Translation of zhusupova’s post (RUS)

What is youth today? What do young people dream about? What do they want? Are they apathetic?

This was the subject of my recent conversation with Aizhamal Duishebaieva, a Soros Fund representative. She asked me, what does “your youth” live for? By “my” youth, she meant the young people of Kazakhstan.

I was stumped, and while I was thinking of a good answer, Aizhamal continued talking: Take Kyrgyzstan, for example. The youth there is very active. You can feel how interested they are in the fate of their country. It’s moving. What can you say?

What can we say? We’re more apolitical. Of course, we follow the news and events unfolding in the country. We even beat our chests and yell about patriotism sometimes, although, at the same time, we think that, in the end, we’d like to live somewhere abroad. We talk about “the system” and protest against the words “don’t” but we also don’t do anything about it. We think of ourselves as highly intellectual. We look down on uselessness. But we aren’t building the future.

We don’t dream. Why should we think about anything or dream about anything if that entails the need to bring our dreams to life? Are we lazy? It’s much easier to get ready solutions. We don’t want to fight for anything ourselves. We like it when things are ready-made – by our parents, spouses, wealthy relatives, children, etc.

A career. A business of one’s own. Prosperity. Comfort. This is what our youth is interested in. It’s not worried about other people. It’s more interested in the surface, in visiting restaurants and night clubs.

Then again, on the other hand, in our time, is there a point in thinking about anyone other than oneself? What else is there to think about? Or dream about?

Why don’t you paint me a portrait of a young Kazakh.

A demonstration by Kazakhstan’s youth in Almaty’s central square in December 1986. Photograph taken from the Central State Archive of Almaty.