Nurbulat Masanov: image and legacy from perspective of early career researchers

Nurbulat Edigeevich Masanov (1954–2006) was a Kazakhstani scientist and public figure who made a significant contribution to the study of the nomadic society of the Kazakhs and is considered the founder of the scientific field of nomadic studies in Kazakhstan. Despite his short life, he left a lasting mark not only through his scientific works, but also through his active civic stance in the socio-political life of the country. This article reveals the image of Nurbulat Masanov in the minds of the younger generation of historians. Based on a correspondence survey, responses were received from early career researchers – historians studying for their doctorates and master’s degrees. For most of the respondents, Nurbulat Masanov is a scientist, historian, and author of the work “Nomadic Civilization of the Kazakhs: The Foundations of Life of a Nomadic Society”. Early career researchers also know him as an ethnologist and political scientist; he was not only a researcher but also an outstanding scientist with an active civic position. His journalistic and civic activities are least known to them, which is probably due to the age of the respondents. Nurbulat Masanov was a scientist and patriot who researching the past, but took an active part in social and political activities in his modern life in order to make the future much better. Further research into the history of nomadic society will contribute to the continued development of nomadic studies as an important field in the historical science of Kazakhstan and will preserve the memory of Nurbulat Masanov.