Favorite track is "Men qazaqpyn" (translated to English)
In a supermarket in Astana, Victor KRASHININ stands out among customers, engaging with patrons fluently in Kazakh, with no discernible accent.
Kazakh, a soft and melodious language, is considered a symbol of warmth and tenderness. Speaking it, Victor finds, allows for an easier expression of emotions. "Because it comes from the heart," he admits.
Originally from the small village of Sarsabastau in Jambyl's Almaty region, Victor grew up surrounded by Kazakh. His parents, a retired military man and a housewife, spoke Kazakh at home along with siblings and friends.
"I don't remember learning Kazakh," Victor smiles, "It feels like it's always been with me." As a child, he attended a Kazakh school and played with neighbors daily. His language skills were aided by older family members when faced with challenges, like physics or chemistry. His fluency in Kazakh played a significant role in his college admission—the school welcomed him without competition upon learning he was fluent in the national language.
While in college, Victor actively participated in, and won prizes at, competitions and olympiads, with his most memorable achievement being the Grand Prix win at a republican poetry recitation contest, where he performed poems by Zhambyl Zhabayev.
During his military service, his language skills were again beneficial. He served in administrative duties, writing letters, reports, orders, and interpreting between languages. Afterward, he moved to the capital and entered the trade sector while dedicating his free time to e-sports, video editing, and music.
Shoppers are often surprised to discover Victor's fluency in Kazakh, especially when he suddenly switches languages in a store setting. He laments the prevalence among Kazakh youth of prioritizing foreign language courses over their native language.
"Kazakh is not just words—it's respect for our ancestors," he believes. To revitalize the use of the language, Victor suggests organized tournaments and olympiads for the younger generation, dedicating monthly events to celebrated Kazakh poets and figures, and fostering an interest in language via interactive digital platforms and social media campaigns.
Victor identifies with traditional Kazakh religious practices like Oraz and Auyzashar, regularly taking part in the Nauryz festival with his neighbors. Abai Kunanbayev is his favorite poet, and he particularly enjoys the song "Men qazaqpyn" by Quanandyqa Rahym. For Victor, the Kazakh language is more than just a means of communication; it is a path to trust, recognition, and connection with people.
Kuralai MURATOVA
Photo by Vasily KRASY
In the ongoing effort to promote the use and appreciation of Kazakh among younger generations in Kazakhstan, a comprehensive approach is needed, addressing education, cultural promotion, technology, and social factors. Research highlights the importance of bilingual education programs, teacher training, cultural events, digital tools, and government policies to foster a new generation that values both the use and appreciation of Kazakh language and culture.
- Victor KRASHININ's fluency in Kazakh, a soft and melodious language regarded as a symbol of warmth and tenderness, allows for an easier expression of emotions, even when engaging with customers in a supermarket in Astana.
- In his college years, Victor excelled in competitions and olympiads, with his most memorable achievement being the Grand Prix win at a republican poetry recitation contest, performing poems by Zhambyl Zhabayev, further demonstrating his mastery of the Kazakh language.
- Despite the prevalence of foreign language courses among Kazakh youth, Victor laments their disregard for their native language, expressing a hope for organized tournaments, olympiads, and monthly events dedicated to celebrated Kazakh poets and figures to revitalize its use.
- Today, Victor champions the Kazakh language, identifying with traditional practices like Oraz and Auyzashar, regularly taking part in the Nauryz festival with his neighbors, and showing admiration towards Abai Kunanbayev, his favorite poet, and the song "Men qazaqpyn" by Quanandyqa Rahym.
- In the pursuit of promoting the use and appreciation of Kazakh among younger generations in Kazakhstan, a comprehensive approach is needed, encompassing education, cultural promotion, technology, and social factors, as outlined in ongoing research on bilingual education programs, teacher training, cultural events, digital tools, and government policies.
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