A brief history of “Egemen Qazaqstan”
“Egemen Kazakhstan” is a leading newspaper in Kazakhstan, which had been serving the people for about a century. The circulation of the newspaper is more than 200,000 copies. It also has its website Egemen.kz that annually attracts more than 2 million users and functions in three languages: Kazakh, Russian and English, alongside with the Kazakh version in Latin and Arabic alphabets. JSC “RN “Egemen Kazakhstan” manages the newspaper. Currently, the President of the company is Darkhan Kydyrali who is a well known Kazakh scholar and writer. 

The newspaper underwent many changes during its long life. It was first published on December 17, 1919, as a newspaper “Ushkyn”, which literally means “Spark”. The newspaper’s name has changed for several times. After a year in 1920 it was renamed to “Enbek tuy” (“Banner of Labor), then in 1921 to “Enbekshi Qazaq” (Industrious Kazakh). The next two names are: “Socialdy Kazakhstan” (1932) and “Socialistik Kazakhstan” (1937) which had the same interpretation but with different suffixes. Thereby, “Socialistik Kazakhstan” had operated for 54 years until the collapse of the USSR, which brought to Kazakhstan’s independence. Subsequently, in 1991 the newspaper had become “Egemendi Kazakhstan” (“Independent Kazakhstan). After two years, the chief editor of the newspaper Abish Kekilbayev proposed to eliminate the suffix “di” and offered a new name – “Egemen Kazakhstan”, which has not changed since that time. 

During its way to these days, “Egemen Kazakhstan” had been managed by many famous Kazakh political figures, writers, and poets, as well as journalists, including Smagul Saduakasov, Zhusupbek Aimauytov, Mukhtar Auezov, Beimbet Mailin, Saken Seifullin, Turar Ryskulov, Gabit Musirepov, Sherkhan Murtaza and Abish Kekilbayev. 

In 2016, the newspaper went through re-branding and changed its paper size from A2 to smaller D2, together with logo and inscription of newspaper’s name. A special role was given to website Egemen.kz that had a redesign and started operating in Russian and English. 

“Egemen Kazakhstan” has its own correspondents in 14 regions, and there is a correspondent point in Almaty. The company has more than 100 employees. 

The central office of the newspaper is now located in Astana on the street which bears the same name “Egemen Kazakhstan”. The office moved from Almaty as Astana became the new capital of Kazakhstan. 

Since 1919, when the newspaper was called "Ұшқын", it was headed:
Khalel ESENBAEV (1892-1938) - (07.1919-02.1920)
Tamimdar Safiev (1892-?) - (02.1920-04.1920)
Berniyaz KULEYOV (1899-1923) - (04.1920-10.1920)
Smagul Sadvakas (1900-1933) - (01.1921-02.1921) (01.1925-04.1926).
Zhusipbek AYMAUTOV (1889-1931) - (02.1921-10.1921).
Mukhtar AUZOV (1897-1961) - (11.1921-12-1921)
Abdrakhman BAIDILDIN (1891-1931) - (01.1922)
Beimbet MAILIN (1894-1939) - (1922)
Saken SEYFULLIN (1894-1939) - (1922-04.1924)
Moldagali ZHOLDYBAEV (1887-1938) - (04.1924 - 12.251924)
Turar Ryskulov (1894-1938) - (04.1926-06.1926)
Oraz Zhandosov (1889-1938) - (06.1924-07.1926)
Oraz ISAEV (1899-1938) - (07.1926-08.1926)
Gabbas TOGZHANOV (1900-1937) - (08.1925 - 05.1932)
Aitmuhamed MUSIN (1899-1938) - (06.1932-03.1934)
Gabit MҮSREPOV (1902-1984) - (03.1934-05.1936)
Zhanaidar SADVAKASOV (1898-1938) - (06.1936-09.1936)
Zhusipbek ARYSTANOV (1904-1992) - (06.1937-06.1938)
Saktagan BAISHEV (1909-1982) - (09.1938 -12.1941)
Amir KANAPIN (1913-1998) - (01.1941-11.1942)
Baltabek ASANOV (1907-1979) - (1942-1949)
Kassym Sharipov (1912-1984) - (03.1949-12.1951) (08.1955-09.1960)
Kabyl BEKMURATOV (1914-1980) - (12.1951-1952)
Gumar AKKULOV (1912-1957) - (1952-1955)
Kenesbai UBSEBEV (1914-1995) - (1960-1969)
Uzak BAGAYEV (1930-1973) - (1969-1973)
Sapar BAIZHANOV (1930-1999) - (11.1973-02.1983)
Balgabek ҚYDYRBEKULY (1929-1995) - (04.1983-01.1987)
Korik DUISSEV (1936) - (01.1987-11.1989)
Sherkhan MURTAZA (1932) - (11.1989-10.1992)
Abish KEKILBAYEV (1939) - (10.1992-01.1993)
Nurlan ORAZALIN (1947) - (10.1993-07.1996)
Ualikhan KALIJAN (1948) - (07.1996-12.1998)
Erzhuman SMAYYL (1948) - (12.1998-12.2000) (2003-2004)
Sauytbek ABDRAKHMANOV (1951) - (2000-2003) (2004-04.2016)
Erkіn Kydyrov (1962) - (04.2016-07.2016)
Darkhan KYDYRALI (1974) - (07.2016)