Imangali Nurgalievich Tasmagambetov is an old-timer of Kazakh politics, he came to power at the invitation of President Nursultan Nazarbayev and for twenty-five years held a number of important government posts. Until recently, he served as deputy prime minister, but was unexpectedly appointed ambassador of Kazakhstan to Russia. A favorite of the intelligentsia, patron of the arts, he left a large circle of friends and many enemies in his homeland.
Soviet period
Imangali Nurgalievich Tasmagambetov was born in the village of Novobogat, Makhambet district, Guryev region, Kazakh SSR in 1956. From his youth, he was interested in the natural sciences, applied art, the history of Kazakhstan and Central Asia, which greatly influenced the choice of profession and the circle of acquaintances.
Already at the age of seventeen, Imangali began to earn his bread, having received the place of a teacher in a rural sports school, but his passion for knowledge did not subside. He entered the West Kazakhstan University, where he conscientiously gnawed at the granite of science at the natural-geographical faculty.
In 1979, Imangali Tasmagambetov, whose photo did not leave the honor board of his native university, defended his diploma with honors and received a teacher’s specialty.
Returning to his native district, he began working at the Makhambet secondary school, where he taught geography and biology. However, the role of a simple rural teacher did not satisfy the ambitious young man, and he chose the only possible way up for the pedagogical worker - Komsomol work.
Gradually moving up the career ladder, Imangali Tasmagambetov by 1990 had grown to the post of head of the Komsomol of the Kazakh SSR. At the same time, he successfully completed graduate school and defended his thesis in philosophy.
Transition period
After the collapse of the USSR, Kazakhstan gained independence, the former Soviet bodies were disbanded or transformed. However, Komsomol work remained in the hands of Imangali Tasmagambetov, however, now he began to be called not the first secretary of the Komsomol Central Committee, but the chairman of the state committee on youth affairs.
The young promising official did not go unnoticed at the very top of the government, and in 1993 the former teacher was invited to work as an assistant to the president of the republic.
An ardent admirer of history, archeology and ethnography, he actively maintained ties with UNESCO, and contributed to the cultural activities organized by this organization. In 1993, under his auspices, the National Commission of Kazakhstan for UNESCO was established, which he himself headed.
As presidential aide, Imangali Tasmagambetov also oversaw issues related to education and science, becoming indispensable for Nazarbayev in this regard.
In 1995, the young politician was sent to the government, where he took the post of deputy prime minister. Two years later, in addition to his high post, he received the portfolio of the Minister of Education and Culture as the chief specialist in the country's leadership on these issues.
Wandering in the labyrinth of power
Working in the government, Imangali Tasmagambetov has established himself as a competent and skillful organizer, able to create an effective team around him. Two years later, Nazarbayev decided to return his ward closer to himself and appointed the deputy head of the presidential administration of Kazakhstan.
Also, the state husband worked as the first assistant to the head of state, after which he was quite unexpectedly transferred to independent leadership work in the regions, becoming the head of the Atyrau region. Here he did not work long and a year later he was returned to the government, where he again took the post of deputy prime minister.
Responsible for Kazakhgate
In 2002, Imangali Tasmagambetov reached what seemed to be the peak of his career, assuming the office of chairman of the cabinet. He did not experience presidential ambitions, about which he spoke repeatedly, invariably emphasizing his loyalty to Nursultan Nazarbayev and obsequiously calling himself his “spiritual product”.
However, all power is primarily associated with the responsibility that the amateur of archeology and applied arts experienced in his own skin.
In his tenure as prime minister, a scandal erupted over the discovery of an unidentified one billion dollar cash account outside the republic.
Imangali Tasmagambetov was delegated to report to the parliamentary commission investigating this incident. According to him, a secret account abroad was opened with the president’s knowledge in order to arrange the transfer of funds from the privatization of Tengiz fields.
Imangali Tasmagambetov also said that the simultaneous contribution to the Kazakh economy of such an amount of money would cause frenzied inflation, which explains the fact that these funds were stored abroad, and vowed that a gradual transfer of money to the National Fund of Kazakhstan was envisaged.
Mayor of two capitals
Imangali Tasmagambetov’s latest initiative as prime minister was land reform, which envisaged private ownership of land. However, this bill provoked resistance from a certain part of the population, as well as parliament. Despite the fact that the law was still adopted, the dissatisfied prime minister resigned.
After working for some time in the presidential administration, in 2004 he was appointed mayor of Almaty. Here he worked conscientiously until 2008, solving the problems of transport interchanges and the improvement of the former capital.
In 2008, given the successful experience in leading the city, Nazarbayev appointed Imangali Tasmagambetov the head of Astana. He ruled the new capital of the state for six years, thereby setting a record for being mayor.
In 2014, Imangali Tasmagambetov again returned to the government, where he alternately acts as Minister of Defense, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs.
In 2017, the patriarch of Kazakh politics was unexpectedly delegated to Moscow to act as the Ambassador of the Republic to Russia.
Imangali Tasmagambetov and his family
A photo of a politician outside his office indicates that he has many relatives and friends. He met his wife Klara Daumovna at the university, where they formed a young family. Over the years of marriage, Imangali Tasmagambetov became the happy father of two daughters and one son.
Elder Asel married Kenes Rakishev, who became a successful businessman and billionaire and now heads one of the largest banks in Kazakhstan.
The youngest daughter, Sophia, inherited a passion for culture from her father, studied at the London College of Art and now works as a production designer.
The brothers and sisters of the politician also settled down quite well in life, occupying important posts in different regions of Kazakhstan. Imangali Tasmagambetov and his family often become the target of an attack by opposition forces that charge corruption against the official.