The collection of materials from the international scientific and practical conference presents articles by authors from Istanbul, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Bugulma, Astana, Karaganda, Petropavlovsk, Kostanay, Semey on current issues of socio-economic development of Kazakhstan in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Separate articles touch on the issues of the formation of the Kazakh merchant class, the social identity of the merchants, the charitable and philanthropic activities of merchants.