List of leaders of Kazakhstan

Politics of Kazakhstan

CIS member state

* * *

* Constitution

Human rights
* President (list)

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
* Prime Minister

Oljas Bektenov
* Security Council

Chairman Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
* Parliament

Senate

Chairman Mäulen Äşimbaev
Mäjilis

Chairman Erlan Qoşanov
* Political parties
* Recent elections

Presidential

* 2015
* 2019
* 2022

Parliamentary

* 2016
* 2021
* 2023

* Administrative divisions

Regions (oblıstar)
Districts (audandar)
* Foreign relations

Visa policy

* Other countries

* v
* t
* e

The president of Kazakhstan is the head of state elected by popular vote to serve a five-year-term.[1] The president appoints the prime minister of Kazakhstan (head of government) and first deputy prime minister.[2][3]

## Leaders of the Kazakh Khanate (Khans) (1465–1874)

[edit]

See also: List of Kazakh khans

## Leaders of Kazakhstan (1917-1990)

[edit]

### Alash Autonomy (1917-1920)

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No. | Chairman
(birth–death) | Term of office  | Political party  | Ref

|
|
|
|

Portrait  | Name  | Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
1 |  | Alikhan Bukeikhanov
Әлихан Бөкейхан
(1866–1937) | 13 December 1917  | 5 March 1920  | 2 years, 83 days  | Alash | —

### Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (1920-1925)

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No. | Chairman
(birth–death) | Term of office  | Political party  | Ref

|
|
|
|

Portrait  | Name  | Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee
1 |  | Stanisław Pestkowski
Станислав Пестковский
(1882–1937) | 26 August 1920  | 15 September 1920  | 20 days  | Communist
(Bolsheviks) | —
— |  | Sakypkerey Argynshiev (Acting)
Сақыпкерей Арғыншиев
(1887–1938) | 26 August 1920  | September 1920  | <1 month  | Communist
(Bolsheviks) | —
2 |  | Viktor Radus-Zenkovich
Виктор Радус-Зенькович
(1877–1967) | 15 September 1920  | 13 October 1920  | 28 days  | Communist
(Bolsheviks) | —
Chairman of the Central Executive Committee
3 |  | Seitkali Mendeshev
Виктор Радус-Зенькович
(1887–1938) | 13 October 1920  | 19 April 1925  | 4 years, 188 days  | Communist
(Bolsheviks) | —
3 |  | Zhalau Mynbayev
Жалау Мыңбаев
(1892–1929) | 19 April 1925  | 15 July 1925  | 87 days  | Communist
(Bolsheviks) | —

#### Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1925-1936)

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No. | Chairman
(birth–death) | Term of office  | Political party  | Ref

|
|
|
|

Portrait  | Name  | Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
Chairman of the Central Executive Committee
1 |  | Zhalau Mynbayev
Жалау Мыңбаев
(1892–1929) | 15 July 1925  | 3 April 1927  | 1 year, 262 days  | Communist
(Bolsheviks) | —
2 |  | Eltai Yernazarov
Елтай Ерназаров
(1887–1945) | 3 April 1927  | 9 January 1935  | 7 years, 281 days  | Communist
(Bolsheviks) | —
3 |  | Uzakbai Kulymbetov
Ұзақбай Құлымбетов
(1891–1938) | 9 January 1935  | 5 December 1936  | 1 year, 331 days  | Communist
(Bolsheviks) | —

### Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (1936-1991)

[edit]

#### First Secretary of the Communist Party

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No. | Chairman
(birth–death) | Term of office  | Political party  | Ref

|
|
|
|

Portrait  | Name  | Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
1  |  | Levon Mirzoyan
Левон Мирзоян
(1897–1939) | 23 April 1937  | 23 May 1938  | 1 year, 30 days  | Communist
(Bolsheviks) | —
Oversaw early famine relief and collectivization; arrested in 1938 during Great Purge and executed in February 1939.
2  |  | Nikolay Skvortsov
Николай Скворцов
(1899–1974) | 23 May 1938  | 23 July 1945  | 7 years, 61 days  | Communist
(Bolsheviks) | —
Guided the republic through wartime mobilization relocating factories during World War II and post‑war reconstruction.
3  |  | Gennady Borkov
Геннадий Борков
(1905–1983) | 23 July 1945  | 22 June 1946  | 334 days  | Communist
(Bolsheviks) | —
Served briefly in the immediate post‑war period during demobilization; little else is documented about his short tenure.
4  |  | Zhumabay Shayakhmetov
Жұмабай Шаяхметов
(1902–1966) | 22 June 1946  | 6 February 1954  | 7 years, 229 days  | Communist
(Bolsheviks) | —
First ethnic Kazakh in the post; removed in February 1954 under Khrushchev's reorganizations amid allegations of corruption.
5  |  | Panteleimon Ponomarenko
Пантелеймон Пономаренко
(1902–1984) | 6 February 1954  | 7 May 1955  | 1 year, 90 days  | Communist | —
Transferred from Byelorussian SSR as a transitional figure after Stalin's death; served just over a year before being reassigned.
6  |  | Leonid Brezhnev
Леонид Брежнев
(1906–1982) | 8 May 1955  | 6 March 1956  | 303 days  | Communist | —
Promoted from Second Secretary to lead Virgin Lands campaign and Baikonur development; recalled to Moscow in March 1956 after disappointing harvests.
7  |  | Ivan Yakovlev
Иван Яковлев
(1910–1999) | 6 March 1956  | 26 December 1957  | 1 year, 295 days  | Communist | —
Elevated from Second to First Secretary during the Khrushchev Thaw; oversaw de‑Stalinization measures and defense‑industry conversion.
8  |  | Nikolai Belyaev
Николай Беляев
(1903–1966) | 26 December 1957  | 19 January 1960  | 2 years, 24 days  | Communist | —
Noted for advancing agricultural and economic policies; dismissed in January 1960 due to a downturn in agricultural output and the harsh suppression of the 1959 Temirtau riots.
9  |  | Dinmukhamed Kunaev
Дінмұхамед Қонаев
(1912–1993) | 19 January 1960  | 26 December 1962  | 2 years, 341 days  | Communist | —

10  |  | Ismail Yusupov
Ысмайыл Юсупов
(1914–2005) | 26 December 1962  | 7 December 1964  | 1 year, 347 days  | Communist | —
Succeeded Kunaev amid Khrushchev's regional reshuffling; initiated the transfer of several South Kazakhstan regions to the Uzbek SSR and was later dismissed at Brezhnev's suggestion.
11  |  | Dinmukhamed Kunaev
Дінмұхамед Қонаев
(1912–1993) | 7 December 1964  | 16 December 1986  | 22 years, 9 days  | Communist | —
After a brief hiatus (replaced in 1962), he returned to lead for over 22 years overseeing massive industrialization and former Virgin Lands efforts and was removed in December 1986 by Gorbachev, causing the Jeltoqsan protests.
12  |  | Gennady Kolbin
Геннадий Колбин
(1927–1998) | 16 December 1986  | 22 June 1989  | 2 years, 188 days  | Communist | —
Appointed by Gorbachev as an outsider with no prior work in Kazakhstan; his imposition sparked the Jeltoqsan protests.
13  |  | Nursultan Nazarbayev
Нұрсұлтан Назарбаев
(1940–) | 22 June 1989  | 28 August 1991  | 2 years, 67 days  | Communist | —
Last First Secretary; oversaw the exclusion of Article 6 (ending one‑party monopoly) on 24 October 1990 and the transition to the Presidency in April 1990 before office was abolished in September 1991.

#### Head of state

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Name
(Birth–Death) | Term of office  | Political party

|
|
|
|

Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
Chairman of the Central Executive Committee
1  |  | Uzakbai Kulymbetov [kk]
(1891–1938) | 5 December 1936  | 22 June 1937  | 199 days  | QKP
—  |  | Ismail Salvafeka
(?–?)
Acting | June 1937  | July 1937  | ~1 month  | QKP
2  |  | Alibey Dzhangildin
(1884–1953) | July 1937  | 28 October 1937  | ~3 months  | QKP
3  |  | Nurbapa Umirzakov
(1907–1947) | 28 October 1937  | 15 July 1938  | 260 days  | QKP
Chairmen of the Supreme Soviet
4  |  | Salken Daulenov [kk]
(1907–1984) | 15 July 1938  | 17 July 1938  | 2 days  | QKP
Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
5  |  | Abdisamet Kazakhpayev [kk]
(1898–1959) | 17 July 1938  | January 1947  | ~6 months  | QKP
—  |  | Ivan Lukyanets [ru]
(1902–1994)
Acting | January 1947  | 20 March 1947  | ~2 months  | QKP
6  |  | Daniyal Kerimbayev [kk]
(1909–1982) | 20 March 1947  | 23 January 1954  | 6 years, 309 days  | QKP
7  |  | Nurtas Undasynov
(1904–1989) | 23 January 1954  | 19 April 1955  | 1 year, 86 days  | QKP
8  |  | Zhumabek Tashenov
(1915–1986) | 19 April 1955  | 20 January 1960  | 4 years, 276 days  | QKP
9  |  | Fazyl Karibzhanov
(1912–1960) | 20 January 1960  | 25 August 1960  | 218 days  | QKP
—  |  | Kapitalina Krykova
(1914–2002)
Acting | 25 August 1960  | 3 January 1961  | 131 days  | QKP
10  |  | Isagali Sharipov
(1906–1976) | 3 January 1961  | 5 April 1965  | 4 years, 92 days  | QKP
11  |  | Sabir Niyazbekov
(1912–1989) | 5 April 1965  | 20 December 1978  | 13 years, 259 days  | QKP
12  |  | Isatay Abdukarimov
(1924–2001) | 20 December 1978  | 14 December 1979  | 359 days  | QKP
13  |  | Sattar Imashev
(1926–1984) | 14 December 1979  | 22 February 1984  | 4 years, 70 days  | QKP
14  |  | Andrey Plotnikov
(1912–1991) | 22 February 1984  | 22 March 1984  | 29 days  | QKP
15  |  | Bayken Ashimov
(1917–2010) | 22 March 1984  | 27 September 1985  | 1 year, 189 days  | QKP
16  |  | Salamat Mukashev
(1927–2004) | 27 September 1985  | 9 February 1988  | 2 years, 135 days  | QKP
17  |  | Zakash Kamalidenov
(1939–2017) | 9 February 1988  | December 1988  | ~10 months  | QKP
18  |  | Vera Sidorova
(1934–2025) | December 1988  | 10 March 1989  | ~3 months  | QKP
19  |  | Makhtay Sagdiyev [kk]
(1929–2012) | 10 March 1989  | 22 February 1990  | 349 days  | QKP
Chairmen of the Supreme Soviet
20  |  | Nursultan Nazarbayev
(born 1940) | 22 February 1990  | 24 April 1990  | 61 days  | QKP

## Presidents of the Republic of Kazakhstan (1990–present)

[edit]

Main article: List of presidents of Kazakhstan

Political parties

QKP

Otan → Nur Otan

Amanat

Independent

Symbols

C Constitutional referendum

No. | Portrait  | Name
(Birth–Death) | Elected  | Term of office  | Political party

|
|
|
|
|

Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
20  |  | Nursultan Nazarbayev
(born 1940) | 1990 | 24 April 1990  | 20 March 2019  | 28 years, 330 days  | QKP
(until Sept. 1991)
| 1991
1999 | Independent
(until Febr. 1999)
| 2005
2011
2015 | Otan
until Dec. 2006 renamed to
Nur Otan
21  |  | Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
(born 1953) | —  | 20 March 2019  | 12 June 2019  | 84 days  | Nur Otan
(until March 2022 renamed to Amanat)
| 2019 | 12 June 2019  | Incumbent  | 6 years, 63 days  | Amanat
(until April 2022)
| 2022 | Independent

Note

Until 16 December 1991 the head of state was called President of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic.

## Timeline

[edit]

## See also

[edit]

* Politics of Kazakhstan
* President of Kazakhstan
* Prime Minister of Kazakhstan
* Vice President of Kazakhstan

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The Constitution". Official website of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Retrieved 12 August 2021. "Article 41 (1). The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan shall be elected in accordance with the constitutional law by adult citizens of the Republic on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot for a term of five years."
2. ^ Pannier, Bruce (2015-03-11). "Kazakhstan's long term president to run in snap election – again". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
3. ^ Chivers, C.J. (6 December 2005). "Kazakh President Re-elected; voting Flawed, Observers Say". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 April 2014. "Kazakhstan has never held an election that was not rigged."

## External links

[edit]

* Kazakhstan President Official Site
* Kazakhstan President Nazarbayev Biography

* v
* t
* e

Leaders of Kazakhstan

Kazakh SSR
(First Secretary)|

* Levon Mirzoyan
* Nikolay Skvortsov
* Gennady Borkov
* Zhumabay Shayakhmetov
* Panteleimon Ponomarenko
* Leonid Brezhnev
* Ivan Yakovlev
* Nikolai Belyaev
* Dinmukhamed Kunaev
* Ismail Yusupov
* Dinmukhamed Kunaev
* Gennady Kolbin
* Nursultan Nazarbayev

Kazakhstan
(President)|

* Nursultan Nazarbayev
* Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

Kazakhstan
(Chairman of the
Security Council)|

* Nursultan Nazarbayev
* Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

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