THE SOVIET HISTORIOGRAPHY AND THE QUESTION OF KAZAKHSTAN’S HISTORY

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THE SOVIET HISTORIOGRAPHY AND
impressed by the style of his lecture. Not only the students of the
Kazakh State University, but also Kazakhstan Pedagogical University’s
students agreed that Bekmakhanov should lecture as a member of
teaching staff at the university. 117 students of five higher education
institutions in Almaty, in their signed petition, demonstrated their
support for Bekmakhanov. Owing largely to the support of young
people, Bekmakhanov started working in the Department of History
at the Kazakh State University. He educated many students there. 32
He became a member of the Communist Party again. He then went
to Moscow with his work on “Russian Annexation of Kazakhstan”,
which he had earlier entrusted to his friend. After publishing it there
in 1957, the Soviet Scientific Board reinstated his title of Ph. D. and he
won the right to full professor again. He re-opened the Kazakh SSR
History Department of Kazakhstan State University on 1 September
1958 and again became the head of it. 33 In 1962, he was elected as a
correspondent member of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR. 34
He resumed the education of the master degree of history. 20 of his
students defended their doctoral (candidate) dissertation in the 12 years
he served before his death. In 1958, he wrote textbooks for secondary
schools about the history of Kazakh SSR. These textbooks prepared by
Bekmakhanov for grades 7-8 and 9-10 were the first textbooks about
the history of Kazakh SSR. They were published in Kazakh, Russian, and
Uighur languages and republished between 40-50 times in the years
1959-1990. The name of his historian daughter, Nayla Bekmakhanova,
was added to the book. Its newer edition was always updated by her. 35
After the death of Ermukhan Bekmakhanov, his daughter, who lived
in Moscow, carried on his studies in the history profession. She said
that “My father had bequeathed me his works in the last days of his
life. He should have done so because my profession is historian. He
wanted from me that I control and update his textbooks and regularly
publish. He guided me continually even when his health was very
bad. I tried to fulfill my father’s will. And I continued to publish his
textbooks with his name for 30 years after he died. I served my father
for 30 years. Of course, some changes and updates had been done if
necessary. In the last 20 years, textbooks had been published in my
name. Scientists still appreciate the textbooks my father wrote 50
32 An interview with Halima Bekmukhamedova, Jarqyn Beyne Ermukhan Bekmakhanov
Documentary Film of Kazakhstan Television, 2015.
33 Takenov, p. 379.
34 Takenov, p. 381.
35 Sarseke, p. 667; Ağayev, p. 111.