Nauryz celebration in Kazakhstan: from colonial times till the late Soviet period reimagination.

This paper's central argument is that one of the significant celebrations in Kazakhstan, Nauryz (today celebrated on March 22nd-24th), often called the “traditional “Kazakh New Year, has, however, undergone several profound reinventions and reimaginings, particularly in the 20th century. According to colonial-era ethnography, Nauryz was closely tied to religion, specifically Islam, but under Soviet policies of nation-building, it was nationalized. Nauryz was not stuck in time and form; it had regional patterns, different meanings, and underwent several stages of reimagination and state institutionalization. Although it was officially “banned” (?) in 1926, it remained alive at the grassroots level. During the late Soviet period, particularly during the Perestroika era, Nauryz reappeared on the public stage.