Why is Russian widely understood in Kazakhstan?

Russian is widely understood in Kazakhstan primarily due to the country's long history of Russian and Soviet rule, which deeply integrated the language into the region's social and political fabric.1

During the 19th and 20th centuries, large-scale migration of Slavs into the region—driven by projects such as the Virgin and Idle Lands program—significantly increased the presence of Russian speakers. Prior to independence, Russian served as the primary language of government and education in the Kazakh S.S.R., leading many generations to be educated entirely in Russian.213

Although Kazakh is the state language, Russian remains an official language and is the most widely understood language in the country today. While the educational system has shifted toward prioritizing Kazakh since independence, Russian continues to be used extensively in public life, media, and communication.453