Kazakhstan culture

Kazakhstan culture people food and festivals 

Kazakhstany sense of space is somewhat different than in the West. They are less concerned about the space around them, which could be explained historically. In the Soviet times there were shortages of practically everything: living accommodations, food products, household items, which in turn led to lines or even disorganised crowds of people struggling to get hold of them. People just could not afford more space or more privacy in conditions where a few families of several generations had to co-exist in communal apartments. People were expected to live for the common good forgetting about their privacy or private lives, not to mention private property, which was denounced and practically eliminated in the country. It is no surprise that the word “privacy” is one of the most difficult words to translate

Though Kazakhstanies are less concerned about the space around them, they are not totally oblivious of their surroundings. It is customary to keep an arms length  during a conversation. It is also very important to establish initial eye contact with the person though it is never a good idea to stare at the person, which could be viewed as hostility or aggressiveness or at least as a sign of disrespect. The latter is especially true for interaction of younger people with older ones or elders.  
Touching is not acceptable in formal settings especially between the members of the opposite sex and would be probably viewed as unwarranted familiarity. As a rule, handshakes are more typical for men than for women though presently more and more business and professional women follow the suit of shaking hands. In general, even women in professional settings are treated more gallantly than in the West where women might take it as a sign of gender discrimination. In Kazakhstan, if a lady is carrying a bag or getting off the bus, it is impolite not to offer a hand

Language in Kazakhstan

• Kazakhstan is a bilingual country: the Kazakh language, spoken by 64.4% of the population, has the status of the "state" language, while Russian, which is spoken by almost all
• Kazakhstanis, is declared the "official" language, and is used routinely in business. Kazakh (also Qazaq) is a Turkic language closely related to Nogai and Karakalpak

Kazakh People, Culture and Society

A minority in their own land

Kazakhstan is unique in that its people, the Kazakhs, did not form the majority of the population upon independence in 1991. Currently the northern part of the country is populated mostly with Ukrainian and Russian majorities while Kazakhs are more prevalent in the south. Other prevalent nationalities include Germans, Uzbeks, and Tatars, and over one hundred different nationalities reside in the country.

It is the goal of the government for the Kazakhs to become the majority of the population throughout the country. This can be seen in many overt and covert actions and policies. Many street names have reverted to their historical names. Kazakh has been declared the national language of the country (even though many native Kazakhs cannot speak their own language). Expatriated Kazakhs have been invited to return home and settle. Couples are encouraged to have large families.

It is important to note that the people of Kazakhstan, inclusive of all ethnic groups living in the country, are called Kazakhstani. Only people of the Kazahk ethnic group are called Kazahks.

If you are not sure of someone’s ethnic background, it is safest to refer to them as Kazakhstanis.

Kazakh Customs and Etiquette

Meeting People

• Greetings are rather formal due to the hierarchical nature of society.
• The common greeting is the handshake, often done with both hands and a smile. Since many Kazakhs are Muslim, some men will not shake hands with women, so be sensitive to these religious differences.
• Once you have developed a personal relationship, close friends of the same sex may prefer to hug rather than shake hands.
• Most Kazakhs have a first and patronymic name (the father’s name followed by a suffix -ich or –ovich for son of or daughter of, respectively).
• Wait until invited before using someone’s first name, although the invitation generally comes early in the relationship.