Uzbeks in Kazakhstan

As of January 1, 2016, the number of ethnic Uzbeks in Kazakhstan was 548,841 people ^[1] . The growth rate of the number of Uzbeks has accelerated again in the last decade (from 1.2% per year in the 1990s to 2.3% per year in the 2000s) ^[3] . The age structure of the Uzbeks is even younger than that of the Kazakhs. The rate of their natural growth is also slightly higher; migration growth is weakly positive. After the year 2000, in connection with the spread of labor migration, diasporas consisting of ethnic Uzbeks from Uzbekistan appeared in other cities and regions of Kazakhstan - in Nur-Sultan and Alma-Ata, as well as in Almaty, Karaganda, Mangistau, Kyzylorda regions ^[2] . In terms of language, culture and traditions, migrants of the last wave differ from the autochthonous Uzbek population of the South Kazakhstan region.

The traditional region of compact residence of Kazakhstani Uzbeks is the South Kazakhstan region , where their share in the population in 2016 was 16.87% (479,958 people) ^[1] . Numerous groups of Uzbeks live in Sairam (194 320 people - 95% of the total population) and Saryagash (11 040 people - 3.57%) districts of the South Kazakhstan region , the city of Shymkent (92 338 people - 13.53%), the city of Turkestan (87,740 people - 35.27%) ^[4] .

Despite the increase in the share of Uzbeks in Kazakhstan as a whole, their share in most areas of the Turkestan (South Kazakhstan) region in recent decades is subject to a gradual decrease. The active resettlement of oralmans in these regions play a role in this process. Thus, between 1999 and 2014, the share of Uzbeks in Sairam district decreased from 62% to 60.8% of the total population, in Saryagash - from 4.2% to 3.8%, in the city of Turkestan - from 43.7% to 35, 3% The exception was the city of Shymkent , in which the share of Uzbeks increased from 12.1% to 13.5%, which reflects the trend towards increasing urbanization among Asian ethnic groups in Kazakhstan .

The opposition press expresses the opinion that in such large villages of the Turkestan (South Kazakhstan) region as Sairam , Karabulak , Karamurt , Mankent , Ikan , with a population of several tens of thousands of people, ethnic Uzbeks make up 95% of the population ^[5] . Other sources consider these regions to be “historically Uzbek”; in them, owing to their commitment to both trade and agriculture, the Uzbeks formed economically self-sufficient economic communities as a whole ^[6] .

Population Dynamics

• 1999 : 370,663 (2.5% of the population)
• 2009 : 457,200 people (2.8% of the population)
• 2012 : 493,789 (2.8% of the population)
• 2013 : 511 thousand people (3% of the population) ^[7]
• 2014 : 521,252 (3.04% of the population) ^[4]

Due to the fact that both Kazakh and Uzbek khans belonged to one dynasty, part of the land periodically passed from one khanate to another. So, for example, Tashkent managed to visit the capital of the Kazakh Khanate. And the lands of southern Kazakhstan were part of the Bukhara emirate and the Kokand khanate . Until finally, the transitional lands with a mixed population were not divided in half. In the composition of the Kazakh SSR, the regions of compact residence of the Uzbeks appeared after the demarcation of Central Asia, as well as the Kazakhs in the Uzbek SSR .

There is an Uzbek theater, a newspaper is published in the Uzbek language. Broadcast on TV and radio in Uzbek. Theater, newspaper and broadcasting are funded by the state.

In Kazakhstan, in the places of compact residence of the Uzbek population, there are 78 schools with teaching in the Uzbek language, where 74,000 students are studying. Of these, 58 were exclusively Uzbek-speaking (2011/2012) ^[8] . In the 2009/2010 academic year, the number of students of Uzbek ethnicity in Kazakhstan reached 101.4 thousand people, although some of them (26%) receive education in other languages ​​(Russian and Kazakh). Uzbek children make up 4.0% of the total number of children receiving education in daytime public schools of the republic (for comparison, Kazakhs - 71.8%, Russians - 14.4%). ^[9]

In subsequent years, the number of Uzbeks is growing, primarily in the South Kazakhstan region . They work in industry, science, culture, etc.

• Sattarkhan Abdulgafarov - (1843-1902), enlightener, historian, translator, judge from the city of Shymkent.
• Mirjalilov Saidnasyr is an educator and entrepreneur at the beginning of the 20th century.
• Ziyamat Khusanov - Hero of the Soviet Union .
• Tashtemir Rustemov - Hero of the Soviet Union.
• Botabay Sadykov ^[10] - Hero of the Soviet Union.
• Adyl Yakubov is a national writer of Uzbekistan.
• Akbar Atakhodjaev ^[11] - physicist, academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
• Yalkin Turakulov ^[12] - biochemist, academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, laureate of the 1964 Lenin Prize
• Athambek Yuldashev ^[13] - singer, honored worker of the Republic of Kazakhstan ^[14] .
• Alisher Karimov ^[15] is a famous Kazakhstani singer ^[16] .
• Farkhadbek Irismetov is a Kazakhstani footballer.
• Gafurzhan Suyumbaev is a Kazakhstani football player, defender of the Ordabasy club, a player of the national team of Kazakhstan. ^{[17] [18]}
• Ulugbek Asanbaev is a Kazakhstani football player and midfielder.
• Rozakul Halmuradov - ex-deputy of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
• Fakhriddin Karataev - Member of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan. He was awarded the Order of " Dostyk" of the II degree by a decree of the Head of State for fruitful work to maintain mutual consent in society, merit in strengthening peace, friendship and cooperation between peoples .
• Nasrulla Shanazarov - Deputy Director for Science and Development Strategy of BMC Office of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor, oncologist of the highest category. He was awarded the badge "Kazakhstan Republics of Densaulyk Sauntau Isinіn үzdіgi" (2007), the jubilee medal "10 years of Astana" (2008), "Densaulyk Sastau іsіnіn үzdіgi" (2013), the Order of Labore et Scientia (Labor).
• Ikramzhan Khashimzhanov - chairman of the ALE Association of public associations of Uzbeks of Kazakhstan “Dustlik”. Director of the Regional Uzbek Drama Theater in Sairam. Member of the Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan .
• Sherzod Pulatov - Deputy Chairman of the ANC, Chairman of the Uzbek Ethnocultural Center of Nur-Sultan. Member of the Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan . Member of the ALE of the Association of Public Associations of Uzbeks of Kazakhstan "Dustlik". He was awarded a Letter of Gratitude from the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan for his active participation in campaigning in the framework of the past election of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2019.
• Gafur Kasymov - Member of the Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan .
• Bakhtiyar Ismailov - Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor.
• Abduazim Rustambaev - President of the Eurasian Energy Corporation JSC ^[19] .
• Abdukahar Payzakhmetov - Entrepreneur, deputy of the city maslikhat of Shymkent.
• Badritdin Nishankulov is the president of NiK Corporation. Deputy Chairman of the ALE of the Association of Public Associations of Uzbeks of Kazakhstan "Dustlik". Member of the Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan .
• Abdikakhor Khasanov - entrepreneur, philanthropist, deputy of the regional maslikhat Sairam, owner of the Nur Karabulak livestock market.
• Ganisher Raimkulov is a deputy of the sixth convocation of the Sairam District Maslikhat for 2016-2021. Member of the Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan . He was awarded a Letter of Gratitude from the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan for his active participation in campaigning in the framework of the past election of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2019.
• Bobirzhan Mominov is a Kazakhstani professional boxer. 2007-2009 - Champion of the Republic of Kazakhstan in boxing, Nur-Sultan. 2011 - Winner of the RK Cup in boxing, Nur-Sultan. 2013 - Champion of the International Boxing Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria. 2017 - World Champion among military personnel.
• Alisher Sotvoldiev is the head of the state utility company, the editorial office of the South Kazakhstan regional political newspaper “Zhanubiy Kozoziston” ^[20] .
• Gulamzhan Jumanov is an independent expert in the field of healthcare, the chief expert in monitoring the quality of medical services in the city of Nur-Sultan, a member of the Nur Otan. Deputy Chairman of the PPO in the metropolitan branch of the Nur Otan party. He was awarded a Letter of Gratitude from the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan for his active participation in campaigning in the framework of the past election of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2019.
• Zakirzhan Mominzhanov is the first director of the South Kazakhstan Regional Uzbek Drama Theater. Theater critic, poet, member of the Union of Writers of Kazakhstan.
• Nadirkhan Kadirkhanov is a famous Kazakhstan volleyball player ^{[21] [22]} .
• Umirzhanov Sherzad - member of the Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan, master of sports.

Kazakh-Uzbek relations (for 2005 ) are among the stable, in recent history there have been no major clashes between Kazakhs and Uzbeks. ^[23]

However, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, noted that "there is a destabilizing potential and gunpowder in relations with Uzbekistan ." So in April 2008, the day after the completion of the visit of the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov to Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan “revealed gross violations” in the work of the Kazakh Cultural Center in this country, which was the basis for the suspension of its activities. In particular, the head of the department of public associations and religious organizations of the Ministry of Justice, Zhalol Abdusattarov, lists all the sins of the national cultural center of the Kazakh diaspora. These, according to the official, include: change of legal address without the knowledge of the registering authority; lack of registration of a lease; failure to submit declarations of work done and financial sources; lack of information on the number of members ^[24] . Since 2017, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev began to improve relations with Kazakhstan. The year 2018 in Kazakhstan has been declared the “Year of Uzbekistan in Kazakhstan." On November 27, 2018, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev said: “Today, our relations are at a good level. We meet with Shavkat Mirziyoyev several times a year and discuss all pressing issues in the field of economic and political cooperation. An important role in the implementation of the signed documents and the agreements reached is played by the parliaments of the two states ” ^[25] . April 15, 2019 Presidents of Kazakhstan K.-J. Tokaev and Uzbekistan Sh. Mirziyoyev opened the year of Kazakhstan in Uzbekistan, while K.-Zh. Tokaev noted: “We are connected by a single language, religion, common history and one destiny. Our peoples are the heirs of the ancient and great civilization of Central Asia. "We were able to preserve the traditions, values ​​and cultural and spiritual heritage of our ancestors, together having gone through many fateful trials . "

• Information about Uzbeks on the website of the Assembly of the Peoples of Kazakhstan
• http://uzbek-nation.ru
• http://www.sarty.kz/
• https://www.zakon.kz/4947692-nazarbaev-otmetil-razvitie-otnosheniy.html
• http://bmcudp.kz/ru/about/administration/4734
• http://www.rcrz.kz/index.php/ru/glavnaya/39-team-ru/342-dzhumanov-gulamzhan-iristaevich
• https://ru.sputniknews.kz/politics/20190415/9840144/god-kazahstan-uzbekistan-otkrytie-tokaev.html