ABSTRACT
Historical interpretations therefore play a significant role in the ethnic policy of contemporary Kazakhstan and in relations with Russia. The chapter outlines the period of colonization resulted in negative attitudes towards Russia and Russian populations, while exploring the specifics of the Republic's new nation-building processes. Security was central in the history of Kazakhstan's relations with Russia and it remained so after the collapse of the USSR. Another historical aspect related to military and security issues involves the more contemporary history of relations between Kazakhstan and Russia. The Russians of Kazakhstan also suffered during the Bolshevik regime, especially during the Civil War of 1917-1921. The Basmachi insurrection of 1918-1926 against Soviet rule in Turkestan affected areas of southern Kazakhstan in the form of ethnic conflict between the Russian settlers and native Muslims. During the Soviet era, Kazakhstan's territories were gradually transformed from largely nomadic steppes into areas with developed infrastructure and agriculture.
