The paper analyzes the collections of the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (MAE RAS) and the Russian Ethnographic Museum (REM) (St. Petersburg, Russian Federation). Their study is of great importance both in the scientific-theoretical and practical aspects. In theory, their study is of particular interest, since at the turn of XXth century customs of the Kazakhs underwent dramatic changes, many traditions, which remained intact for centuries, were perceived as archaisms. The museum collections became the material and information basis, which could be used to reliably reconstruct the traditional way of life of the Kazakhs. The main objective of this paper is to study the collections of traditional Kazakh clothing (19th century), describing specific features of its national ornaments, comparison of modern and traditional ornamentation (19th century). Relevance of the problem being under study is amplified in the context of universal cultural globalization. Against this background, the uniqueness and originality of the Kazakh ethnic culture are threatened with extinction. This study reveals key tendencies related to the cultural impact of globalization on the ethnic and cultural identity of the modern Kazakh society by the example of studying national ornaments on traditional clothing. The authors conclude that some of the decorative motifs, presented in modern renovated clothes are applied incorrectly. The paper provides analysis of the factors that caused this phenomenon and recommendations to improve cultural background of the population.

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