Kazakhstan’s oldest and most respected media institution is marking a remarkable milestone - its 105th anniversary.
For over a century, the Kazinform International News Agency has been a trusted source of authoritative reporting on politics, the economy, science, healthcare, sports, and culture, serving audiences both at home and abroad, The Caspian Post reports per Kazakh media.
To mark the occasion, the agency has shared a concise chronicle of its storied history.
Kazinform’s journey began on August 13, 1920, with the opening of the Orenburg-Turgay branch of the Russian Telegraph Agency. It was renamed KazROST in 1925, and by 1937 it had become KazTAG, operating under the Council of People’s Commissars of the Kazakh SSR. Following Kazakhstan’s independence, KazTAG was reorganized in 1992 into the Kazakh State Information Agency, which later evolved into the Republican State Enterprise “Kazakh Information Agency” (KazAAG) in 1997.
The early 2000s brought significant transformations. In 2002, the agency became the National Company Kazinform JSC, and in 2004 adopted the parallel Kazakh name “KazAkparat.” Over the years, it was part of several media holdings and ministries, including the Ministry of Communications and Information and the National Information Holding Arna Media. In 2013, it transitioned into the International Information Agency Kazinform LLP, before returning to the joint-stock company format in 2019.
Throughout its history, Kazinform has been led by some of Kazakhstan’s most prominent media figures - among them Arkady Vyatich-Kirillov, Konstantin Nefyodov, Jusip Altaybayev, Kenesbay Usebayev, Kasym Sharipov, Kakimzhan Kazybayev, Zhumagali Ismagulov, and Amangeldy Akhmetalimov.
Today, Kazinform operates under the Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. With its headquarters in Astana, the agency boasts a wide-reaching correspondent network spanning all regions of Kazakhstan and key global hubs - including Russia, China, Türkiye, Europe, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Jordan.
Kazinform delivers news in Kazakh, Russian, English, Chinese, and Uzbek, with select materials adapted into Latin and Arabic scripts to better serve its international audience. Its content reaches millions through major platforms such as Instagram, Telegram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.
No other domestic news agency matches Kazinform’s global reach. Its foreign correspondents are based in Russia, Kyrgyzstan, China, Uzbekistan, Belgium, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Türkiye, the USA, Armenia, and the UK. Over the decades, Kazinform has forged partnerships with 31 leading media organizations across 18 countries - from Saudi Press Agency, Al Jazeera, and Yonhap to TASS, Kyodo, Azertac, IRNA, and China Media Group.
From its humble beginnings in 1920 to its status today as a modern, multilingual, and globally connected media powerhouse, Kazinform has remained steadfast in its mission: to inform, connect, and inspire audiences in Kazakhstan and around the world.
