- Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen (born October 13, 1971) is an English comedian and actor most noted for his comic characters Borat (a Kazakh reporter), Ali G (a junglist from Staines, England) and Bruno (a flamboyantly gay Austrian fashion reporter). All three characters are featured in "Da Ali G Show", a programme in which Cohen conducts interviews while dressed as one of his three characters.
- Timur Bekmambetov
Timur Bekmambetov (born 25 June 1961 in Guryev, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union (present Atyrau, Kazakhstan)) is an Russian-Kazakh film and advertisement director living in Russia. He was one of the authors of the popular "World History" advertisement series for Bank Imperial between 1992 and 1997. He was the director of the 2004 film "Night Watch (Nochnoi Dozor)", a popular Russian fantasy film based on the book by Sergey Lukyanenko, and its sequel, …
- Karim Masimov
Karim Kajimqanüly Masimov born in 1965 in Tselinograd, Kazakh SSR now Astana, Kazakhstan) has served as Prime Minister in the Government of Kazakhstan since 10 January 2007. Masimov is fluent in Kazakh, Russian, Chinese, English,and Arabic. He studied in China and worked in Hong Kong where he headed Kazakstan's trading operations. At the same time, he is thought to be well connected within the Kremlin.
- Alexander Vinokourov
Alexander Nikolaivich Vinokourov, also written Alexandre Vinokourov, (born 16 September 1973 in Petropavlovsk, Soviet Union, now Petropavl, Kazakhstan) is a Kazakhstani professional road bicycle racer. He is often referred to by the nickname "Vino" and is known to be a fearless attacker and a good all-rounder.
- Michael Lopez-Alegria
Miguel Eladio "LA" López-Alegría is an American astronaut and a veteran of three space shuttle missions and one International Space Station mission. Miguel López-Alegría, born in Madrid (Spain) and raised in Mission Viejo, California, joined the United States Navy and earned engineering degrees in 1980 and 1988 from the Naval Academy and the Naval Postgraduate School.
- Andrey Kashechkin
Andrey Kashechkin, born March 21, 1980) is a Kazakh road racing cyclist currently riding for the Team Astana UCI ProTour outfit. Kashechkin was born in Kzyl Orda, Kazakhstan. As a child, he practised sports such as swimming or football, until he followed the footsteps of his older brother and took up cycling. After the junior World Championships at Valkenburg, Kashechkin moved to Belgium, where he turned pro in 2001 with the Domo-Farm Frites team.
- Wladimir Klitschko
Dr. Wladimir Wladimirowitsch Klitschko ("Volodymyr Volodymyrovych Klychko"); born March 25 1976 in Solnechnoe, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan) is a Ukrainian heavyweight boxer, former WBO and the current IBF and IBO World Heavyweight Champion. Though a major celebrity in his former adopted home of Germany, in 2004 he moved with his older brother, former heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, to Beverly Hills.
- Oleg Maskaev
Oleg Maskaev (born March 2 1969 in Zhambyl, Kazakhstan) is a Russian mine worker who turned into a professional boxer and is the current World Boxing Council lineal heavyweight champion of the world. Originally hailing from Zhambyl (now Taraz), Kazakhstan, he fought out of Staten Island, New York, The United States of America (US) until 9 December 2006 when Russian president Vladimir Putin granted him Russian citizenship.
- Akezhan Kazhegeldin
Akezhan Kazhegeldin (born on 2 March, 1952) served as the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan until he resigned in October 1997, ostensibly for health reasons, though many saw it as an act protesting authoritarianism in Kazakhstan. He now heads the Republic People's Party of Kazakhstan, but lives in the West in exile. Adam Albion of "Radio Free Europe" characterized Kazhegeldin's efforts at democratizing Kazakhstan as "defiant, confrontational, …
- Dariga Nazarbayeva
Dariga Nursultanqyzy Nazarbayeva (born 7 May 1963 in Temirtau, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union) is a Kazakh lawmaker and daughter of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. At one point she worked as head of the official state-run news agency, Khabar, but she no longer does. She formed the Kazakh political party Asar, Kazakh for "All together." Asar merged with the pro-Nazarbayev party Otan in July 2006.
- Timur
Tīmūr bin Tara<u>gh</u>ay Barlas, known in the West as Tamburlaine, was a 14th century warlord of Turco-Mongol descent, conqueror of much of Western and central Asia, and founder of the Timurid Empire and Timurid dynasty (1370–1405) in Central Asia, which survived in some form until 1857. Perhaps, he is more commonly known by his pejorative Persian name Timur-e Lang which translates to Timur the Lame, …
- Alina Kabaeva
Alina Kabaeva. She is a rhythmic gymnast from Russia. Kabaeva is known for her extreme natural flexibility. She stands at 1.66m (5'4) and weighs 48kg (106lbs). Alina is Russia's most successful rhythmic gymnast to date, and is also one of the most decorated gymnasts in the history of rhythmic gymnastics. Kabaeva started rhythmic gymnastics in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 1987 at age 4. Her first coach was A. Malkina.
- Rashid Nurgaliyev
Rashid Gumarovich Nurgaliyev is the minister of the interior of Russia. He was born in Zhetiqara (Kazakhstan, on October 81956. He is an ethnic Tatar. In 1981-1995 he worked in the KGB Directorate of Karelia and its successor, Security Ministry of Karelia, in 1992-1994 led by Nikolai Patrushev.
- Sergei Duvanov
Sergei Duvanov (born 1953) is a prominent Kazakhstani journalist who in 2002 wrote articles that showed President Nursultan Nazarbayev and several other Kazakh politicians had illicit Swiss bank accounts containing millions of U.S.' dollars. The scandal was labeled "Kazakhgate." In 2001 the U.S. Department of Justice investigated Kazakhgate. Duvanov was arrested in October 2002 at his datcha outside Almaty, accused of raping a 14-year old girl, …
- Linda
Svetlana Lyvovna Geiman (born April 29 1975, in Kentau, a town on the border of China and Kazakhstan, known as Linda, is the vocalist of her own band, also named Linda. She is very popular in Russia and is gaining popularity in Europe.
- Richard Jones
Richard H. Jones (born in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States in 1950) is the United States Ambassador to Israel. Between February 2005 and September of that year, Jones served as the Secretary of State's Senior Advisor and Coordinator for Iraq policy. Jones served as the U.S. ambassador to Kuwait from 2001 to 2004, U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan from 1998 to 2000, and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon from 1996 to 1998.
- Dmitriy Karpov
Dmitriy Karpov (born July 23, 1981 in Karaganda) is an athlete from Kazakhstan who competes in decathlon and heptathlon (the latter during the winter season). He won the bronze medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics. In 2006 he won the decathlon meeting in Talence, finishing with 8438 points.
- Kanat Saudabayev
Kanat Bekmyrzayevich Saudabayev (born in Alma-ata, Kazakhstan in 1946) has served as the state secretary of the Republic of Kazakhstan since 15 May 2007. He served as Kazakhstan's ambassador to the United States from December 2000 until the political shakeup of 2007, when President Nursultan Nazarbayev promoted him to his current position. He served as the ambassador to the United Kingdom and Turkey in the 1990s. Saudabayev is married with three children.
- Zamanbek Nurkadilov
Zamanbek Nurkadilov (d. 11 November, 2005) served as the Mayor of Almaty in Kazakhstan and Minister of Emergency Situations in the Nazarbayev administration. In March 2004 he began to strongly criticize President Nazarbayev. On 11 November 2005 someone shot him twice in the chest and once in the head. The Government of Kazakhstan ruled his death a suicide, but "Radio Free Europe" alleges he is the victim of an assassination.
- Ruslan Aushev
Ruslan Sultanovich Aushev (Russian: Руслан Султанович Аушев; born October 29, 1954, village Volodarskoye, Kazakhstan) was the president of Ingushetia from March 1993 through December 2001. Holder of the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union from May 07 1982. After three years at the Frunze Military Academy, Aushev returned to Afghanistan in charge of a combat regiment where he was wounded on October 16, 1986.
- Vladimir Kim
Vladimir Kim is a billionaire businessman from Kazakhstan, of Korean descent. He is chairman of Kazakhmys, the copper mining company quoted on the London Stock Exchange, and owns around 45% of the firm. In the "Sunday Times Rich List 2007" ranking of the wealthiest people in the UK he was placed 19th with an estimated fortune of £2,261 million.
- Assan Bazayev
Assan Bazayev (b. 22 February 1981) is a professional road bicycle racer and cyclist from Kazakhstan. In 2006, he rides for Team Astana on the UCI ProTour. In 2004 he won the Hellas Tour, but he didn't win any stage. He also won stage 1 of the 2006 Tour of Germany in August 2006.
- Dmitri Sychev
Dmitri Yevgenyevich Sychev is a soccer player from Russia. His last name is also transcribed as "Sytchev", and his first name as "Dmitry" or "Dmitriy". He has been hailed by the international press as "The Russian Michael Owen" and as "The most sensational young Russian forward since Vladimir Beschastnykh".
- Marat Bisengaliev
Marat Bisengaliev (born 1962, Kazakhstan) is a Kazakh violinist and director of the West Kazakhstan Philharmonic Orchestra and TuranAlem Kazakhstan Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also head of the Uralsk International Violin Competition. Mr. Bisengaliev is currently the Music Director of the Symphony Orchestra of India.
- Tom Johnson
Tom Johnson is a Portland lawyer, working for the firm, Perkins Coie. Johnson volunteered to serve as a lawyer to a Guantanamo detainee, a 33 year old citizen of Kazakhstan named Ilkham Turdbyavich Batayev. Batayev describes being kidnapped by fundamentalist muslims allied to the Taliban during a trip to Tajikstan to sell fruit, who then traded him to the Taliban, who used him as a kitchen slave.
- Samat Smakov
Samat Smakov (born February 2, 1978) is a football defender from Kazakhstan. As of April 2007 he has played 40 international matches, for the Kazakhstan national football team. Many times he lead the team as a captain Smakov started his career in his home town Semey playing for FC Elimay, and has since played for different teams, including FC Rostov in Russian Premier League
- Dmitriy Gaag
Dmitriy Gaag (born March 20, 1971) is an athlete from Kazakhstan. He competes in triathlon. Gaag competed at the first Olympic triathlon at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He took fourth place with a total time of 1:49:03.57. He competed again at the second Olympic triathlon at the 2004 Summer Olympics, dropping to twenty-fifth place with a time 1:56:28.97.
- Talgat Musabayev
Talgat Amangeldyuly Musabayev (Kazakh: Талғат Аманкелдіұлы Мұсабаев; born 7 January 1951, Kargaly, Kazakhstan), is a Kazakh test pilot and former cosmonaut (Kazakh: gharyshker) who flew on the following space missions: *Soyuz TM-19 Flight Engineer - 4 November 1994 - 125d 22h 53m *Soyuz TM-27 Commander - 25 August 1998 - 207d 12h 49m *Soyuz TM-32/Soyuz TM-31 Commander - 6 May 2001 - 7d 22h 04m As of 2007, …
- Bulat Abilov
Bulat Abilov became the Deputy Chairman of the Otan political party in Kazakhstan after the death of Parliamentary Speaker and Deputy Chairman Marat Ospanov.
- Ablai Khan
Ablai-Khan (1711 - 1781) was a Kazakh khan of the Middle Horde. Born as Abulmansur. Ablai-Khan belonged to the senior branch of descendants of the 15th century founder of the Kazakh state, Janybek Khan. In the first half of the 18th century Ablai-Khan proved to be a talented organizer and commander as he headed detachments of the Kazakh militia fighting the Dzungars. He participated in the most significant battles against the Dzungars from the 1720s to the 1750s, …
- Bakhtiyar Artayev
Bakhtiyar Artayev (born March 14, 1983) is a Kazakh boxer who competed in the welterweight (69 kg) category at the 2004 Summer Olympics and won the gold medal. In the final, Artayev beat Lorenzo Aragon Armenteros of Cuba with a score of 36-26. He was the Winner of the Val Barker Trophy for Outstanding Boxer at the 2004 Olympic Games. He won the bronze medal at the 2005 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Mianyang, China.
- Arno Pijpers
Arno Pijpers (born 21 April 1959) is a Dutch football coach and is currently the head coach of the Kazakhstan national football team. As a player he played for Feyenoord and FC Papendrecht. He worked for the Royal Netherlands Football Association as a youth coach, before taking up a dual role in being the coach of Estonian club FC Flora Tallinn and the Estonia national football team.
- Daniil Sapunov
Daniil Sapunov (born April 5, 1982) is an athlete from Kazakhstan. He competes in triathlon. Sapunov competed at the second Olympic triathlon at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He placed seventeenth with a total time of 1:54:33.15.
- Shirin Akiner
Shirin Akiner is a lecturer in Central Asian Studies at London University's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). She has produced many works, particularly on Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and is a Member of Editorial and Advisory Board of "Journal of Central Asian and Caucasian Studies", published by the U.S.A.K.. In 2005 she became involved in a controversy when human rights groups, non-governmental organizations and former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, …
- Vladimir Dezhurov
Vladimir Nikolayevich Dezhurov was born on July 30, 1962 in the settlement of Yavas, Zubovo-Polyansky District, Mordovia, Russia. He attended and graduated from the S.I. Gritsevits Kharkov Higher Military Aviation School in 1983 with a pilot engineer’s diploma. After graduating, he served as a pilot and senior pilot in the Air Force. In 1987, he was assigned to the Cosmonaut Training Center. From December 1987 to June 1989, he underwent a course of general space training.
- Nik Antropov
Nikolai Aleksandrovich Antropov (born February 18 1980, in Ust-Kamenogorsk, U.S.S.R., now Öskemen, Kazakhstan) is a professional Hockey centre in the National Hockey League who plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- 'Abd Al-Latif
Abd al-Latif ibn Muhammad Taraghay Ulughbek, also known as 'Abd al-Latif, (c. 1420 - May 9, 1450) was the great-grandson of Central Asian warlord Timur. He was the third son of Ulugh Beg, Timurid ruler of Transoxiana (modern Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan). Having been given the governorship of Balkh, 'Abd al-Latif served under his father. During the succession struggle that followed the death of Shah Rukh, he occupied Herat, …
- Abd Al-Latif
Abd al-Latif ibn Muhammad Taraghay Ulughbek, also known as 'Abd al-Latif, (c. 1420 - May 9, 1450) was the great-grandson of Central Asian warlord Timur. He was the third son of Ulugh Beg, Timurid ruler of Transoxiana (modern Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan). Having been given the governorship of Balkh, 'Abd al-Latif served under his father. During the succession struggle that followed the death of Shah Rukh, he occupied Herat, …
- Max Birbraer
Max Birbraer (born December 15, 1980, in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan) is a professional ice hockey player. He was the first Israeli national ever to be drafted by a NHL team.
- Andrei Kivilev
Andrei Kivilev (September 20, 1973-March 12, 2003) was a professional road bicycle racer from Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan. In March 2003, he fell heavily during the Paris-Nice race and subsequently died of his injuries. His death was the trigger for the UCI to finally implement the compulsory wearing of helmets in all endorsed races.