Kz-Ethnic-Culture

Kazakhstan's Ethnic Cultures

The people of Kazakhstan come from many ethnic groups; officials state that there persons belonging to over 100 different ethnic groups live there. Of course the number of people in those groups vary widely. Now Kazakh people form the largest group. That was not true until about 25 years ago; during most of the Soviet period, Russians formed the largest ethnic group in Kazakhstan. That changed because of differing birth rates and, more recently, emmigration of Russians. When the present boundaries of the Central Asian Republics were established by the Soviet Union, the concentration of ethnic groups was not given the highest priority. Therefore, some ethnic groups, including the Kazakhs, cross political boundaries.

Most ethnic groups in Kazakhstan are more closely related to other ethnic groups in areas to the east, rather than the west. One thing that most of those groups share is the yurt, which is very well suited to a nomadic lifestyle in an area with a wide variation in temperatures and very few trees.
Here a group of traditional musicians gather in front of a yurt to perform.

These yurts are used as is a restaurant/bar/tourist attraction near Almaty. Yurts can be made in any size and these are rather small. Traditional yurts are made from thick pounded felt mounted on a flexible frame. They are very warm and can withstand the winds that often sweep the steppe. The canvas at the top-center covers the hole that allows the smoke from the inside cooking/heating fire to escape.

While they may not look great on the outside, the inside is normally decorated with rugs and wall hangings. As in any society, the more powerful and wealthy had larger and more ornate homes; some were mounted on wagons so they could be easily moved.

Of course, ethnic traditions are not limited to home-construction styles. They are also reflected in styles. One is informed that the young woman on the left below is in traditional Uighur style and performing a traditional dance. The young woman on the left is dressed in a traditional Kazakh bride's outfit. The various styles have many unique and distinguishing features. However, most of them share the use of curved, embroidered lines of contrasting colors, often including gold thread. Whether that results from the influence of Islam (which came from the west) or from earlier eastern traditions is an interesting question. One suspects the latter is more likely.

The people of Kazakhstan come from many ethnic groups; officials state that there persons belonging to over 100 different ethnic groups live there. Of course the number of people in those groups vary widely. Now Kazakh people form the largest group. That was not true until about 25 years ago; during most of the Soviet period, Russians formed the largest ethnic group in Kazakhstan. That changed because of differing birth rates and, more recently, emmigration of Russians. When the present boundaries of the Central Asian Republics were established by the Soviet Union, the concentration of ethnic groups was not given the highest priority. Therefore, some ethnic groups, including the Kazakhs, cross political boundaries.
	Most ethnic groups in Kazakhstan are more closely related to other ethnic groups in areas to the east, rather than the west. One thing that most of those groups share is the yurt, which is very well suited to a nomadic lifestyle in an area with a wide variation in temperatures and very few trees. Here a group of traditional musicians gather in front of a yurt to perform.
These yurts are used as is a restaurant/bar/tourist attraction near Almaty. Yurts can be made in any size and these are rather small. Traditional yurts are made from thick pounded felt mounted on a flexible frame. They are very warm and can withstand the winds that often sweep the steppe. The canvas at the top-center covers the hole that allows the smoke from the inside cooking/heating fire to escape.
	While they may not look great on the outside, the inside is normally decorated with rugs and wall hangings. As in any society, the more powerful and wealthy had larger and more ornate homes; some were mounted on wagons so they could be easily moved.
Of course, ethnic traditions are not limited to home-construction styles. They are also reflected in styles. One is informed that the young woman on the left below is in traditional Uighur style and performing a traditional dance. The young woman on the left is dressed in a traditional Kazakh bride's outfit. The various styles have many unique and distinguishing features. However, most of them share the use of curved, embroidered lines of contrasting colors, often including gold thread. Whether that results from the influence of Islam (which came from the west) or from earlier eastern traditions is an interesting question. One suspects the latter is more likely.