THE SOVIET HISTORIOGRAPHY AND THE QUESTION OF KAZAKHSTAN’S HISTORY

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THE SOVIET HISTORIOGRAPHY AND
buried.” writes Medev Sarseke, in his biography of Bekmakhanov. 160
In 1933, Bekmakhanov enrolled in the Tambov Pedagogy Institute History
Department with a full scholarship from the Ministry of Education.
However, with the closure of the department in 1936, he transferred to
Voronezh Pedagogy Institute and graduated in 1937. In the same year,
he returned to Kazakhstan and initially started as a history teacher at
No. 28 M. Mametova secondary school in Almaty. After that, he worked
at the Research Institute of Kazakhstan Ministry of Education. Within
a short time, he was promoted as an institute principal.
Between 1946 and 1947, he acted as vice-principal of the newly-established
History, Archaeology and Ethnography Institute of the Kazakh
SSR Academy of Sciences. From 1947 until his untimely death – that
is, 6 May 1966 – he acted as the chairman of the history department
of the Kazakh Public University.
Generally, the historians divide his career and rise as a historian
and academic into three periods.
During the first period (1942-1947), he defended his PhD thesis (1943)
and thereafter he became a professor by successfully defending his
docent dissertation, which would later be published as a book titled
“Kazakhstan between 20s and 40s of the 19 th Century”.
The second period (1948-1958) is famous for his downfall and
troubles, most notably the attacks against him and the persecution,
accusations, and exile.
The last period (1958-1966) covers the years when he was re-admitted
to his position, re-claimed his posts, was elected as a standing
member to the Kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences in 1964, produced
several significant works and course books, educated students, and
subsequently fell ill and died. 161
The diaries and memoirs of his contemporaries and students reveal
his curiosity about the arts and sciences, his fondness of friendship
and fraternity, his love for his family and country, and his devotion
to moral principles and national values.
Now we can concentrate on the content of the presentation. Bekmakhanov’s
100 th anniversary of his birth coincides with the activities
commemorating the 550 th anniversary of Kazakh Khanate, which was celebrated
nationwide by the proposal of Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan
Nazarbayev. Bekmakhanov’s expertise on topics such as the rebellion of
Kenessary Kasymoglu Khan and the Kazakh Khanate’s rise as an indepen-
160 Medev, Sarseke, Ermukhan Bekmakhanov, 2010.
161 Takenov. A.S., Ermukhan Bekmakhanoviç Bekmakhanov, V. Knige Korjihina. T. P., Senin.
A. S., İstorya Rossiyskoy Gosudarstvennosti, Moscow, 1995, pp. 10-14.