Few things capture the spirit of the times as vividly as the words, memes, and trends circulating across dominant social platforms. Following a tradition long observed by international media outlets and publishers, the editorial team at Kursiv.media set out to identify Kazakhstan’s Word of the Year for 2025.
A year shaped by big decisions and new technologies
In 2024, Kazakhstani voters approved the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant (NPP). In 2025, attention shifted to deciding which country and which company would build it. Later, it was announced that not one, but three NPPs would be constructed. And the name of the first NPP was chosen – the Balkhsah Nuclear Power Plant.
This year can also be described as a turning point in public interest in artificial intelligence. As AI tools became more widely adopted, ChatGPT emerged as one of the most frequently mentioned terms in Kazakhstan.
Events and issues that defined public debate
Kursiv.media’s shortlist of notable words and trends reflected a range of pressing issues, including rising food prices (inflation), fluctuations in the national currency, the tenge, and ongoing tax reforms (VAT).
Another major trend was a growing focus on environmental and public health. Air pollution in Kazakhstan’s largest cities reached such severe levels that Almaty topped IQAir’s real-time ranking of the world’s most polluted large cities.
The list also captured major cultural moments, such as the first-ever concerts by global stars in Almaty and Astana, including Jennifer Lopez and the Backstreet Boys. Still, the artist most consistently associated with Kazakhstan remains Dimash Qudaibergen, whom we even proposed to nominate for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Kairat Almaty’s UEFA Champions League qualification drew headlines, especially when Real Madrid arrived in Almaty for the second matchday on Sept. 30. The event energized the city, exciting even those usually uninterested in football, despite the 5-0 home defeat.
Kazakhstan’s word of the year
Ultimately, we chose the name of a rapidly growing social media platform as the Word of the Year. In 2025, this platform became one of the primary sources of timely and engaging news for the Kursiv.media newsroom and was widely described as uniquely Kazakh in its online culture.
The Word of the Year in Kazakhstan for 2025, according to Kursiv.media, is Threads.
Trend of the year
In our view, Threads was not only the word of the year but also the social network of the year. As a result, we named «The Power of Threads» as Kazakhstan’s Trend of the Year, highlighting the platform’s growing influence on public discourse and media consumption.
Despite launching two years ago, Threads generated significant buzz in Kazakhstan in 2025. The platform became so dominant that users joked the country had «conquered» the feed, with some even claiming that «Threads is a distinctly Kazakh network.»
That momentum is not surprising. According to Meta, Threads has about 1.85 million users in Kazakhstan — the highest number among former Soviet countries, excluding Russia.
Kazakhstani users rely on Threads for a wide range of purposes, from everyday questions — such as what Secret Santa gift to buy on a budget — to promoting businesses or identifying people in photos. Posts often include the phrase «I believe in the power of Threads,» which evolved into a meme akin to «CFBR.» While the term «power» may sound exaggerated, several events this year showed the platform’s real-world influence.
Café renames after online backlash
In July, a Threads discussion prompted a café that had not yet opened to change its name to avoid controversy. In Almaty, a café-bistro called Lenina 36 — named after its address on the former Lenin Avenue — faced criticism for referencing Vladimir Lenin, a figure associated with Soviet repression.
Angered users downgraded the venue’s rating on 2GIS, a digital mapping and business directory service. Following the backlash, the owner agreed to rename the café IVA. The bistro currently holds a rating of 4.7 out of 5 on the platform.
Online pressure leads to salary payment
In another case, Threads users mobilized to support a bartender in Astana who said he had not received his salary for 3 months, despite having given 2 weeks’ notice. He posted screenshots of his correspondence with the head of the restaurant chain, Artem Marchenko, whose responses sparked widespread outrage.
Users bombarded the bar’s 2GIS rating and demanded payment. The owner claimed financial hardship and urged public support for the chain. Eventually, he personally transferred the delayed salary via instant payment and apologized in the comments.
A viral post crosses borders
Another Threads phenomenon emerged in December, when user @ihar.varakhobau from Vitebsk, Belarus, posted a selfie with the caption: «Hello. My name is Igor, and I am on my way home drunk.»
The post went viral, drawing more than 20,000 reactions and thousands of comments offering advice and expressing concern. Igor later reassured followers with an update: «I’m home, and I’m drunk.»
His brief «journey» inspired imitators and parodies, including one by prominent Kazakh stand-up comedian Galym Kaliakbarov, who shared a selfie captioned: «Hello. My name is Galym, and I’m on my way home drunk after a corporate party.»
So our message to readers is simple: Let us «Thread carefully» and hope for a better year ahead.
