Fragmentation and emotionality of collective memory in modern Kazakhstan

Research Article

Abstract

The relevance of the research is due to the deep crisis of historical consciousness in post-Soviet Kazakhstan. The collapse of the USSR led not only to a political, but also to an epistemological transformation: the former ideologized model of historical knowledge has lost its legitimacy, and the new one has not yet developed. In the context of pluralization of memory, the monopoly of the state and academic institutions on constructing narratives about the past has been challenged. This has created a need for an empirical study of how different generations interpret key events and figures in national history, forming a new identity. The research hypothesis suggests that collective memory in Kazakhstan is generationally fragmented: age groups differ: in the choice of iconic historical figures and events; in the sources of historical memory formation; in the degree of emotional involvement in the recent past. At the same time, the core of consensus symbols performing a consolidating function is preserved. The purpose of the study is to identify generational differences in collective representations of the past and to determine the mechanisms of constructing historical memory in modern Kazakh society. Research objectives: To conduct a sociological survey with age stratification to record key historical figures and events significant for different generations. To identify the main sources of historical memory formation (Internet, TV, books, family, etc.). To analyze how generational differences affect the perception of the traumatic and heroic past. To correlate empirical data with theoretical models of collective memory. To determine the stage of development of collective memory in Kazakhstan within the framework of A. Assman's typology. The novelty of the research lies in: applying an integrated approach to the study of collective memory, taking into account three age cohorts; fixing asymmetries in the perception of historical figures (for example, the high importance of Kassym‑Khan for young people and its absence among pensioners); identifying the projective function of memory: the past is used not so much for reconstruction as for constructing the future; demonstrations of the "remember not to forget" stage as the current phase of collective memory development in Kazakhstan. Main results: Consensus symbols (uniting all groups): Zhanibek and Kerey, Abai, Abylai Khan. They act as anchors of national identity. Generational asymmetry: young people actualize the distant past (the creation of the Khanate, Kassym Khan); adults make a rational selection, linking the past with modern statehood; pensioners retain Soviet optics (high rating of Abai, I. Altynsarin). Collective memory in Kazakhstan ‒ not a static canon, but a dynamic field of meanings, where emotionally colored images of the past serve as a material for responding to the challenges of modernity. Generational differences reflect different strategies for understanding history: institutionally imposed actualization (youth), rational selection (adults), and preservation of Soviet optics (pensioners). The projective nature of memory indicates an incomplete transition from the Imperial‑Soviet scheme to the national one, where new chronological and semantic frameworks are still being formed.