The anthem is one of the main symbols of the state. The term “anthem”, which comes from the Greek word “gimneo”, means “solemn song”. The anthem is an important sound symbol, which is of fundamental importance for effective socio-political consolidation and ethno-cultural identification of the country’s citizens.
In the history of independent Kazakhstan, the national anthem of the country has been approved twice – in 1992 and 2006.
After the Republic gained state sovereignty in 1992, a competition for the music and text of the national anthem of Kazakhstan was announced. Following the results of the competition, it was decided to preserve the musical version of the anthem of the Kazakh SSR. Thus, the authors of the music of the first anthem of independent Kazakhstan were Mukan Tulebayev, Evgeny Brusilovsky and Latif Hamidi. In addition, the competition for the best text was won by the team of authors, famous poets Muzafar Alimbayev, Kadyr Myrzaliyev, Tumanbay Moldagaliyev and Zhadyra Daribayeva.
In order to increase the popularity of the country’s sound symbol, a new national anthem was adopted in 2006. The patriotic song “Menin Kazakstanym” was chosen as the basis for it. The song was written by Shamshi Kaldayakov in 1956 on the words of Zhumeken Nazhimedenov. The first president of Kazakhstan – Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev, in order to give the song a high status of the national anthem and make it sound more solemn, edited the original text of the musical work. The Parliament of Kazakhstan at a joint session of the chambers on January 6, 2006 made appropriate amendments to the decree “on state symbols” and approved the new national anthem of the country.
