Today, December 28, marks the day Kazakhstan transitioned to the Latin alphabet, according to Adyrna’s correspondent.
In 1928, the Central Executive Committee of the Kazakh ASSR adopted a resolution to transition to the Latin alphabet. The aim was to replace the Arabic script with the Latin script for Kazakh writing. Following the resolution, a new writing system based on the Latin script was introduced in Kazakhstan. Prior to this decision, there were extensive discussions, congresses of Turkologists, and inter-republican assemblies of Central Asian countries.
The transition to the Latin alphabet was viewed as a necessary step to enhance the compatibility of Kazakh grammar, improve literacy levels, and advance science and education in line with the demands of the modern era.
By 1929, the new alphabet was widely implemented among the Kazakh population, taught in schools, and used in the press. However, this change was short-lived. In 1940, the Soviet government began transitioning to the Cyrillic script. The Latin alphabet was used until 1939.
After Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991, the ideas of national revival and cultural renaissance resurfaced. During this period, the idea of transitioning to the Latin script was reintroduced as part of efforts to modernize the Kazakh language and national culture. In 1993, the first language law of independent Kazakhstan was adopted, designating Kazakh as the state language and outlining measures to promote it.
In 2017, under the initiative of Kazakhstan’s first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, a new programmatic plan was adopted to transition to the Latin alphabet. This move was seen as an important step toward the development of the national language.
In 2018, a special national project for the Latin alphabet was unveiled. In 2019, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced that the transition to the Latin script would be completed by 2025. Several drafts of the Latin alphabet have been proposed over multiple phases. Currently, these drafts are being reviewed and refined. In 2021, the final version of the new Kazakh Latin alphabet was approved, and its phased implementation is underway.
