Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare how creative industries serve as a form of “soft power” in the international cultural policies of Russia and Kazakhstan. The study’s methodological design combines both qualitative and quantitative methods to thoroughly analyze the role of creative industries as a soft power tool in both countries' international cultural policies. It employs a comparative analytical approach to gain a deep understanding of how creative industries function as a soft power resource and how much they help enhance the international cultural influence of each nation. The results showed that Russia's and Kazakhstan’s creative industries differ significantly in scale, institutional structure, and their integration into international cultural policies. However, both countries actively harness the potential of their creative sectors to build soft power. The differences in Russia and Kazakhstan’s strategies are rooted in historical, institutional, and cultural factors, yet both are progressing toward integrating the creative sector into their foreign cultural policy frameworks. The study demonstrates that creative industries are becoming a crucial strategic resource of soft power in international cultural policy. The originality and value of this research lie in its thorough interdisciplinary analysis of creative industries as a tool of soft power within the international cultural policies of Russia and Kazakhstan.