Abstract: The article analyzes the gravestones of the Kazakhs of Kazakhstan and Russia. The features of these structures are shown on the example of the Kazakhs of the North and South (respectively, Akmola and Turkestan regions) of Kazakhstan and Western Siberia (Russia, Omsk region). Particular attention is paid to the development of grave constructions of the Kazakhs throughout the XX century and the identification of factors that influenced changes in these structures in the specified period of time, and establishing of their types. An analysis of such structures is carried out in connection with the genealogical groups of the Kazakh ethnic group. In the southern regions of Kazakhstan, grave constructions of Kazakhs of the “Qozha” genealogical group were analyzed, in the northern part - the “Kyrgyz” genealogical group, and in the Omsk region – the “Kypchak”, “Argyn” and “Kerei” genealogical groups.
The article describes the gravestones, their location within the grave structure. It also analyzes the origin and evolution of gravestones in the nomads of the Great Steppe, in particular, among the Kazakh nomads. The work also clarified some information regarding the territorial distribution of certain types of gravestones among the Kazakhs of the Omsk region, given in the works of ethnographic researchers, as well as about the appearance of gravestones in the form of metal fences in the Kazakhs.
The study of cemeteries of various genealogical groups of Kazakhs, who live in areas of Kazakhstan that are geographically significantly remote (more than 1 thousand km) from each other, as well as outside Kazakhstan (in the Russian Federation), allowed the author to draw conclusions about the overall similarity of the structure, types of grave constructions of Kazakhs in different regions of their residence.
