State policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan on exploring the historical and cultural heritage

The article addresses the main aspects of Kazakhstan’s state policy relating to historical and cultural heritage, namely, with respect to a gradual socially significant transition from heritage actualization to exploration, which represents a new trend in research. At present, the country’s historical and cultural heritage includes over 25,000 immovable historical, archeological, and architectural monuments, as well as monumental art sites. Based on the analysis of the representative historiographical resources and the state periodical press materials, a quantity and quality assessment was carried out regarding the outcomes of independent Kazakhstan’s policy on exploring its heritage at both domestic and international level. The “Cultural Heritage” project launched in 2004 is a unique national strategic project that portrays the state approach to culture and the exploration of cultural heritage. State program “The Sacral Geography of Kazakhstan” also plays an important sociocultural role. In the south Kazakhstan region alone historical and cultural objects have all been registered, including a unique cultural and historical megalopolis - the city of Almaty with a huge tsar necropolis. The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N. A. Nazarbaev describes this policy as one of the cornerstones of national identity preservation. The mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan alongside the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, collaboration with foreign countries, and a contribution to the development of an ambitious international project “The Great Silk Road” also play an important role in preserving and actualizing its cultural heritage. The state policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan of exploring its historical and cultural heritage should be recognized as rewarding and effective in terms of the preservation and actualization of cultural heritage, national consolidation, and Kazakhstan’s integration into the global cultural space.