KAZAKH ETHNOGRAPHIC SCHOOL
2nd International Scientific Conference
(Dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth
of the prominent ethnographer E.A. Massanov)
The Ch.Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology is holding a series of international scientific conferences dedicated to the history of ethnographic scholarship in Kazakhstan and current issues in national ethnology under the general title “Kazakh Ethnographic School” (KES). The first forum in this series, dedicated to the memory of the prominent Kazakh ethnographer M.S. Mukanov, was held in December 2019. The conference, attended by leading Kazakhstani ethnologists, cultural scholars, and historians, as well as a number of foreign specialists (from Georgia, Sakha-Yakutia, Russia, and elsewhere), was held at a high scientific level, as evidenced by reviews and a number of publications.
On December 18, 2026, the Ch.Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnography (SC MSHE) plans to hold its next forum, dedicated to the prominent Kazakh ethnographer and historian Edyge Aidarbekuly Massanov (1926–1965), who passed away early but made a significant contribution to the development of domestic ethnological science during its early stages. The official title of the conference is “Kazakh Ethnographic School. “The Pioneers” Series.” Conference 2: Edyge Massanov (dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the scholar’s birth).”
E.A. Massanov was an outstanding scholar and researcher, a prominent representative of the academic scientific school of the post-war period, and a man with a difficult life: he came from a family of repressed Kazakh intellectuals, fought in the war, graduated from the history department of Moscow State University, then completed graduate school in Moscow, and quickly grew into one of the leading specialists in the ethnography and historiography of Kazakhstan. He was a talented, original, and versatile scholar who authored major comprehensive studies on Kazakh folk crafts and trades, ethnographic, historical, and cultural historiography (the fundamental monograph “Essay on the History of the Ethnographic Study of the Kazakh People in the USSR,” Alma-Ata, 1966), as well as numerous important scholarly articles. In total, during his short but vibrant creative career, this remarkable ethnographer published more than 40 groundbreaking works, which played a significant role in the development of historical and ethnographic scholarship in Kazakhstan. A number of significant studies by Y.A. Massanov, including his candidate dissertation “Domestic crafts and trades of the Kazakh people in the second half of the 19th – early 20th centuries,” defended in Moscow in 1960 (under the supervision of the prominent ethnographer T.A. Zhdanko), remained unpublished and require publication.
The scholar died tragically in the summer of 1965 during an expedition in Central Kazakhstan (rescuing a drowning comrade on a river), and his main work on the history of Kazakh ethnographic studies was published posthumously. His son Nurbolat Massanov (1954–2006) honorably continued the father’s work, he became one of the republic’s leading ethnologists and historians, a Doctor of Historical Sciences, the author of major scholarly works, and a key figure in our country’s political life at a turning point of its independence. Edyge Massanov’s wife, Saule Mussataykyzy Akhinzhanova (1929–2011), daughter of the renowned Kazakhstani historian M.B. Akhinzhanov, also made a significant contribution to the development of culture and librarianship in the republic. She served for many years as the head of the renowned Rare Collection of the A.S. Pushkin State Public Library (now the National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan).
Thus, the most important focus of the upcoming conference will be highlighting the scholarly and social role and place of the outstanding Kazakh ethnographer and historian Edyge Massanov – both as a scholar and as an individual – in the context of his biography, the complex ups and downs of the Soviet era, the fateful period in the development of Kazakhstan’s ethnology in the 1950s and 1960s, and, indispensably, the vibrant and complex history of the “Massanov dynasty” and its significance in the history of Kazakhstan’s humanities and culture. Certainly, the conference’s most important theme should be examining the special scholarly significance of the works and research of this prominent, multifaceted ethnographer, and raising and discussing the pressing issue of publishing (and republishing) the works of E.A. Massanov.
At the same time, the core theme of the International Scientific Conference “Kazakh Ethnographic School” (KES) remains the main focus of the series, which relates to the most important stage in the development of this scientific school, based on the fruitful collective work of pioneering ethnographers. The development of the “Kazakh ethnographic school,” which has now received further development and recognition, is linked to innovative, comprehensive research and the comprehensive works of a constellation of talented scholars who have worked for many years in the academic Department of Ethnography/Ethnology of the Institute of History and Ethnography (Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography). Among them are prominent, individual, outstanding research scholars: Nigmet Sabitov, Alkey Marghulan, Edyge Massanov, Khalel Argynbayev, Irina Zakharova, Veniamin Vostrov, Marat Mukanov, Rukiya Khodjaeva, and others, including the current academician and anthropologist Orazak Ismagulov, who have made fundamental contributions to the development of modern ethnology in Kazakhstan.
Another important focus of the upcoming conference remains the history of ethnological science in Kazakhstan as a whole. Undoubtedly, the aforementioned academic school has its origins in the work of researchers of the pre-Soviet and pre-war periods, including the first Kazakh ethnographers; and its continuation and development in the form of a large community of professional ethnologists, ethnosociologists, ethnoarchaeologists, and others. At the same time, modern ethnology and related disciplines are largely based on the foundation of the achievements of academic ethnography of the late 1940s – early 1990s. In this regard, the third most important thematic focus of the conference should be considered the current issues of modern ethnology and related disciplines.
A wide range of Kazakhstani and international specialists are invited to participate in the conference, including ethnologists, ethnosociologists, and ethnoarchaeologists; representatives of other scientific disciplines, such as historians, cultural scientists, archaeologists, art historians, museologists, and others; employees of scientific and educational institutions; relevant doctoral and master’s students; and anyone interested in further studying the problems of Kazakhstan’s ethnology and promoting ethnographic knowledge.
(NB! The KES Organizing Committee apologizes to all participants of the 2019 conference and the authors of submitted articles and papers for the failure to publish the Proceedings of the 1st Conference, which were collected and edited but not published due to a number of objective (including the pandemic) and subjective reasons. Therefore, we plan to publish the combined proceedings of the two conferences in a single book, a collection: Parts 1 and 2).
The conference will discuss the following topics in Kazakhstan's ethnological science:
• Edyge Aidarbekuly Massanov: Scholar and Man. Portrait Sketches. The Massanov Dynasty
• The Significance of the Works of the Leading Kazakhstani Ethnographer and Historian E.A. Massanov
• The Kazakh Ethnographic School of the Second Half of the 20th Century: Stages of Development, Directions, Achievements, and the Problem of Publicizing Scientific Results
• The Founders of the "Kazakh Ethnographic School": the Collective and the Individual
• The History of Ethnographic Science in Kazakhstan
• Methodology of Ethnographic and Ethnoarchaeological Field Research
• Current Issues in Modern Ethnology in Kazakhstan
• Theory and Practice of Ethnosociology and Ethnodemography in Kazakhstan
• The History and Culture of the Kazakh Diaspora
• Current Issues in Ethnoarchaeology in Kazakhstan Ethnographic Monument Studies
• General Theoretical, Methodological, and Scientific-Practical Issues in Modern Ethnology
Conference Regulations
Conference Date: December 18, 2026
Azhigali Serik Eskendiruly – KES Moderator, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Chief Researcher.
A plenary session and the following sections are planned:
1. "The Light of Your Star Never Goes Out...": Edyge Massanov – Scholar and Man, the Massanov Dynasty.
2. History of Ethnographic Science in Kazakhstan.
3. Current Issues in Modern Ethnology, Ethnosociology, Socio-Cultural Anthropology and Related Disciplines.
4. Field Research Methodology. Ethnoarchaeology. Ethnographic Monument Studies.
Any clarifications to the Conference Regulations will be announced in the 2nd information letter.
The conference languages are Kazakh, Russian and English
To participate in the conference and have their paper included in the program, potential participants must submit a completed Application Form (attached as a separate file) by June 15, 2026.
Following the conference, a comprehensive summary of the proceedings of the two KES conferences (2019 and 2026) is planned for publication. Participants of the first conference who submitted papers and have already published identical texts in other publications are requested to notify the Organizing Committee as soon as possible, submit revised versions, or submit new materials. Publication deadlines for the combined KESH proceedings are: first quarter of 2027
To be published, materials (in the form of a research article or extended abstract) must be relevant to the conference topic and formatted in strict accordance with the requirements (which are outlined below and also posted on the website of the Ch. Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology in the “News” tab). The deadline for paper submissions is October 1, 2026. Papers (articles) that do not meet the requirements or are submitted after the deadline, as well as those that are not of scientific interest, will not be accepted for publication. The use of the “Antiplagiat” program is expected when reviewing materials for publication.
Out-of-town speakers may participate remotely (via Zoom conference; the link will be provided in the 2nd information letter).
Applications and paper/article texts should be sent to the Organizing Committee address:
28 Shevchenko Str., Almaty, Postal code 050010, Kazakhstan. Ch.Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology SC MSHE, Department of Ethnology and Anthropology. Tel. +7 (727) 61-65-57.
E-mail: kazethnology@gmail.com
Contact persons:
Orynbayeva Gulmira Ussenbaykyzy – Executive Secretary of KES-2, Candidate of Historical Sciences, leading researcher, mob.: +7 701 370 7032.
Abdulina Aksunkar Tursynkyzy – Head of the Department of Ethnology and Anthropology, Candidate of Historical Sciences, mob.: +7 777 312 2036.
Chernienko Denis Arkadievich – Candidate of Historical Sciences, leading researcher, mob.: +7 775 883 9340.
Expenses for out-of-town conference participants are covered by the sending organization.
REQUIREMENTS FOR PAPERS (SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES) FOR PUBLICATION
IN THE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
The paper (in Kazakh/Russian/English) must be no more than 7 pages long and typed in MS Word. The file name and individual JPEG image files must be named after the author. The following specifications must be met:
1. Text file page format: A4.
2. Margins: top – 2 cm, bottom – 2 cm, right – 1 cm, left – 3 cm.
3. Font: Times New Roman, KZ Times New Roman, 12 font size.
4. Line spacing: single.
5. Indent: 1.0 mm.
6. The title of the paper is printed at the beginning of the text: at the top, centered, in CAPITAL LETTERS (BOLD).
7. The full name of the author(s) is centered below the title of the paper in lowercase letters (bold).
8. Below this is the full name of the author’s institution.
9. Below this, in a line, is an abstract (3-5 sentences, 10 font size), outlining the main content of the article and keywords or phrases separated by semicolons (5-7 words, 10 font size).
10. Below this, in English, in a line, is the author’s last name and initials; the title of the article (in capital letters, bold, centered); abstract (3-5 sentences, 10 font size); keywords or phrases (5-7 words, separated by semicolons; 10 font size).
11. The text of the report/article is placed one space after the paragraph indent. The paragraph indent is set automatically.
12. Standardization of characters: quotation marks – “”; centuries in dates – denoted with Roman numerals, years – with Arabic numerals. It is necessary to distinguish between the use of a hyphen (-) and a dash (–). The latter is indicated when indicating numerical, chronological limits, etc.: pp. 89–92, 179–185-bb; 1878–1879; 15th–16th centuries (without indentation), or the end of the 15th – beginning of the 16th centuries (with indentation); 7–8 km; M.–L., etc.
13. The list of references (and sources) (10 font size) is placed at the end of the article and is compiled in accordance with the order of citation of the works (general numbering in Arabic numerals with a dot: e.g. 1.); (Page numbers must be preceded by a dash (–): see example). In-text references are presented in square brackets as the corresponding number in the Bibliography, with the source page indicated (if necessary), for example: [1, с. 2], [1, 2-b.], or [1, p. 2].
14. Tables, diagrams, and figures must be titled and typed in a Windows environment.
All figures and photographs must have good contrast and a resolution of at least 300 dpi.
SAMPLE ARTICLE FORMATTING
| Орынбаева Г.У. Казахстан. Институт истории и этнологии им. Ч.Ч. Валиханова КН МОН РК НАЗВАНИЕ СТАТЬИ Аннотация (на казахском или русском языке) (кегль 10). Ключевые слова: …; …; …; …; ….(кегль 10) Orynbayeva G.U. TITLE OF ARTICLE Abstract (in English) (font size 10). Кeywords: …; …; …; …; …. (font size 10) Article text……. (font size 12) NOTES LITERATURE (font size 10) Эркерт Р.Ф. Антропологические измерения некоторых кавказских народов и описание измеренных субъектов // Изв. Кавказского отдела Имп. РГО. Т. VII и VIII. Тифлис, 1882–1883. – С. 48–56.Абдушелишвили М.Г. Антропология древнего и современного населения Грузии. Тбилиси: Мецниереба, 1964. – 208 с. Эриксон Э.В. К антропологии грузин // РАЖ. 1905. № 3–4. – С. 47–56.Пантюхов И.И. Антропологические наблюдения на Кавказе. // Записки Кавказского отдела Имп. РГО. Кн. XV. Тифлис, 1893. – 152 с. |
