Zagoruyko M.V. The Symbols of the Republic of Kazakhstan: historical path and modern realities

Abstract: The object of this article’s research is the history of the symbols of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In view of the fact that heraldry was not inherent to the culture of nomadic people, the first symbols were brought into the territory of modern Kazakhstan by the Russian Empire. The further development of heraldry in Kazakhstan, which was part of the Russian Empire and later of the USSR, occurred synchronically with the development of heraldry in these states. The Republic of Kazakhstan got its first independent symbols after the collapse of the USSR in 1991. However, unlike other countries of the former Soviet Union, these symbols were formalised, registered in a separate law, and described by a standard. Thus, the issue of the ambiguous symbol interpretations was resolved and the nation’s flag and coat of arms were made to correspond in colour, thereby allowing them to be seen as a unified artistic composition. This article demonstrates not only the strong sides in the composition of the Kazakhstan coat of arms and flag, but also examines their chief inaccuracies, which are of a dogmatic nature. This research utilised the historical approach which illuminated the geopolitical phenomena and prerequisites in creating the coat of arms of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The historical and comparative method – along with the historical-genetic method – exposed the possible continuity from old territorial coats of arms to the state’s modern coat of arms. All of the above listed methods have allowed to identify the main reference points of this research. The main conclusion of the article amounts to the observation that the Kazakhstan coat of arms, despite having a number of dogmatic mistakes, nonetheless was made with scrupulousness and artistic taste. It symbolises peace, welfare, and prosperity of the people. The symbolics of the coat of arms show an integrative vector in the state’s development. The coat of arms and the flag of Kazakhstan in their structure and symbolism are similar to the symbols of the Republic of Belarus – the author notes their same continuity from the symbols of the Soviet era. The heraldry of the Republic of Kazakhstan leans toward its development within the framework of the Euroasian Union, and the Kazakhstan experience of heraldic standardisation can be used as a model for other states in this integrative association.

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