Born: 9 December 1956 in the village of Novobogat, Makhambet District, Guryevsky Oblast

Married with three children

1979 -- completes studies at Ural's Pushkin Pedagogical Institute high-school geography and biology teacher

1979-58 -- department head of Makhambetsky regional committee, head of the cabinet for Komsomol work, department head of oblast committee, first secretary of Guryevsky city committee for LKSMK (Lenin Communist Union of Kazakhstan's Youth)

1985-86 -- organizational head of Guryevsky Oblast committee for LKSMK

1986-88 -- first secretary for Guryevsky Oblast committee for LKSMK

1988-89 -- departmental head of working youth, departmental head of socioeconomic youth issues, secretary for LKSMK central committee

December 1989-September 1991 -- first secretary of Central Committee of LKSMK

August 1991-August 1993 -- chairman of republican state committee for youth affairs

August 1993-March 1995 -- presidential adviser on organizational questions

March 1995-October 1997 -- deputy prime minister for matters in the social sphere and domestic policies

March-October 1997 -- education and culture minister

October 1997-September 1998 -- deputy head of presidential administration, head of organizational-control department

September 1998-February 1999 -- chief assistant to the president

February 1999-December 2000 -- governor of Atyrau Province

December 2000-January 2002 -- deputy prime minister in charge of social affairs

28 January 2002-11 June 2003 -- prime minister of Republic of Kazakhstan

Author of the books:
"The Socio-Political Renewal of Kazakhstan: Tendencies and Priorities," "Kazakhstan, Evolution of the State and Society" (co-author), and "The Explanatory Dictionary of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan" (co-author), 1996; "Social Policy and Political Transformation" and "Artifacts of Masters of Central Asia," 1997; "100 Years of the Oil and Gas Industry of Kazakhstan" (co-author), 1999; "From Peking to Astana: The History of the Transfer of Capitals," 2001