Inter-ethnic marriages in Kazakhstan during the USSR and independence: religious studies view

Abstract

Interethnic marriages are an important indicator of social integration and cultural interaction in multi-ethnic societies. This study aims to analyze the development of interethnic marriages in Kazakhstan during the late Soviet and post-Soviet periods from the perspective of religious studies, with particular attention to the interaction between ethnic and religious identities in family life. The analysis focuses specifically on marriages between Kazakhs and Russians, the two largest ethnic groups in the country. The study employs a qualitative research design supported by the secondary analysis of quantitative statistical data. The research is based on official statistics from the Bureau of National Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a review of academic literature, and an analysis of Islamic and Orthodox Christian approaches to interfaith marriage using historical-comparative, comparative religious, and documentary analysis. The findings demonstrate that the transformation of interethnic marriages in Kazakhstan cannot be explained solely by demographic change. Historical processes, religious revival, and the interaction between ethnic and religious identities have significantly influenced family relationships, marriage patterns, and child upbringing. The analysis further shows that Islamic and Orthodox Christian traditions differ in their theological approaches to interfaith marriage but similarly emphasize the importance of religious continuity within the family. The stability of interethnic and interfaith families depends less on religious differences themselves than on spouses’ ability to negotiate family practices, respect each other’s religious identities, and develop shared approaches to raising children. The study contributes to religious studies by integrating historical, demographic, and religious perspectives in the analysis of interethnic marriages in Kazakhstan. Its findings may be useful for researchers, educators, policymakers, and religious communities involved in supporting interethnic and interfaith families and promoting constructive interreligious dialogue in multicultural societies.

Keywords: interethnic marriages, interfaith marriages, religious identity, cultural integration, social tolerance