THE KIMESHEK - THE PATRON OF WOMEN'S CLOTHING IN KAZAKH SOCIETY

Abstract

This article examines the role of the kimeshek, a traditional headdress worn by young Kazakh mothers after marriage and the birth of their first child. The study analyzes its hygienic, social, and psychological-protective functions, as well as the informational meaning of its ornamentation, which encoded a woman’s status within the clan and community. Based on new archival sources, the article for the first time in Kazakh history and ethnography identifies the forced removal of the kimeshek from use in the 1920s as part of state policy. It argues that the political repressions of the 1920s–1950s targeted not only public figures but also traditional family values. The Soviet campaign «Removal of the Kimeshek» is presented as a deliberate strategy to disrupt the social bonds of Kazakh society. The scientific novelty lies in introducing this previously unstudied phenomenon into academic discourse. The practical significance of the research lies in its contribution to the revival of national cultural heritage in Independent Kazakhstan.