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Abstract

This research explores how Christian denominations in Kazakhstan use Kazakh traditional imagery and artistic forms (Kazakh ornamental motifs, decorative patterns, and visual references to traditional textiles or steppe symbolism) to engage with local culture and negotiate belonging in a multiethnic post-Soviet society. I examine the hypothesis that some churches demonstrate greater openness to local cultural forms than others. For example, the frescoes in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Cathedral in Astana incorporate Kazakh ornamental motifs and were painted by a Kazakh non-Christian artist with the Church’s official permission. In 2022, an artwork by the Kazakh painter Dosbol Kassymov depicting the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus with Kazakh facial features and employing Kazakh symbolism was recognized by the Vatican.

The study combines visual analysis of icons, frescoes, and other church imagery in selected Christian churches in Kazakhstan with discourse analysis of parish publications, sermons, and official media materials. It examines (1) how churches connect faith, culture, and national identity, and (2) how visual choices reflect broader strategies of outreach, cultural adaptation, or the preservation of inherited traditions.

This project contributes to Central Eurasian Studies by highlighting the role of visual culture in shaping religious and cultural interaction in Kazakhstan as a multiethnic state. By tracing how Christian communities incorporate Kazakh motifs and visual languages, the project offers a new perspective on how religious groups negotiate identity and belonging across the region. In doing so, it reconceptualizes the region as a space where global religious traditions are continuously reinterpreted through local cultural forms.