Kazakhstan independence day celebration @ CIU in pictures

The Kazakhstan students association, Cyprus International University, CIU, Cyprus, chapter celebrated the country's 25th independence day in a colorful way on December 16th. The event also featured, dancing, music performances, speeches and lots more.

The celebration marks the independence of Kazakhstan on 16th of December 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Lets take a brief look at some history of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic, is a Central Asian country that extends from the Caspian Sea in the west to the Altai Mountains at its eastern border with China and Russia. 

It's capital is Astana and boast a population of 17.04 million people as of 2013. It has a GDP per capita of 13,609.75 USD (2013)

Its largest metropolis, Almaty, is a long-standing trading hub whose landmarks include Ascension Cathedral, a tsarist-era Russian Orthodox church, and the Central State Museum of Kazakhstan, displaying thousands of Kazakh artifacts.

The Holiday

Kazakhstan National Holiday is celebrated annually on the 16th of December and if the date falls on a weekend, the following Monday is declared a holiday.

It is a two day celebration with 17th December also declared a holiday and may also be extended in some years with a third day depending on which days of the week 16th and 17th December falls on.

Kazak as it is called for short, is a region populated by nomadic tribes. 

Its Independence

In the 18th century, the Russia Empire made advances into the region, controlling the whole of Kazakhstan by the middle of the 19th century.

After the Russian revolution in 1917 and the creation of the Soviet Union, civil war erupted in the region with various attempts to bring the people in the region together. Finally in 1936, the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic was formed.

Following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Kazakhstan adopted the constitutional law on the independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan on December 16, 1991. 

Kazakhstan was the last of the Soviet republics to declare independence, four days after Russia. 

Nursultan Nazarbayev, was elected the first, and to date, the only President of Kazakhstan.

Did you know?
Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country by land area.

How it is celebrated

The Independence Day is celebrated by festivities with many Kazakhs dressing up in traditional clothes. 

Kurts (traditional tents) will be set up in many villages where local delicacies will be served.

Sources: Office Holidays/Wikipedia

Photo source; CIU International center