RENAMING THE PAST: TOPONYMIC CHANGE AND NATION-BUILDING IN RURAL KAZAKHSTAN

RENAMING THE PAST: TOPONYMIC CHANGE AND NATION-BUILDING IN RURAL KAZAKHSTAN

Alikhan SHAKENOV

ÖZET
The article examines the formation of local collective memory through street renaming in rural Kazakhstan since independence. The empirical basis consists of official decisions made by local executive (akimat) and representative (maslikhat) bodies. The aim of the study is to identify the features of the emerging toponymic landscape and its influence on local communities in the context of nation-building. The methodology is based on quantitative and comparative analysis of temporal dynamics, regional distribution, and the structure of old and new place names. The findings reveal a transition from the Soviet ideological canon to a nationally oriented system of symbols: names associated with Soviet figures are most frequently replaced, while new toponyms reflect the Kazakh historical and cultural narrative. The study concludes that street renaming in Kazakhstan constitutes a managed process of symbolic reconfiguration in which rural areas play a key role in consolidating a new national identity.

ABSTRACT
The article examines the formation of local collective memory through street renaming in rural Kazakhstan since independence. The empirical basis consists of official decisions made by local executive (akimat) and representative (maslikhat) bodies. The aim of the study is to identify the features of the emerging toponymic landscape and its influence on local communities in the context of nation-building. The methodology is based on quantitative and comparative analysis of temporal dynamics, regional distribution, and the structure of old and new place names. The findings reveal a transition from the Soviet ideological canon to a nationally oriented system of symbols: names associated with Soviet figures are most frequently replaced, while new toponyms reflect the Kazakh historical and cultural narrative. The study concludes that street renaming in Kazakhstan constitutes a managed process of symbolic reconfiguration in which rural areas play a key role in consolidating a new national identity.

ANAHTAR KELİMELER: Nation-building, Collective memory, Local communities, National identity

KEYWORDS: Nation-building, Collective memory, Local communities, National identity

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