Passion or Profession: President

Period: 1940–

Nazarbayev was a leader of the Kazakh Communist Party and became the first elected president of independent Kazakhstan following the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. A referendum in 1995 extended his term, and he was reelected in 1999. Though seen as providing stability to the young nation, he has also been criticized for consolidating his power and suppressing the opposition.