On November 13, news emerged of the passing of Bolat Nazarbayev. He will be laid to rest in the village of Shamalgan in the Almaty region, where the family mausoleum of the first president is located. Stan.kz has compiled key facts from the life of the younger Nazarbayev and delved into intimate moments from his personal memoirs.
Biography
Born on March 23, 1953, in the village of Shamalgan, Almaty region, Bolat Nazarbayev was the youngest child in his family and, according to Kazakh traditions, lived with his parents. His father, Abish, passed away when Bolat was just 18 years old. In an interview, Bolat reminisced that his childhood was spent in the mountains, on the Ushkonyr plateau.
After his military service in 1970, Bolat pursued vocational training as a mechanic. From 1973 to 1988, he worked in various capacities, ranging from a fitter to the deputy director of the Shamalgan state farm.
In the following years, from 1988 to 1989, he held the position of deputy director at a bread factory in Kaskelen.
From 1989, Bolat Nazarbayev embarked on entrepreneurial ventures, focusing on the production and sale of sheep and goat skins. His career saw a significant upturn following the appointment of his brother as the president. In 1992, he became the vice-president of the Inkar Agro Holding Company, and from 1997, he successfully managed the private financial-industrial holding BN Invest.
In 2000, Bolat Nazarbayev was elected as a member of the board of directors of Kazakhmys Corporation, although he was soon removed from this list. By 2014, he joined the shareholders of RBC Bank, owning a 7.83 percent stake at the time.
Bolat Nazarbayev received various honors, including the title of «Honorary Citizen of the Karasay District» in 2010 and «Honorary Citizen of the Almaty Region» in 2012. He was also awarded two jubilee medals in honor of the independence of Kazakhstan and the Parasat Order.
Personal Life
Bolat Nazarbayev first married in 1974 to Gulzhan. Their first child, a daughter named Gulmira Abisheva, was born in 1975, followed by their second daughter, Kundiz, in 1976, and a son, Nurbol, born in 1983.
On July 29, 2020, Gulzhan Nazarbayeva passed away at the age of 65 due to heart disease.
According to information published on the Bolat Nazarbayev Foundation’s website, Nurbol and Gulmira reside in Almaty. Nurbol Nazarbayev dedicated many years to service in law enforcement before transitioning to business. By 2022, as per Forbes’ ranking, he was among the wealthiest individuals in Kazakhstan, with a net worth of $160 million. Since 2016, Gulmira Abisheva has been serving as the chairperson of the Karasay District Specialized Administrative Court of the Almaty Region.
«I Have Only One Wife»
In his lifetime, Bolat Nazarbayev vehemently denied having multiple wives, stressing that he was only officially married to Gulzhan Nazarbayeva.
«There are no 20 or 40 wives. We are Muslims and live by the rules of the Quran. We are allowed to have four wives. Polygamy is not something to be proud of. Some say, ‘I have 4, 5 wives.’ That’s not life – hiding from the first wife to go to another. Everything must be done openly, treat everyone equally, treat all children equally, and the first wife must know everything,» he stated in an interview with Kazakh journalist Gulmira Nalibai.
While there were only rumors about polygamy, Bolat Nazarbayev’s official marital life took a turn after the death of Gulzhan. In 2001, he married for the second time to Mayra Kurmangalieva, with whom he had a son.
Last year, it was revealed that Nazarbayev’s younger brother lost a court case to his former wife, Gulnur Duisebaeva. He sought to deprive her of the Nazarbayev surname, but Gulnur retained it. It is noteworthy that she was his third wife. This was not officially disclosed; the public became aware of Gulnur Nazarbayeva when she posted photos and videos in expensive clothing on Instagram, along with showcasing her mansion. She claims to have three children with her ex-husband.
Moreover, in 2022, singer Dinara Alzhan openly acknowledged her romantic relationship with the younger Nazarbayev. According to her, they met in 2016, and she was gifted a 362 square meter house with 15 hundred square meters of land. They married just a week after meeting.
Warm Relations with Brother
Bolat Nazarbayev once stated that he never sought help from his older brother and built his career on his own efforts.
«Many say that my brother helps me, but I never once asked him for anything. I always tried not to be a burden to him. He became like a father to me. The moment he calls, I immediately leave whatever I’m doing. When speaking with my brother, I cannot sit down during the conversation. It’s a kind of respect. If I miss him, I hurry to see him, and sometimes he invites me over,» he reminisced during his lifetime.
Philanthropy
In 2016, on the initiative of Bolat Nazarbayev, the charitable organization «Saliqaly Urpaq» was established, dedicated to assisting needy Kazakhstani citizens.
Bolat Nazarbayev is more renowned as a patron and philanthropist than as an entrepreneur, particularly in his native region. He regularly provides targeted assistance, funds medical treatments for those in need, supports the disabled, allocates funds for organizing festive events, and has been promoting a healthy lifestyle in the region for over a decade. His foundation also takes care of orphaned children, according to the Foundation’s website.
The charity organization finances sports and cultural events, sends children from low-income families to summer/winter camps, distributes food to the needy, and extends support to other foundations, such as «Qausar.»
Scandals
Following the «Bloody January» incident, the assets of the former president’s brother began to be returned to the state. Among them were major assets such as the «Altyn Orda» market in the Almaty region, the «Barys-4» wholesale bazaar in Almaty, and the «Barys» transport market. The Financial Monitoring Agency also reported the cessation of illegal mining farms associated with Bolat Nazarbayev.
Majilis deputy Yerlan Sairov reported that over five years, Bolat Nazarbayev acquired 59 land plots of 240 hectares each for the construction of a cottage town, as well as an administrative building and market in the cities of Kaskelen, Talgar, and Astana. According to the «Amanat» party, he returned about 300,000 hectares of land to the state.
Additionally, relatives of businessman Almas Abdygaparov, who was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, accused Bolat N. of raiding his business.
In September 2023, the Committee of National Security reported the arrest in Cyprus of an organized criminal group led by Eldos Kospaev, who was referred to as the «right hand» of Bolat Nazarbayev. The criminal group was accused of seizing entrepreneurs’ properties and conducting shadow business using threats and violence.
On November 13, 2023, it was announced that Bolat Nazarbayev had passed away. He died in the Central Clinical Hospital of Almaty at the age of 71.
Note: Translated articles may not reflect the editorial position and are published with the aim of informing our readers.
