In 1996 the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev signed the Decree on declaration of May first to be Kazakhstan People’s Unity Day. This holiday is intended both to acquaint the nations of Kazakhstan with the traditions and cultures of each other and to unite Kazakhstan people, maintain and preserve interethnic accord and strengthen friendship.

The People’s Unity Day is celebrated in another two countries which are Russia and Dagestan. However, in Kazakhstan this holiday was established much earlier.

This day all regions of the country organize celebratory concerts, events, festivals, symbolizing friendship and unity of the nations of our multinational country and representatives of more than 100 nationalities.

The year before the announcement of May 1 to be the Day of Kazakhstan People’s Unity by the initiative of the President N. A. Nazarbayev on March 1, 1995 the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan was established to bring together interests of all ethnic groups, respect the rights and freedoms of citizens regardless their ethnicity.

The idea of creation of the Assembly was drawn out by the President of Kazakhstan in 1992 at the First Forum of Kazakhstan people.

Nowadays the Assembly is a constitutional body, chaired by the President. The legal status of the
Assembly is defined by the special Law of RK «On the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan» and «Regulations on the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan», which regulates the way of formation, structure and bodies, defines aims, main goals, areas of activities of the Assembly, as well as features of the organization of interaction with government bodies and public associations, mechanisms of participation in the development and implementation of state policy in the sphere of inter-ethnic relations.

The supreme body of the Assembly is the Session which is chaired by the President of the country. All its decisions are binding for consideration by both public authorities and civil society institutions.

Friendship Houses acts in all regions of the country. Almaty has the House of Friendship while Astana has the Palace of Peace and Accord, built by order of the Head of State. It hosts the annual sessions of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan, Congress of World and Traditional Religions and other significant events.

Support to and development of ethno-cultural association plays the special role in the sphere of ethno-cultural relations in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Mass media in Kazakhstan are presented by more than 35 ethnic newspapers and journals.

translated by  I.KUZMENKO