Arman Kyrykbayev appointed Kazakhstan's Minister of Culture and Information

September 3, 2026 at 01:05 PM3 min

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President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appointed Arman Kyrykbayev as Kazakhstan's Minister of Culture and Information on September 3, 2026. Kyrykbayev, 49, previously served as presidential aide for domestic policy and communications since February 2025. He replaces Aida Balayeva, who was appointed deputy chair of the Security Council in late August.

Key Facts

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree appointing Arman Kyrykbayev as Minister of Culture and Information on September 3, 2026.
Kyrykbayev, 49, had served as presidential aide for domestic policy and communications since February 25, 2025.
He replaces Aida Balayeva, who was appointed deputy chair of Kazakhstan's Security Council in late August 2026.
The Social and Cultural Development Committee of the Kurultai approved Kyrykbayev's candidacy before the presidential decree.
Kyrykbayev was born in Astana in 1976 and graduated from the Kazakh State Academy of Management and the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Appointment Decree

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree on September 3, 2026, appointing Arman Orazbayevich Kyrykbayev as Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The decree simultaneously released Kyrykbayev from his previous position as presidential aide for domestic policy and communications. The Social and Cultural Development Committee of the Kurultai had approved Kyrykbayev's candidacy for the ministerial post before the presidential decree was issued. The committee's approval was made in accordance with Article 30 of the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan 'On the Kurultai of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the status of its deputies'.

Kyrykbayev's Career

Arman Kyrykbayev was born in Astana in 1976 and graduated from the Kazakh State Academy of Management (Narxoz University) as an economist in 1996. In 2002, he completed the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan with a degree in international relations. Kyrykbayev began his career in 1996 as a referent in the CIS and Baltic States Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan. He served as attaché and third secretary at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Uzbekistan from 1997 to 2000, and as second secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2002. From 2002 to 2005, Kyrykbayev was director of the strategy and monitoring department at AVE Corporation, and from 2005 to 2006 he served as deputy akim of Medeu district in Almaty and director of the State Fund for Youth Policy Development. He headed the Department of Public-Political Work and Public Relations at the Ministry of Culture and Information from 2006 to 2008, and chaired the Culture Committee from 2008 to 2010. Kyrykbayev served as deputy akim of Karaganda region from 2010 to 2012 and as vice minister of culture and information from 2012 to 2013. He was secretary of the Nur Otan party from 2020 to 2022, deputy akim of Almaty from 2022 to 2024, and head of the communications department of the Presidential Administration from 2024 to 2025. On February 25, 2025, Kyrykbayev was appointed presidential aide for domestic policy and communications, a position he held until his ministerial appointment.

Predecessor Transition

Kyrykbayev replaces Aida Balayeva, who previously held the combined position of deputy prime minister and minister of culture and information. In late August 2026, President Tokayev appointed Balayeva as deputy chair of Kazakhstan's Security Council. Balayeva's appointment to the Security Council left the culture and information ministry vacant until Kyrykbayev's appointment on September 3, 2026.