Abstract. The author explores the concept of “memory politics” as an important aspect of the “soft power” policy, which includes the targeted action of political forces striving for a specific and definite understanding of the historical past. In conditions when it is impossible to change the facts, the emphasis shifts to their social perception, forming new myths and influencing the value system of society. In the post-Soviet states, including Kazakhstan, the “memory politics” is actively used to construct a “new national identity” built on the opposition "I – Other", “other” in this context are the USSR and Russia. In Kazakhstan, the process of forming a national identity includes elements of multi-vectorism, political eclecticism and deliberate devaluation of the Soviet heritage. Education becomes a key tool in the “memory politics” and forms a new identity, new citizenship and patriotism, starting from preschool age. The analysis of this process in Kazakhstan was based on the current regulatory legal acts and official documents of the Republic of Kazakhstan, providing regulation of teaching in secondary schools, and on current teaching aids. The concept of education development for 2023-2029 emphasizes the importance of forming a society based on national values and expanding the introduction of the Kazakh language into the educational process. Particular attention in teaching is paid to the traumatic aspects of shared history: political repression, famine, collectivization and the participation of Kazakhs in World War II. And if in connection with the Great Patriotic War, positive facts are noted, then in other cases the emphasis is on negative events. The analysis shows a lack of attention to the modern cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia, especially within the framework of Eurasian integration initiated by the first President of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev. Russia's influence on the economy of Kazakhstan is often described in a negative light, which emphasizes the dependence of the Kazakh economy on the Russian one.