On renaming streets of settlements of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the period from 1994 to 2024 (the first half of the year)

Research Article

Abstract

The article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the renaming of streets in the Republic of Kazakhstan in 1994-2024 as the most important tool for shaping the state policy of memory and the transformation of symbolic space. The process of toponymic change is considered in the context of decolonization and national identification strategies, which have been particularly developed in recent decades. Based on an extensive body of empirical data, including 14,929 officially documented cases of renaming, the study identifies quantitative and substantive trends characteristic of the modern Kazakhstani toponymic landscape. The paper uses a continuous sampling method followed by data classification by year, region, type of locality, and the nature of old and new names. Using quantitative and comparative analysis, the periods of the greatest activity of renaming were determined, among which the peak of 2018 stands out, as well as the features of regional dynamics, showing significant variability of approaches at the regional and city levels. The study demonstrates that rural settlements remain the most massive object of transformation, accounting for more than half of all changes. A meaningful analysis reveals a steady transition from Soviet ideological toponymy to names reflecting national history, cultural values and state priorities. The frequent replacement of such Soviet names as "Sovetskaya", "Oktyabrskaya", "Komsomolskaya", as well as the names of party figures, indicates the systemic nature of decommunization. New names, among which the names of national heroes, cultural figures predominate, as well as conceptual categories ("Dostyk", "Tauelsizdik", "Beibitshilik"), form an updated ideological layer of urban and rural topography. The results obtained are compared with modern international studies of political toponymy, which makes it possible to interpret the Kazakh experience as part of the global processes of rethinking history and reconfiguring urban space. The article contributes to the study of the symbolic politics of post-Soviet states and demonstrates the importance of toponymy as an instrument of cultural and ideological transformation. Keywords: street renaming, toponymy, memory policy, national memory, symbolic space, national identity, nation building