Changes in the traditional clothing of Kazakhs in the Tarbagatay region between the end of the nineteenth century and the twenty-first century

Abstract

The Tarbagatay region in eastern Kazakhstan, encompassing the Aksuat, Ayagoz, Makanshy and Urjar districts of the present-day Abay region as well as the Semey area, represents a distinctive cultural space shaped by long-standing interactions among Kazakh, Tatar and Russian populations. Located near the borders with China and Russia, the region can be understood as a historical borderland where processes of interethnic exchange have been particularly visible. While existing studies of traditional Kazakh clothing tend to focus on general descriptions of garments, less attention has been paid to how certain forms of dress come to be recognized as ‘national’. This article addresses this gap by examining how everyday clothing in the Tarbagatay region has gradually been reinterpreted as a marker of national tradition. The study draws on field materials collected between 2020 and 2024, as well as museum collections from the Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan and other written materials. It analyses clothing materials, production techniques, design features and patterns of use, while also considering broader factors such as cultural interaction, technological change, Soviet cultural policies and post-Soviet revitalization processes.