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Nursultan Nazarbayev
Нұрсұлтан Назарбаев
Назарбаев ЕАЭС (cropped).jpg
Nazarbayev in 2021
1st President of Kazakhstan
In office
16 December 1991 – 20 March 2019
Prime Minister
See list
Vice President Yerik Asanbayev (1991–96)
Preceded by Office established
(Himself as President of the Kazakh SSR)
Succeeded by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Chairman of the Security Council of Kazakhstan
In office
21 August 1991 – 5 January 2022
Preceded by Office established
Succeeded by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Chairman of Nur Otan
In office
1 March 1999 – 28 January 2022
Acting
See list
  • Sergey Tereshchenko
  • Amangeldı Ermegiaev
  • Bakhytzhan Zhumagulov
Deputy
See list
  • Zharmakhan Tuyakbay
  • Aleksandr Pavlov
  • Amangeldı Ermegiaev
First Deputy
See list
  • Bakhytzhan Zhumagulov
  • Adilbek Zhaksybekov
  • Darhan Kaletaev
  • Nurlan Nigmatulin
  • Bakhytzhan Sagintayev
  • Bauyrjan Baibek
  • Askar Myrzakhmetov
  • Mukhtar Kul-Mukhammed
  • Mäulen Äşimbaev
  • Bauyrjan Baibek
Preceded by Office established
Succeeded by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Chairman of the Assembly of People
In office
1 March 1995 – 28 April 2021
Preceded by Office established
Succeeded by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Honorary Chairman of the Assembly of People
In office
28 April 2021 – 5 January 2022
Preceded by Office established
Succeeded by Office abolished
Honorary Chairman of the Organization of Turkic States
Assumed office
25 April 2019
Personal details
Born
Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev

(1940-07-06) 6 July 1940 (age 85)
Chemolgan, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union
Political party Amanat (since 1999)
Other political
affiliations		 Communist (1962–1991)
Independent (1991–1999)
Spouses
  • Sara Konakayeva
    ​
    (m. 1962)​
  • Assel Kurmanbayeva
Children
  • Dariga
  • Dinara
  • Aliya
  • Tauman
  • Baiken
Signature
Military service
Allegiance  Kazakhstan
Branch/service Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Years of service 1991–2019
Rank Kazakhstan-Army-OF-10-01 (horizantal).svg
Supreme Commander
Central institution membership
2019–present: Honorary Chairman, Organization of Turkic States
2021–2022: Honorary Chairman, Assembly of People of Kazakhstan
2019–2023: Honorary Member, Senate of Kazakhstan
2019–2023: Member, Constitutional Council of Kazakhstan
1999–2022: Chairman, Nur Otan
1995–2021: Chairman, Assembly of People of Kazakhstan
1991–2022: Chairman, Security Council of Kazakhstan
1989–1991: Member, 17th Secretariat of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan
1986–1990: Full member, 27th & 28th Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
1979–1984: 14th & 15th Secretariat of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan

Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev (Russian: Нурсултан Абишевич Назарбаев; Kazakh: Нұрсұлтан Әбішұлы Назарбаев, Nūrsūltan Äbışūly Nazarbaev, pronounced [nʊɾsʊɫˈtɑn æbɪ̞ɕʊˈɫɯ nɑzɑɾˈbɑjev]; born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakh politician and military officer. He served as the first President of Kazakhstan from the country's independence in 1991 until he formally stepped down in 2019. He also led the Security Council of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2022.

Nazarbayev was one of the world's longest-serving non-royal leaders. He guided Kazakhstan for almost three decades. His leadership style was very strong, and he made most of the decisions for the country.

Early Life and Career

Nazarbayev was born in Chemolgan, a small town near Almaty. At that time, Kazakhstan was part of the Soviet Union. His parents, Ábish and Aljan Nazarbayev, were not wealthy. His father worked for a rich family until the Soviet government took their farmland in the 1930s. After this, his family lived a nomadic life in the mountains. They followed the Sunni Islam religion.

After World War II, his family returned to Chemolgan. In 1948, Nazarbayev started school and learned Russian. He lived with his uncle for a short time because his parents did not have a home there. Nazarbayev later chose to live in the upper part of Chemolgan, where many ethnic Russians lived. This helped him become fluent in Russian. In 1957, he went to a boarding school in Kaskelen.

After school, Nazarbayev received a scholarship to study at the Karaganda Steel Mill in Temirtau. He also trained at a steel plant in Dniprodzerzhynsk. By the age of 20, he was earning a good wage doing difficult and dangerous work. On 25 August 1962, he married Sara Nazarbayeva, who worked at the same steel mill. They had three daughters: Dariga (born 1963), Dinara (born 1967), and Aliya (born 1980).

On 15 November 1962, Nazarbayev joined the Communist Party. He became an important member of the Young Communist League (Komsomol). He worked full-time for the party while studying at the Karagandy Polytechnic Institute. In 1972, he became the secretary of the Communist Party Committee at the Karaganda Metallurgical Kombinat. Four years later, he became the Second Secretary of the Karaganda Regional Party Committee.

In his role, Nazarbayev handled legal documents and solved problems in factories. He also met with workers to help them with their issues. He later wrote that the Soviet system had problems. He saw that poor infrastructure and overworked staff were common issues. He felt these problems at the steel plant showed the bigger issues in the Soviet Union.

Political Career

Nazarbayev started his political journey in 1962. He joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union while working in a steel factory. He held important roles within the party. In 1984, he became the Prime Minister of the Kazakh SSR. This appointment was made by Dinmukhamed Kunaev.

In 1989, Nazarbayev became the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan. In 1990, he was elected as Kazakhstan's first president. This election was held by the Supreme Soviet. Nazarbayev played a key role in opposing the 1991 coup attempt by Soviet leaders. This event led to the end of the Soviet Union.

Presidency (1990–2019)

Nazarbayev led Kazakhstan with a strong hand. He held a lot of power for a long time. There were concerns about how people's rights were protected and how much freedom they had to express different opinions. In 1995, he governed the country by special orders. This happened when the Supreme Council was not active.

In April 1995, a public vote extended his presidency until 2000. Later, in August, another public vote approved a new constitution. This new constitution gave the president much more power. These actions helped Nazarbayev gain more control over the country's politics.

In 1999, Nazarbayev was re-elected for what was officially his first term. A ruling in 2000 allowed him to run again in 2005. Later, a change in the constitution in 2007 removed term limits just for him. This allowed him to be re-elected in 2011 and 2015. He served as president for a fourth and fifth term. In 2018, the Parliament allowed Nazarbayev to lead the Security Council for life.

During Nazarbayev's time as president, Kazakhstan's economy grew quickly in the 2000s. This was thanks to high oil prices and changes that opened up the market. Kazakhstan became an important economic power in Central Asia. Money from other countries was invested in key industries. This helped modernize the country and build new infrastructure.

Nazarbayev also focused on good relationships with major world powers. He helped Kazakhstan join regional groups like the Eurasian Economic Union and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Kazakhstan also became a member of the World Trade Organization. He was important in efforts to reduce nuclear weapons. He gave up the country's nuclear arsenal and closed the Semipalatinsk Test Site.

Despite these successes, there were challenges. Some issues included fairness and family members getting special treatment. These problems made it harder for Kazakhstan to be fully open and accountable. Nazarbayev's time as president also faced economic difficulties. This included the 2007–2008 financial crisis, which caused periods of rising prices.

In March 2019, Nazarbayev stepped down as president. This happened during anti-government protests. His close ally, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, took over. Tokayev won the next election in June 2019. Nazarbayev was protected from criminal charges until 2022. This protection was removed after a constitutional vote. He continued to lead the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan and Nur Otan until 2021. He was also the chairman of the Security Council until he was removed in 2022. This happened during the 2022 unrest. He was an honorary member of the Senate of Kazakhstan and the Constitutional Council until 2023.

Even after his resignation, some believe he still has influence in the country. In November 2019, Nazarbayev was named the Honorary Chair of the Central Asian Consultative Meeting. This was announced in Tashkent.

Personal Life

Nursultan Nazarbayev identifies as a Muslim. He has said his spiritual beliefs are based on the words of Abai Qunanbaiuly. Abai was a Kazakh poet whose ideas were based on an enlightened Islam. Nazarbayev believes Abai's "Words of Wisdom" helped him build a modern Kazakhstan. This was after the Soviet Union broke apart.

Nazarbayev is married to Sara Alpysqyzy Nazarbayeva. They have three daughters: Dariga, Dinara, and Aliya. Aliya's first marriage was to Aidar Akayev. He was the eldest son of former President of Kyrgyzstan Askar Akayev. This made the two Central Asian leaders related for a short time.

Having grown up in the Soviet Union, Nazarbayev speaks Kazakh and Russian fluently. He also understands English. He has two brothers, Satybaldy (1947–1980) and Bolat (born 1953). He also has one sister named Anip. On 16 August 2020, Nazarbayev's grandson, Aisultan, sadly passed away in London. He reportedly died from a heart problem.

In June 2020, it was reported that Nazarbayev had tested positive for COVID-19. A spokesperson said he would isolate and work from home. By July 2020, Nazarbayev had recovered. He later mentioned that Russian doctors helped him recover.

In an interview in October 2021, Nazarbayev shared that he had a spine illness in 2011. He said this health issue was one of the reasons he decided to resign from the presidency. In January 2023, Nursultan Nazarbayev had successful heart surgery in Astana.

He gave his last name to his grandchildren: Aisultan Nazarbayev (1990-2020) and Nabi Nazarbayev (2008).

Honours

Nursultan Nazerbayev Square
Nursultan Nazarbayev monument, Ankara, Turkey

Nursultan Nazarbayev has received many awards and honours from Kazakhstan and other countries. Here are some of them:

Kazakhstan

  • Order of the Golden Eagle
  • Order of the First President of Kazakhstan – Leader of the Nation Nursultan Nazarbayev
  • Medal "Astana"
  • Medal for "10 Years of the Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan"
  • Medal for "10th Anniversary of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan"
  • Medal for "10th Anniversary of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan"
  • Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Railway of Kazakhstan"
  • Medal for "10 Years of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan"
  • Medal for "50 Years of the Virgin Lands"
  • Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"
  • Medal for "10 Years of the City of Astana"
  • Medal for "20 Years of the Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan"
  • Algys Order

Soviet Union

Возложение венка к Могиле Неизвестного Солдата - 11
Nazarbayev with leaders of China, Russia and India during the Moscow Victory Day Parade, 9 May 2015
  • Order of the Red Banner of Labour
  • Order of the Badge of Honour
  • Medal "For the Development of Virgin Lands"
  • Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"

Russian Federation

  •  Russia:
    • Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called
    • Order of Alexander Nevsky
    • Medal "In Commemoration of the 1000th Anniversary of Kazan"
    • Medal "In Commemoration of the 300th Anniversary of Saint Petersburg"
    • Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow"
  •  Chechnya:
    • Order of Akhmad Kadyrov
  •  Tatarstan:
    • Order "For Merits to the Fatherland"

Foreign Awards

Other Recognitions

  • A street in Amman, Jordan is named after him.
  • He was named Turk El Ata (Spiritual Leader of the Turkic People) by the World Turks Qurultai.
  • A street in Kazan, Russia was named after him.
  • The capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, was named after him after his resignation in 2019. In September 2022, it went back to its original name, Astana.

Images for kids

  • Zhas Otan 2 Congress-2

    Nazarbayev holding a speech in 2012

  • RIAN archive 41059 CIS heads of state

    Nazarbayev (front row, second from left) at the signing of the Alma-Ata Protocol, 21 December 1991

  • Henry Kissinger with former USSR leaders - WEF Annual Meeting 1992

    Nazarbayev (three rows from left) at the 1992 World Economic Forum chaired by Henry Kissinger in Davos

  • Kazakhstan stamp N.Nazarbaev 1993 50t

    1993 Kazakh postage stamp of Nazarbayev

  • Stamps of Kazakhstan, 2013-47

    Postage stamp with Nazarbayev, Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev

  • Stamps of Kazakhstan, 2013-37

    Postage stamp with Nazarbayev and his wife

  • Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy Logo

    Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy logo

  • Painting of Nursultan Nazarbayev (15128133391)

    Painting of Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2014

  • Nursultan Nazarbayev Street Amman

    Nursultan Nazarbayev street, Amman

  • Нурсултан Назарбаев (03-06-2021)

    Nazarbayev in 2021

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Nursultán Nazarbáyev para niños

  • Government of Kazakhstan
  • List of national leaders
  • Politics of Kazakhstan
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