, and nation-building under Stalin.
"The Alash Movement" by Tursyn Zhurtbay
A three-volume collection featuring archival transcripts, interrogation protocols, court verdicts, and letters written by the condemned and their families. It documents the innocent victims of Stalinist purges and the Soviet regime's targeted actions against Alash—the foundational organization of the Kazakh intelligentsia.
"My Name is Kouzha" by Berdibek Sokpakbaev
The story of Kozha—a imaginative, mischievous boy whose quick wit, kind nature, and integrity see him through incredible scrapes. It delivers a vivid portrait of a Kazakh childhood set against the backdrop of hardship during collectivization, offering a storyline that resonates deeply across generations.
"Kazakhstan's Black Blood: The Oil History of Independence" by Oleg Chervinsky
A documentary-style narrative detailing geopolitical maneuverings, backroom deal-making, dramatic triumphs, and massive setbacks. Chervinsky explores how landmark petroleum contracts were brokered, the hidden motives of global superpowers in Kazakhstan, and who ultimately controlled key financial flows.
"Kotelok" (The Pot) by Vadim Boreiko
Independent journalist Vadim Boreiko details how his life intersected with pivotal events across three and a half decades of modern Kazakhstani history. Acting as participant, witness, and chronicler, Boreiko covers the December 1986 Jeltoqsan events in Almaty, the 1991 Soviet coup attempt, the birth of an independent nation, and the rise of political opposition movements.
"Rukhani Kangaroo" by Anuar Duisenbinov
An ironic play on the state program Rukhani Zhanggyru ("Spiritual Modernization"), Duisenbinov's debut collection resonates with modern Kazakhstani society—offering a perspective untouched by state propaganda.
Historian Radik Temirgaliev examines one of the largest state entities in the history of the Dasht-i Qipchaq, known over time as the Ak-Orda, Urus Yurt, and the Kazakh Khanate. The book focuses heavily on the geopolitical preconditions of its formation and the consolidation of the Kazakh ethnos.
"The Nomads" by Ilyas Esenberlin
A sweeping epic canvas reconstructing the history, trial, and spirit of the Kazakh people from the 15th through the mid-19th centuries. Esenberlin was the first author to write about the nomads of the Great Steppe during the eras of Genghis Khan, the Golden Horde, and pre-Mongol times.
"Chronicle of the Great Famine" by Valery Mikhailov
An extensive study detailing the causes and systemic nature of the Kazakh tragedy during the early 1930s. Unpacking the mechanisms of Soviet ethnocide, the book gathers testimonies from survivors of the mass starvation, shedding light on the loss of 1.5 million lives, over a million refugees, the execution of protesters, and a shattered economy.
"The Hungry Steppe: Famine, Violence, and the Making of Soviet Kazakhstan" by Sarah Cameron
A scholar of Central Asian history examines the catastrophic famine, analyzing how its memory continues to shape modern diplomatic dynamics between Kazakhstan and Russia alongside debates on recognizing collectivization-driven starvation as genocide. Drawing on archival records and personal memoirs in Kazakh and Russian, Cameron critically reassesses Soviet violence, modernization, and nation-building under Stalin.
"The Alash Movement" by Tursyn Zhurtbay
A three-volume collection featuring archival transcripts, interrogation protocols, court verdicts, and letters written by the condemned and their families. It documents the innocent victims of Stalinist purges and the Soviet regime's targeted actions against Alash—the foundational organization of the Kazakh intelligentsia.
"My Name is Kouzha" by Berdibek Sokpakbaev
The story of Kozha—a imaginative, mischievous boy whose quick wit, kind nature, and integrity see him through incredible scrapes. It delivers a vivid portrait of a Kazakh childhood set against the backdrop of hardship during collectivization, offering a storyline that resonates deeply across generations.
"Kazakhstan's Black Blood: The Oil History of Independence" by Oleg Chervinsky
A documentary-style narrative detailing geopolitical maneuverings, backroom deal-making, dramatic triumphs, and massive setbacks. Chervinsky explores how landmark petroleum contracts were brokered, the hidden motives of global superpowers in Kazakhstan, and who ultimately controlled key financial flows.
"Kotelok" (The Pot) by Vadim Boreiko
Independent journalist Vadim Boreiko details how his life intersected with pivotal events across three and a half decades of modern Kazakhstani history. Acting as participant, witness, and chronicler, Boreiko covers the December 1986 Jeltoqsan events in Almaty, the 1991 Soviet coup attempt, the birth of an independent nation, and the rise of political opposition movements.
"Rukhani Kangaroo" by Anuar Duisenbinov
An ironic play on the state program Rukhani Zhanggyru ("Spiritual Modernization"), Duisenbinov's debut collection resonates with modern Kazakhstani society—offering a perspective untouched by state propaganda.