THE SOVIET HISTORIOGRAPHY AND THE QUESTION OF KAZAKHSTAN’S HISTORY

THE QUESTION OF KAZAKHSTAN’S HISTORY 139
PERSECUTION AGAINST INTELLECTUALS AND
AUTHORS IN KAZAKHSTAN (1940-1950)
Assoc. Prof. Rosa M. Musabekova *
Over time, leaders and ideas that affect humanity unquestionably
change. However, the institutions and intellectual currents that are
seemingly ready to sacrifice the life and liberty of millions of people
for ideas and obsessions do not always change. Therefore, totalitarianism
does not disappear. It rather silently hides like a small ember
under the ashes of fire. We are prone to think that it will be ready to
flame again if someone throws a dry branch upon it. Time creates its
own authors. Nobody can write about the Stalin-era like those who
experienced it. We will strive to evaluate the humane values of modern
times through their published books and relations with their leaders.
Honestly speaking, history repeats itself sometimes. The twentieth
century created the totalitarian state structure that generated some of
the harshest political codes. Some historians assume that totalitarian
regimes and antediluvian despots were the elements of Ancient Egypt;
nevertheless, the most brutal version of totalitarianism prevailed in the
twentieth century. Despite its short reign, Soviet totalitarianism ranks
first in terms of influence and the art of execution. Experienced by our
several contemporaries, this system sometimes demonstrated its brutal
face and sometimes sought romantic elements. In essence, we should
look at totalitarianism’s political, social, and psychological consequences
and its long-lasting effects concerning today and tomorrow.
The apparent persecution against Kazakhs, Lithuanians, Georgians,
Ukrainians, Russians, and Uzbeks was not a product of coincidence.
The persecution against the intellectual echelons of these peoples
stemmed from the fear that they had grasped the potential outcomes
of totalitarianism.
The persecution against national values gained momentum in Kazakhstan
under totalitarian rule. For example, there was almost no
place without a fence or observation tower in Kazakhstan during the
Stalinist era. Among the USSR Directory of Camps, we note KARLAG,
STEPLAG, OZERLAG, AKTÖBELAG and KUMLAG; there was also a directory
of working camps and colonies run by the Ministry of Internal
Affairs. There were around 70 camp sections and colonies.
Across the Kazakh lands, there was almost no city and town without
these infernal camps. These politically-motivated camps in Kazakhstan
*
L. N. Gumilev Eurasian National University