INSTRUMENTALIZATION OF THE SUBJECT OF THE FAMINE OF 1932‒1933 IN THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN: FRAME ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC SPEECHES OF THE REPUBLIC'S LEADERSHIP

Abstract

Using the past for political purposes is a powerful tool in the formation of identities. Post-Soviet countries demonstrate various strategies when dealing with the memory of the past. This article focuses on the political use of the topic of the famine of 1932-1933 in Kazakhstan. This topic is usually associated with Ukraine, however, starting from 2012, the famine of 1932-1933 has become one of the tools for shaping national identity in Kazakhstan. This article uses Yanow and van Hulst's dynamic frame analysis to determine the dynamics of famine framing in the speeches of Kazakhstan's presidents and their representatives. The central question of this article is how the famine of 1932-1933 is framed by the ruling elite, and what common and distinctive features can be identified through comparison with the famine framing in competing narratives. The analysis shows that the ruling elites of Kazakhstan present the famine as an artificially created tragedy without focusing on the culprit. The constructed official narrative thus differs from rival narratives in its diplomatic language. This both helps to maintain internal balance and avoids memory wars in the international arena, which distinguishes the case of Kazakhstan from the case of Ukraine.