# List of leaders of Kazakhstan

The president of Kazakhstan is the head of state elected by popular vote to serve a five-year-term. The president appoints the prime minister of Kazakhstan (head of government) and first deputy prime minister.

## Leaders of Kazakhstan (1917–1990)
### Alash Autonomy (1917–1920)

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political Party |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political Party |
| Chairman of the Provisional People's Council |||||||
| 1 | | Alikhan Bukeikhanov (1866–1937) | 13 December 1917 | 5 March 1920 | 2 years, 83 days | Alash |

### Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (1920–1925)

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political Party |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political Party |
| Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee |||||||
| 1 | | Stanisław Pestkowski (1882–1937) | 30 April 1919 | August 1920 | >1 year | CPSU |
| — | | Sakypkerei Argynshayev (1887–1938) Acting | August 1920 | 26 August 1920 | <1 month | CPSU |
| 2 | | Viktor Radus-Zenkovich (1878–1967) | 26 August 1920 | October 1920 | ~2 months | CPSU |
| 3 | | Abdrakhman Aytiyev (1886–1937) | October 1920 | October 1920 | <1 month | CPSU |
| Chairman of the Central Executive Committee |||||||
| 4 | | Seytgali Mendeshev (1887–1938) | 12 October 1920 | 19 April 1925 | | |
| 5 | | Jalau Mynbaev (1892–1929) | 19 April 1925 | 15 June 1925 | | |

#### Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1925–1936)

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political Party |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political Party |
| Chairman of the Central Executive Committee |||||||
| 1 | | Jalau Mynbaev (1892–1929) | 15 June 1925 | 1927 | ~2 years | CPSU |
| 2 | | Eltay Ernazarov (1887–1945) | 1927 | 1933 | ~6 years | CPSU |
| 3 | | Uzakbay Kulumbetov (1891–1938) | 11 October 1933 | 5 December 1936 | | CPSU |

### Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (1936–1991)
#### First Secretary of the Communist Party

| No. | Picture | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Political party |
| No. | Picture | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Political party |
| 1 | | Levon Mirzoyan (1897–1939) | 5 December 1936 | 15 May 1938 | QKP/CPSU |
| 2 | | Nikolay Skvortsov (1899–1974) | 15 May 1938 | 13 July 1945 | QKP/CPSU |
| 3 | | Gennady Borkov (1905–1983) | 13 July 1945 | 22 July 1946 | QKP/CPSU |
| 4 | | Zhumabay Shayakhmetov (1902–1966) | 22 July 1946 | 6 February 1954 | QKP/CPSU |
| 5 | | Panteleimon Ponomarenko (1902–1984) | 6 February 1954 | 7 May 1955 | QKP/CPSU |
| 6 | | Leonid Brezhnev (1906–1982) | 7 May 1955 | 6 March 1956 | QKP/CPSU |
| 7 | | Ivan Yakovlev (1910–1999) | 6 March 1956 | 26 December 1957 | QKP/CPSU |
| 8 | | Nikolay Belyaev (1903–1966) | 26 December 1957 | 19 January 1960 | QKP/CPSU |
| 9 | | Dinmukhamed Kunaev (1912–1993) | 19 January 1960 | 26 December 1962 | QKP/CPSU |
| 10 | | Ismail Yusupov (1914–2005) | 26 December 1962 | 7 December 1964 | QKP/CPSU |
| 11 | | Dinmukhamed Kunaev (1912–1993) | 7 December 1964 | 16 December 1986 | QKP/CPSU |
| 12 | | Gennady Kolbin (1927–1998) | 16 December 1986 | 22 June 1989 | QKP/CPSU |
| 13 | | Nursultan Nazarbayev (born 1940) | 22 June 1989 | 7 September 1991 | QKP/CPSU |

#### Head of state

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party |
| Chairman of the Central Executive Committee |||||||
| 1 | | Uzakbai Kulymbetov [kk] (1891–1938) | 5 December 1936 | 22 June 1937 | 199 days | QKP |
| — | | Ismail Salvafeka (?–?) Acting | June 1937 | July 1937 | ~1 month | QKP |
| 2 | | Alibey Dzhangildin (1884–1953) | July 1937 | 28 October 1937 | ~3 months | QKP |
| 3 | | Nurbapa Umirzakov (1907–1947) | 28 October 1937 | 15 July 1938 | 260 days | QKP |
| Chairmen of the Supreme Soviet |||||||
| 4 | | Salken Daulenov [kk] (1907–1984) | 15 July 1938 | 17 July 1938 | 2 days | QKP |
| Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet |||||||
| 5 | | Abdisamet Kazakhpayev [kk] (1898–1959) | 17 July 1938 | January 1947 | ~6 months | QKP |
| — | | Ivan Lukyanets [ru] (1902–1994) Acting | January 1947 | 20 March 1947 | ~2 months | QKP |
| 6 | | Daniyal Kerimbayev [kk] (1909–1982) | 20 March 1947 | 23 January 1954 | 6 years, 309 days | QKP |
| 7 | | Nurtas Undasynov (1904–1989) | 23 January 1954 | 19 April 1955 | 1 year, 86 days | QKP |
| 8 | | Zhumabek Tashenov (1915–1986) | 19 April 1955 | 20 January 1960 | 4 years, 276 days | QKP |
| 9 | | Fazyl Karibzhanov (1912–1960) | 20 January 1960 | 25 August 1960 | 218 days | QKP |
| — | | Kapitalina Krykova (1914–2002) Acting | 25 August 1960 | 3 January 1961 | 131 days | QKP |
| 10 | | Isagali Sharipov (1906–1976) | 3 January 1961 | 5 April 1965 | 4 years, 92 days | QKP |
| 11 | | Sabir Niyazbekov (1912–1989) | 5 April 1965 | 20 December 1978 | 13 years, 259 days | QKP |
| 12 | | Isatay Abdukarimov (1924–2001) | 20 December 1978 | 14 December 1979 | 359 days | QKP |
| 13 | | Sattar Imashev (1926–1984) | 14 December 1979 | 22 February 1984 | 4 years, 70 days | QKP |
| 14 | | Andrey Plotnikov (1912–1991) | 22 February 1984 | 22 March 1984 | 29 days | QKP |
| 15 | | Bayken Ashimov (1917–2010) | 22 March 1984 | 27 September 1985 | 1 year, 189 days | QKP |
| 16 | | Salamat Mukashev (1927–2004) | 27 September 1985 | 9 February 1988 | 2 years, 135 days | QKP |
| 17 | | Zakash Kamalidenov (1939–2017) | 9 February 1988 | December 1988 | ~10 months | QKP |
| 18 | | Vera Sidorova (born 1934) | December 1988 | 10 March 1989 | ~3 months | QKP |
| 19 | | Makhtay Sagdiyev [kk] (1929–2012) | 10 March 1989 | 22 February 1990 | 349 days | QKP |
| Chairmen of the Supreme Soviet |||||||
| 20 | | Nursultan Nazarbayev (born 1940) | 22 February 1990 | 24 April 1990 | 61 days | QKP |

## Presidents of the Republic of Kazakhstan (1990–present)

Political parties

### Status
   ### Symbols

$^C$ Constitutional referendum
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party |
| 20 | | Nursultan Nazarbayev (born 1940) | 1990 | 24 April 1990 | 20 March 2019 | 28 years, 330 days | QKP (until Sept. 1991) |
| | | Nursultan Nazarbayev (born 1940) | 1991 1999 | 24 April 1990 | 20 March 2019 | 28 years, 330 days | Independent (until Febr. 1999) |
| | | Nursultan Nazarbayev (born 1940) | 2005 2011 2015 | 24 April 1990 | 20 March 2019 | 28 years, 330 days | Otan until Dec. 2006 renamed to Nur Otan |
| 21 | | Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (born 1953) | — | 20 March 2019 | 12 June 2019 | 84 days | Nur Otan (until March 2022 renamed to Amanat) |
| | | Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (born 1953) | 2019 | 12 June 2019 | Incumbent | 5 years, 264 days | Amanat (until April 2022) |
| | | Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (born 1953) | 2022 | 12 June 2019 | Incumbent | 5 years, 264 days | Independent |
Note
Until 16 December 1991 the head of state was called President of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic.