Kazakhstan–Russia Border
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Kazakhstan–Russia border is the international border between the
Republic of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
and the
Russian Federation Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
. It is the longest continuous international border in the world and the second longest by total length, after the
Canada–United States border The international border between Canada and the United States is the longest in the world by total length. The boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: Canada' ...
. It is in the same location as the former administrative-territorial border between the
Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Kazakhstan, the Kazakh SSR, KSSR, or simply Kazakhstan, was one of the transcontinental country, transcontinental Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Un ...
and the
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...
.


Geography

The border starts in the west at the
Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, described as the List of lakes by area, world's largest lake and usually referred to as a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia: east of the Caucasus, ...
and runs in a broadly west–east direction to the
tripoint A triple border, tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geography, geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or Administrative division, subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints ...
with
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, though in places it is extremely convoluted. The border consists almost entirely of a series of overland lines traversing the
Eurasian Steppe The Eurasian Steppe, also called the Great Steppe or The Steppes, is the vast steppe ecoregion of Eurasia in the temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands biome. It stretches through Manchuria, Mongolia, Xinjiang, Kazakhstan, Siberia, Europea ...
, though in sections rivers are utilised, such as the Maly Uzen, Ural and Uy. The border runs across lakes Botkul and Bura. In the far eastern section the border runs through the
Altai Mountains The Altai Mountains (), also spelled Altay Mountains, are a mountain range in Central Asia, Central and East Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan converge, and where the rivers Irtysh and Ob River, Ob have their headwaters. The ...
.


Settlements

The following towns and cities of Kazakhstan lie adjacent to the border: * Kurmangazy * Saykyn * Zhanybek *
Oral The word oral may refer to: Relating to the mouth * Relating to the mouth, the first portion of the alimentary canal that primarily receives food and liquid **Oral administration of medicines ** Oral examination (also known as an oral exam or ora ...
* Zhetikara *
Petropavl Petropavl ( ; ) is a city on the Ishim River in northern Kazakhstan close to the border with Russia. It is the capital of the North Kazakhstan Region. Population: 218,956. Petropavl is about from Kökşetau, northwest of the national cap ...
The following towns and cities of Russia lie adjacent to the border: * Marfino *
Astrakhan Astrakhan (, ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the Caspian Depression, from the Caspian Se ...
* Kaysatskoye * Pallasovka * Alexandrov Gay * Ozinki *
Orsk Orsk () is the second largest city in Orenburg Oblast, Russia, located on the steppe about southeast of the southern tip of the Ural Mountains. The city straddles the Ural River. Population: It lies adjacent to the Kazakhstan–Russia border. ...
* Novotroitsk * Dombarovsky *
Troitsk Troitsk (, ''Tróick'') is the name of several types of inhabited localities in Russia, inhabited localities in Russia. Modern localities ;Urban localities *Troitsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast, a town in Chelyabinsk Oblast; *Troitsk, Moscow, a town in Tro ...
* Isilkul * Gornyak


Subnational entities

The following
Regions of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan is divided into 17 regions (; ; ; ) and 4 cities. The regions are further subdivided into districts of Kazakhstan, districts (; ; ; ). The four cities, Almaty, Baikonur, Shymkent, and the capital city Astana, do not belong to the ...
(''oblystar'') lie on the border: *
Atyrau Region Atyrau Region (; ) formerly known as Guryev Region () until 1991, is one of the regions of Kazakhstan, in the western part of the country around the northeast of the Caspian Sea. Its capital is the city of Atyrau, with a population of 355,117; t ...
*
West Kazakhstan Region West Kazakhstan Region (; ) is a region of Kazakhstan. The region has a population of 695,000 as of July 1st, 2024. Its administrative centre is Oral (also known as Uralsk or Ural'sk), a city of about 250,000 inhabitants. The Region was created ...
*
Aktobe Region Aktobe Region (; ) is a region of Kazakhstan. The name ''Aktobe'' comes from Kazakh ''aq'' 'white' and ''töbe'' 'hill' or 'top (of something)'; supposedly, Aktobe's initial settlers were able to see white mountains far to the north. The Aktobe ...
*
Kostanay Region Kostanay Region (; ) is a region of Kazakhstan. Its administrative center is the city of Kostanay. The population of the region is 835,686. The population living in Kostanay is 207,000 which is equivalent to 23% of the region. Geography Kosta ...
*
North Kazakhstan Region North Kazakhstan Region (; ) is a region of Kazakhstan, with a population of 522,171. Its capital is Petropavl, with a population of 221,907 people. It is the only region of Kazakhstan in which ethnic Kazakhs don't make up a majority. History ...
*
Pavlodar Region Pavlodar Region (; ) is a region of Kazakhstan. The population of the region was and The latest official estimate (as at the start of 2022) was 756,511. Its capital is the city of Pavlodar, which had a population of 360,014 at the start of 201 ...
*
East Kazakhstan Region East Kazakhstan Region (; ) is a region of Kazakhstan. It occupies the easternmost part of Kazakhstan, and includes parts of the Irtysh River, Lake Markakol, and Lake Zaysan. Its administrative center is Öskemen (also known as Ust'-Kamenogorsk ...
The following
Federal subjects of Russia The federal subjects of Russia, also referred to as the subjects of the Russian Federation () or simply as the subjects of the federation (), are the administrative division, constituent entities of Russia, its top-level political division ...
lie on the border: #
Astrakhan Oblast Astrakhan Oblast (; ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) located in southern Russia. Its administrative center is the city of Astrakhan. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 1,010,073. Geography Astrakhan's southern border is the ...
#
Volgograd Oblast Volgograd Oblast ( rus, Волгоградская область, p=vəɫɡɐˈgratskəjə ˈobɫəsʲtʲ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (an oblast) of Russia, located in the Volga region, lower Volga region of Southern Russia ...
#
Saratov Oblast Saratov Oblast is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the Volga Federal District. Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Saratov. As of the 2021 Russian cens ...
#
Samara Oblast Samara Oblast (, ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Samara. From 1935 to 1991, it was known as Kuybyshev Oblast. As of the Rus ...
#
Orenburg Oblast Orenburg Oblast (also Orenburzhye) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), mainly located in Eastern Europe. Its administrative center is the city of Orenburg. From 1938 to 1957, it bore the name Chkalov Oblast in honor of Valery Chkal ...
#
Chelyabinsk Oblast Chelyabinsk Oblast; , is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (an oblast) of Russia in the Ural Mountains region, on the border of Europe and Asia. Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Chel ...
#
Kurgan Oblast Kurgan Oblast () is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Kurgan. According to the 2021 Census, the population was 776,661, down from 910,807 recorded in the 2010 Census. History Formed by De ...
#
Tyumen Oblast Tyumen Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (an oblast) of Russia. It is located in Western Siberia, and is administratively part of the Ural Federal District. The oblast has administrative jurisdiction over two autonomous ...
#
Omsk Oblast Omsk Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in southwestern Siberia. The oblast has an area of . Its population is 1,977,665 (Russian Census (2010), 2010 Census) with the majority, 1.12 million, ...
#
Novosibirsk Oblast Novosibirsk Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast) located in southwestern Siberia. Its administrative center, administrative and economic center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of N ...
#
Altai Krai Altai Krai (, ) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai). It borders, clockwise from the west, Kazakhstan ( East Kazakhstan Region, Abai Region and Pavlodar Region), Novosibirsk and Kemerovo, and the Altai Republic. The krai's administrative ce ...
#
Altai Republic The Altai Republic, also known as the Gorno-Altai Republic, is a republic of Russia located in southern Siberia. The republic borders Kemerovo Oblast to the north, Khakassia to the northeast, Tuva to the east, Altai Krai to the west, as well ...


History

Russia had conquered
Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...
in the 19th century, by annexing the formerly independent Khanates of
Kokand Kokand ( ) is a city in Fergana Region in eastern Uzbekistan, at the southwestern edge of the Fergana Valley. Administratively, Kokand is a district-level city, that includes the urban-type settlement Muqimiy. The population of Kokand was ap ...
and
Khiva Khiva ( uz-Latn-Cyrl, Xiva, Хива, ; other names) is a district-level city of approximately 93,000 people in Khorazm Region, Uzbekistan. According to archaeological data, the city was established around 2,500 years ago. In 1997, Khiva celebr ...
and the
Emirate of Bukhara The Emirate of Bukhara (, ) was a Muslims, Muslim-Uzbeks, Uzbek polity in Central Asia that existed from 1785 to 1920 in what is now Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. It occupied the land between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rive ...
. After the Communists took power in 1917 and created the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
it was decided to divide Central Asia into ethnically-based republics in a process known as National Territorial Delimitation (or NTD). This was in line with Communist theory that
nationalism Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, I ...
was a necessary step on the path towards an eventually communist society, and
Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
's definition of a nation as being “a historically constituted, stable community of people, formed on the basis of a common language, territory, economic life, and psychological make-up manifested in a common culture”. The NTD is commonly portrayed as being nothing more than a cynical exercise in
divide and rule The term divide and conquer in politics refers to an entity gaining and maintaining political power by using divisive measures. This includes the exploitation of existing divisions within a political group by its political opponents, and also ...
, a deliberately Machiavellian attempt by Stalin to maintain Soviet hegemony over the region by artificially dividing its inhabitants into separate nations and with borders deliberately drawn so as to leave minorities within each state. Though indeed the Soviets were concerned at the possible threat of pan-Turkic nationalism, as expressed for example with the
Basmachi movement The Basmachi movement (, derived from ) was an uprising against Imperial Russian and Soviet rule in Central Asia by rebel groups inspired by Islamic beliefs. It has been called "probably the most important movement of opposition to Soviet rul ...
of the 1920s, closer analysis informed by the primary sources paints a much more nuanced picture than is commonly presented. NTD of the area along ethnic lines had been proposed as early as 1920. During Tsarist times the general area of modern Kazakhstan was composed of four regions (''oblasts''); west-to-east these were Ural (plus part of
Transcaspian Oblast The Transcaspian Oblast, or simply Transcaspia, was an oblast of the Russian Empire and early Soviet Russia to the east of the Caspian Sea during the second half of the 19th century until 1924. It was bounded to the south by Iran's Khorasan Pro ...
, Turgai, Akmolinsk and
Semipalatinsk Semey (; , formerly known as Semipalatinsk ( ) until 2007 and as Alash-Qala ( ) from 1917 to 1920, is a city in eastern Kazakhstan, in the Kazakh part of Siberia. When Abai Region was created in 2022, Semey became its administrative centre. I ...
. All four oblasts had been created by a Decree of
Tsar Alexander II Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland fro ...
of 21 October (2 November) 1868. On 26 August 1920 the Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (KASSR, located within the
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...
, RSFSR) was created from these four provinces (briefly joined together in this period in the short-lived
Alash Autonomy The Alash Autonomy, also known as Alash Orda, was an unrecognized Kazakh proto-state located in Central Asia and was part of the Russian Republic, and then Soviet Russia. The Alash Autonomy was founded in 1917 by Kazakh elites, and disestabli ...
), with the northern border of the ASSR essentially following that of the former four oblasts, though adjusted in places to reflect local demographics; however, disputes over specific areas of the boundary continued into the following year. At this time Kazakhs were referred to as "Kyrgyz" and what are now the Kyrgyz were deemed a sub-group of the Kazakhs and referred to as "Kara-Kyrgyz" (i.e. mountain-dwelling black-Kyrgyz). The areas west of the
Ural river The Ural, also known as the Yaik , is a river flowing through Russia and Kazakhstan in the continental border between Europe and Asia. It originates in the southern Ural Mountains and discharges into the Caspian Sea. At , it is the third-longes ...
associated with the Kazakh Bukey Horde were claimed by both the KASSR and
Astrakhan Oblast Astrakhan Oblast (; ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) located in southern Russia. Its administrative center is the city of Astrakhan. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 1,010,073. Geography Astrakhan's southern border is the ...
, with most of the area going to the KASSR in 1921, including Kurmangazy and Sinemorsk. Elsewhere, some Russian-inhabited areas of the four oblasts, such as
Omsk Omsk (; , ) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia and has a population of over one million. Omsk is the third List of cities and tow ...
, were transferred to Russia. On 22 September 1920
Orenburg Orenburg (, ), formerly known as Chkalov (1938–1957), is the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies in Eastern Europe, along the banks of the Ural River, being approximately southeast of Moscow. Orenburg is close to the ...
was transferred to the KASSR and became its capital, along with surrounding parts of
Orenburg Oblast Orenburg Oblast (also Orenburzhye) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), mainly located in Eastern Europe. Its administrative center is the city of Orenburg. From 1938 to 1957, it bore the name Chkalov Oblast in honor of Valery Chkal ...
such as
Sol-Iletsk Sol-Iletsk () is a town in Orenburg Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Ilek River ( Ural's tributary), south of Orenburg, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: 22,000 (1975); 11,802 (1897). The climate is arid, ...
, Akbulak and Sharlyk. It is thought that the decision to shift the capital to Orenburg was because at that time it was the only large industrial city in the Kazakh-inhabited region and it was hoped that it would assist in the KASSR's economic development, as well as act as a bridge between the Russian lands to the north and the Turkic lands to the south. However in early 1925 the capital of the KASSR was moved from Orenburg to the southern city of Ak-Mechet, with Orenburg and the surrounding lands being transferred back to Russia. The boundary became an international frontier in 1991 following the
dissolution of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...
and the independence of its constituent republics. Thousands of
ethnic Russians Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...
who had migrated to Kazakhstan in Soviet times left, fearing marginalisation in the new Kazakh-dominated state. In 1989 the Russian population stood at about 6,227,549 (37.82% of the population), though by 1999 this figure had fallen to 4,479,618 (29.95%) and in 2009 it stood at 3,793,764 (23.69%). As of 2019 Russians are estimated to make up 19.3% of the population and are heavily concentrated in the country's north along the Russian border. Negotiations on border delimitation took place from 1999 to 2005, with a final treaty being approved in Moscow by Presidents
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
and
Nursultan Nazarbayev Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev (born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakhstani politician who served as the first president of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019. He also held the special title of Elbasy from 2010 to 2022 and chairman of the Security Council of ...
on 18 January 2005. The treaty entered into force on 12 January 2006. On-the-ground demarcation started in July 2007, with a series of pillars marking the frontier beginning to be erected from May 2009. When the border became international in 1991, one branch of the
Trans-Siberian Railway The Trans-Siberian Railway, historically known as the Great Siberian Route and often shortened to Transsib, is a large railway system that connects European Russia to the Russian Far East. Spanning a length of over , it is the longest railway ...
was interrupted by two border crossings at
Petropavl Petropavl ( ; ) is a city on the Ishim River in northern Kazakhstan close to the border with Russia. It is the capital of the North Kazakhstan Region. Population: 218,956. Petropavl is about from Kökşetau, northwest of the national cap ...
. In 2017, Russia and Kazakhstan agreed to create a transit ( corridor) without border controls.


Border crossings

There are numerous border crossings along the lengthy frontier: * Kurmangazy (KAZ) - Karaozek (RUS) * Taskala (KAZ) - Ozinki (RUS) * Aksay (KAZ) - Ilek (RUS) * Bidaik (KAZ) - Odesskoye (RUS) * Alimbetovka (KAZ) -
Orsk Orsk () is the second largest city in Orenburg Oblast, Russia, located on the steppe about southeast of the southern tip of the Ural Mountains. The city straddles the Ural River. Population: It lies adjacent to the Kazakhstan–Russia border. ...
(RUS) *
Zhaisan Zhaisan is a border crossing point between Kazakhstan and Russia. It is located in the Aktobe Region, southeast of Lake Zaysan. The functioning of the border crossing is affected by the actions of the Russia Customs, Russian Border Control and ...
(KAZ) -
Sagarchin Sagarchin is a border crossing point between Kazakhstan and Russia. It is located in the Akbulaksky District, Orenburg Oblast, Russia. The functioning of the border crossing is affected by the actions of the Kazakhstan Customs, Kazakhstan Border ...
(RUS) * Kayerak (KAZ) - Bugristoye (RUS) * Akbalshyk (KAZ) - Voskresenskoye (RUS) * Zhanazhol (KAZ) - Petukhovo (RUS) * Karakoga (KAZ) - Isilkul (RUS) * Urlitobe (KAZ) - Cherlak (RUS) * Sulu-Agash (KAZ) - Karasuk (RUS) * Sharbakty (KAZ) - Kulunda (RUS) * Auyl (KAZ) - Vesyoloyarsk (RUS) * Ube (KAZ) - Mikhaylovka (RUS) * Zhezkent (KAZ) - Gornyak (RUS)


Historical maps

Historical English-language maps of the Kazakh SSR-Russian SSR border from the Caspian Sea to the border with China, mid to late 20th century: File:Txu-oclc-6654394-nl-39-7th-ed.jpg, Caspian Sea File:Txu-oclc-6654394-nl-38-8th-ed.jpg, File:Txu-oclc-6654394-nm-38-7th-ed.jpg, File:Txu-oclc-6654394-nm-39-7th-ed.jpg, File:Txu-oclc-6654394-nm-40-5th-ed.jpg, File:Txu-oclc-6654394-nm-41-1st-ed.jpg, File:Txu-oclc-6654394-nn-41-1st-ed.jpg, File:Txu-oclc-6654394-nn-42-3rd-ed.jpg, File:Txu-oclc-6654394-nn-43-4th-ed.jpg, File:Txu-oclc-6654394-nn-44-1st-ed.jpg, File:Txu-oclc-6654394-nm-44-4th-ed.jpg, File:Txu-oclc-6654394-nm-45-3rd-ed.jpg, includes tripoint with China


Demographics


See also

*
Kazakhstan–Russia relations Kazakhstan–Russia relations are the bilateralism, bilateral International relations, foreign relations between Kazakhstan and the Russia, Russian Federation. Kazakhstan has an Embassy of Kazakhstan, Moscow, embassy in Moscow, a consulate-genera ...


Notes


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kazakhstan-Russia border 1930 establishments in the Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic 1930 establishments in Russia 1930 in international relations Internal borders of the Soviet Union Kazakhstan–Russia relations Borders of Russia Borders of Kazakhstan International borders 1991 establishments in Kazakhstan 1991 establishments in Russia