Abstract
<jats:p>This article analyzes the construction of political reality and the communicative behavior of the linguistic personality in contemporary Kazakhstani political discourse. The object of the study is the official text of the Address delivered by Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on September 1, 2024. The research is significant due to the study justified by the necessity for a comprehensive linguistic examination of the pivotal political text that influences the national agenda during the period of substantial social and economic transformations. The scientific novelty stems from the integrated comprehensive, integrated approach combining Cognitive Linguistics (examining conceptual metaphors through A.P. Chudinov’s typology and G. Lakoff’s theory), Discourse Analysis (evaluating communicative strategies per O.S. Issers), and Content Analysis — a combination not previously applied to this material. The findings reveal that the primary rhetorical device in the Address is a dual system of conceptual metaphors. The creative artifact metaphor (the state is a mechanism / construction) dominates, accounting for approximately 60 % of all metaphors. This creates an image of a rational, manageable, and technological process of state governance. This model is systematically juxtaposed with Threat metaphors-sociomorphic (War) and Anthropomorphic (Morbus) to contextualize issues and legitimize the authorities’ decisive actions. The distinctive traits of the linguistic personality of the Address’s author are examined, leading to the conclusion that the author exemplifies the rational-technocratic type of linguistic personality. The image of a leader, whose legitimacy is predicated on competence and efficacy rather than emotional appeal, is formulated through the synergy of specialized vocabulary, prevailingmetaphorical frameworks, and strategic communication techniques (including self-presentation, argumentation, discreditation, and unification). Ultimately, the article elucidates linguistic phenomena and illustrates how the worldview and pragmatic objectives of a national leader are encoded in political discourse through a sophisticated array of discursive mechanisms. </jats:p>