DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/2524-048X.2026.35.8

 

Abstract. The purpose of the publication is to review the main stages and circumstances of the formation and activities of the Ukrainian community in the Republic of Kazakhstan from the beginning of mass immigration of Ukrainians to the present.

The methodological basis of the article is based on the principles of historicism and objectivity, a systematic approach. General scientific research methods (comparative and complex analysis, synthesis) and special historical methods (comparative-historical and problem-chronological) were also used. The extensive use of various statistical data and previous research in Ukrainian historiography allowed us to recreate a holistic picture of the formation, development and current situation and activities of the Ukrainian community in Kazakhstan.

The scientific novelty of the publication is due to the need to review and summarize the accumulated information about the Ukrainian ethnic group of Kazakhstan, to create a holistic overview of the history of the Ukrainian diaspora in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Conclusions. The formation of the Ukrainian ethnic community of Kazakhstan began as a result of the colonization of Kazakh lands by the Russian Empire and took place in several stages. They included mass resettlement and exile of Ukrainians during the tsarist regime, deportations and the policy of development of virgin lands and development of industry on the territory of Kazakhstan during the USSR. Thus, the number of Ukrainians in Kazakhstan grew rapidly and in the 1970s reached a peak (933,000), they became the third ethnic group in the country.

But despite such a long history of staying in Kazakhstan, the presence of compact Ukrainian settlements in a number of regions, as well as a high level of preservation of national identity, the organizational formation of the Ukrainian community as a consolidated community with a network of branches and a coordination and representative center took place in the 1990s – early 2000s, during the period of Kazakhstan’s independence. Despite the decrease in numbers and assimilation processes, Ukrainians in Kazakhstan have created more than 20 organizations in various cities and regions and two leading organizations at the republican level.

Specific features of the Ukrainian community in Kazakhstan are its cultural orientation, supported by the Kazakh authorities, and the unification of local and regional centers. These are national-cultural associations, which include creative groups (choirs, ensembles), Sunday schools or classes, children’s clubs, and media. In the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the cultural diplomacy of the Ukrainian community and its public activity are aimed at ensuring support for Ukraine by the society and authorities of Kazakhstan.

Key words: Kazakhstan, Ukrainian diaspora, Eastern Ukrainian diaspora, Ukrainian community in the East.

 

Submitted 14.01.2026

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