THE SOVIET HISTORIOGRAPHY AND THE QUESTION OF KAZAKHSTAN’S HISTORY

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THE SOVIET HISTORIOGRAPHY AND
seemed to turn into a flood water for interpreting Kazakh history.
In addition, these newly released documents influenced all of these
many new studies.
Scholars re-examined Kazakhstan’s past and new realities that were
once contained in a sealed box came out and slowly created a new
historical consciousness. In this context, new analysis and comprehension
of the common ideas and opinions evolved that claimed national
interests and the spiritual connection between E. Bekmakhanov and
Kazakh intellectuals of 1920s and 1930s. Scholars provide the historical
facts in detail to illustrate the patriotism, spiritual abundance, and
fight for freedom are good features assigned to the historical figures.
What was the connection between the work of Kazakh intellectuals
that the state accused of nationalism and exiled during 1920s
and 1930s and E. Bekmakhanov, whose works appeared in the second
half of the 1940s and later was similarly accused by the Soviet party
system? Why were scholars like Ş. Kudayberdiyev, A. Bökeyhanov,
M. Dulatov, H. Dosmuhamenov, M. Tınışbayev, S. Asfendiyarov, and
M. Avezov, who left important works in the history and literature,
and E. Bekmakhanov analysed serious topics regarded by Soviet authorities
as dangerous? What were the reasons that compelled him
to address this issue? Was it a thorny issue that had troubled days
for Kazakh opinion leaders? Was it an effort to show and prove K.
Kasımov’s struggle against tsarist imperialist policies as a struggle of
national freedom born from Bekmakhanov’s loyalty to the national
history and efforts to reveal the historical truth? Or, was it because
he could not deny the historical facts? Of course, we cannot say that
he discussed it without understanding of the severity of the subject.
In order to understand and make a detailed analysis of this situation,
it is necessary to explain the conditions of the aforementioned terms.
In June 1943 in Almaty under the editorship of academician A. M.
Pankratova, a 671-page book called Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic
from Old Age to Today was released in Russian. This scientific work was
under the strict observation for its inclusion of inappropriate thoughts
and ideas as judged by society and this explained the reason why
the book was published under the supervision of A. M. Pankratova
and Ideology Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist
Party of Kazakhstan M. Abdulhalikov. Many scholars during the war
came from the USSR Academy of Sciences Institute of History were
also included in this book.
At the end of 1941, a group composed of scientists from Moscow
and Leningrad had been evacuated to Almaty. B. D. Grekov, S. N. Pokrovskiy,
S. V. Yuşkov, S. M. Mukanov, G. M. Müsirepov, M. O. Avezov, and