Republican Slavic association “Lad” in Kazakhstan: history and current activities

This article presents results of fi eld ethnographic research in 2023. In the 1990s, the majority of ethnic cultural organizations in the Republic of Kazakhstan performed mostly cultural and educational functions. Only a part of them sought to take part in political life of an independent state in the structures of representative democracy. One of such organizations was public Republican Slavic Association "Lad,” founded on September 26, 1992. Its activities focus on preserving the culture and language of the Slavic population of Kazakhstan, developing and strengthening democracy, and fostering the friendship ofpeoples in a multi-ethnic state. The purpose of the study is to identify main stages in development of the Republican Slavic Association "Lad” in Kazakhstan and to establish the role of the Association in current ethnic politics of the Republic. The main sources of research included topic-based interviews, periodicals, as well as government programs and strategies. Chronologically, the study covers the period from 1992 (year of the creation of the Association) until today. Currently, 12 branches of the organization are registered in the Republic. Since 2008, the Association has been headed by Maxim Kramarenko. The main activities of the Association are associated with cultural, educational, social, and political areas. The newspaper "Lad” has been published since 1994. The role of the Association in the structure of public organizations of the Republic and in cross-border cooperation with the regions of the Russian Federation is discussed.