The Latinization of Kazakhstan: Language, Modernization and Geopolitics

In Kazakhstan, talk about switching from the Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet has been ongoing since the 1990s. However, only in the late 2010s did the Kazakh government officially initiate a transition.

An alphabet switch in a multi-ethnic country such as Kazakhstan is a significant process because of internal social dynamics and wider geopolitical ramifications, especially concerning Russia. Over the years, the Latinization of the Kazakh alphabet became a symbol of strengthened national identity and decolonization. At the same time, its impact on Kazakhstan’s minorities, particularly Russian speakers, raises a multitude of questions.

The Genesis of Latinization

Unlike its Central Asian neighbors, such as Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan postponed the adoption of a Latin-based alphabet until the 2010s. In 2017, then-Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev adopted the “Kazakhstan 2050” strategy document, in which he set 2025 as the start of the alphabet transition. A special commission was set up and tasked with developing the new alphabet. Since then, several versions of the alphabet have been presented to the public, but all have been scratched due to public criticism. The latest version was presented in 2021 and is yet to be officially adopted.

In terms of the linguistic rationale, Kazakh officials have argued that the Cyrillic alphabet distorts the Kazakh language’s phonetic structure and tradition. Advocates of Latinization also claimed that the transition to a Latin alphabet would help streamline Kazakhstan’s integration into the global economy and enable better access to technologies and scientific innovation. Such optimistic projections, however, were halted because of financial and social challenges.

Budgetary and Logistical Challenges

Alphabet transition is an expensive undertaking. The latest available cost estimates from 2018 indicated that Latinization in Kazakhstan would require around $664 million. That sum would primarily cover educational initiatives and the printing of new textbooks in the new Latin script. Around $332 million was allocated for teacher training. Overall, the cost of the Latinization project was equal to 39 percent of Kazakhstan’s GDP in 2018 (the year the estimate was released), and such a high cost sparked concerns about the actual feasibility of the initiative within the proposed timeline.

Despite significant financial investments, Latinization has faced multiple delays, with the timeline being extending from 2023 to 2031.

Socio-Political Implications for National Minorities

Among the most important implications of the alphabet switch in Kazakhstan is its impact on the country’s significant Russian-speaking minority. Historically, ethnic Russians comprised a large share of Kazakhstan’s population. For instance, in 1970 and 1979, Russians were the largest ethnic group, making up 42.6 percent and 40.9 percent of the population, respectively, compared to ethnic Kazakhs, who comprised 32.5 percent in 1970 and 35.9 percent in 1979. As of 2021, the share of ethnic Russians had dropped to 15.5 percent, which still makes the community in Kazakhstan the biggest among the Central Asian states.

The Russian language has traditionally played a dominant role in Kazakhstan’s life and is overwhelmingly used in education, media, and the private sector. Use of Russian persisted after independence, and according to the 2021 census, some 83.7 percent of Kazakhstan’s population spoke Russian compared to 80.1 percent who spoke Kazakh. Thus, the Latinization of Kazakh could potentially introduce a socio-cultural shift leading to the marginalization of Russian-speaking minorities, particularly given the fact that Cyrillic is seen as tightly connected to the Russian language and identity.

Kazakhstan’s political elite has always tried to tread carefully around the issue of the Russian language. In 2004, then-President Nazarbayev said that the Russian language united the Kazakh nation and all citizens of Kazakhstan and that the Kazakh language needed time to fulfill its unifying role. Speaking of Latinization, Nazarbayev reiterated the role of Russian, which he described as “useful, influential, and still powerful” and called it a “historical advantage” that Kazakh citizens mastered Russian.

The broader effects of the script change on other minorities, including Uzbeks, Tatars, Uyghurs, and Tajiks have been studied less. Nevertheless, these communities also rely on Cyrillic and may face similar challenges during the actual transition, which could further complicate their access to education and the employment market.

The Geopolitical Dimension

The decision to switch alphabets in Kazakhstan cannot be seen as entirely a domestic issue, as it can have major geopolitical ramifications. Given that Cyrillic is associated with the influence and legacy of Russia in the region, the transition to Latin is seen as an endeavor to distance Astana from Moscow as well as from the Soviet past and instead align the country closer with the West and other Turkic-speaking countries.

The official reaction of the Russian government was rather reserved. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia did not consider Latinization a violation of Russian speakers’ rights. He added that “regardless of where Russian compatriots were located, ensuring their interests and rights is the priority for Moscow.”

Russian experts and media, however, have been considerably more critical. Russian author Alexander Shustov has been particularly prolific in publishing widely and warning Kazakh decision-makers of the negative consequences of the alphabet switch. Shustov predicted that Latinization would lead to the alienation of Kazakhstan’s Russian-speaking groups and cause their outmigration from northern Kazakhstan, where a significant number of Russians live.

Such concerns were heightened after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Amid this context, the Kazakh leadership has been careful to balance its relations with Russia, while strengthening its independence and national identity. In 2022, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that Latinization should not be rushed and added in 2023 that the project “should not be a mere mechanical switch from Cyrillic to Latin.” This signals that although Tokayev has not entirely put a hold on the Latinization project, he does not share the vigor and personal interest Nazarbayev had toward the alphabet switch.  

Cultural and Educational Impact

For Kazakh speakers, the switch to Latin is presented as a restoration of national and cultural identities and a break from Kazakhstan’s colonial past. Latinization supporters believe that the alphabet transition will contribute to restoring the Kazakh language’s pre-Soviet Turkic roots. Critics stress that emphasis on identity-building can cause a further schism and come at the expense of linguistic accessibility of non-Kazakh speakers, especially in the field of education.

The period of alphabet transition can pose a significant challenge for schools and universities since the majority of textbooks and tests are available only in Cyrillic at the moment. Teachers lack the necessary training to teach the Latin alphabet, while older generations, primarily educated exclusively in Cyrillic, may struggle to adapt to the new script. Such a generational divide could further exacerbate socioeconomic inequalities between Kazakh and Russian speakers, particularly in rural areas of Kazakhstan.

On top of all that, the Kazakh government will need to carefully balance the promotion of Latinized Kazakh with the continued use of the Cyrillic script for minority languages. However, this dual-script system can deepen socio-linguistic divides and lead to cultural isolation for non-Kazakh minorities. The fact that there was little to no public debate around the development of new Latin alphabets or its potential impact on minority communities poses a question about the exclusive character of nation-building processes in Kazakhstan.

Latinization as a Decolonization Tool

Kazakhstan’s Latinization project, at its core, is part of a wider effort to decolonize from the Soviet past. Many post-Soviet countries sought to reestablish their national languages and do away with the influence of Russia. For Kazakhstan, Latinization is a means of aligning closer with the global economy and simultaneously distancing from Russia.

The new alphabet project can also be seen as being linked to the larger movement toward a greater union of Turkic-speaking countries. During the latest summit of the Organization of Turkic States in November 2023 in Astana, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the leaders of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan for the development of the common Turkic alphabet to “strengthen unity,” in which languages are important.

Nevertheless, the decolonization process through Latinization is full of internal contradictions. Presented by the government as a step toward modernization and internationalization, the project emphasizes ethnic nationalism. The official discourse surrounding Latinization almost exclusively concerns itself with Kazakhs and Kazakh speakers, entirely neglecting the concerns and needs of non-Kazakh minorities. Finally, Kazakhstan’s current language policies mirror Soviet-style linguistic reforms – the very notion from which the country tries to set itself apart.

Kazakhstan’s transition to the Latin alphabet is a sign of broader trends taking place in the region, where alphabet reforms are intertwined with issues of national identity, geopolitical shifts, and post-colonial discourse. On one hand, Latinization aims at the country’s modernization and strengthening national identity; on the other hand, it also raises questions about the inclusivity of alphabet reforms, especially for non-Kazakh minority communities.

Naturally, the full impact of the transition will take several years to unfold; however, the early indications might suggest that the switch to the Latin alphabet could further deepen socioeconomic and linguistic divides within Kazakhstan. Moving forward with reforms, the Kazakh government must carefully navigate cultural, educational, and geopolitical challenges as well as carry out language policies in a more inclusive manner. As Kazakhstan continues to build its post-Soviet identity, language policies will remain at the heart of this emerging narrative.