Nazarbayev

Nursultan Nazarbayev is a Kazakh politician who served as the first President of Kazakhstan from 1990 to 2019. He was born in 1940 in the village of Shapagat in the Kazakh SSR. Nazarbayev began his career in the steel industry, eventually rising to become the director of a metallurgical plant. He joined the Communist Party of Kazakhstan in the 1960s and held various positions within the party and government.

In 1989, he became the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Nazarbayev declared Kazakhstan's independence and was elected its first president in 1991. During his presidency, Kazakhstan experienced significant economic growth, largely driven by its oil and gas resources. He implemented market-oriented reforms and pursued a foreign policy aimed at balancing relations with major powers.

Nazarbayev was re-elected multiple times, often with high percentages of the vote, though international observers have sometimes raised concerns about the fairness of the elections. His tenure was characterized by a strong presidential system and a focus on national development and stability. In March 2019, he unexpectedly resigned from the presidency, but retained significant influence as the "Elbasy" (Leader of the Nation). He later resigned from this position as well.