This article focuses on the problems and prospects of civil society formation in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The authors give complete information referring to various sources about the history of the development of civil society in Kazakhstan. There are some positive examples of cooperation between the state and civil society, information on civil forums that were organized with the support of the state. In addition, the authors dwell on the legal framework of civil society in Kazakhstan. The article also discusses the main challenges hindering the development of civil society of modern Kazakhstan. By giving some negative examples of government’s interference in the affairs of Kazakh civil society institutions, authors try to provide the realistic assessment of the government interaction and civil society institutions. As an example, the authors have chosen the most high-profile criminal cases against some excited Kazakh civil society activists in recent years. In the final part of the article, the authors give their recommendations referring to the opinion of authoritative experts on development of civil society in Kazakhstan.