THE SOVIET HISTORIOGRAPHY AND THE QUESTION OF KAZAKHSTAN’S HISTORY

THE QUESTION OF KAZAKHSTAN’S HISTORY 89
independence movement. It is not clear yet how the studies regarding
Kenesary Kasymuly would be shaped in the future.
As it is seen in the example of Kenesary, assessments of the personalities
and their activities in history, such contrasting concepts as
heroes and enemies that usually appears on the two extreme edges,
can be changed and re-placed quickly. The two distant concepts
may become close to each other. As a result, the hero may suddenly
become an enemy; the enemy can become a hero. Indeed, as Ibrahim
Kalkan wrote, “Kenesary, who was known as a hero for generations
and about whom epics were sang in the Kazak society, was taught
as a people’s enemy to Kazak students in the textbooks over the
years”. 145 Another interesting detail is the similarity between the fates
of Kenesary and Bekmakhanov. Actually both of them were defeated
due to internal enemies.
Ermukhan Bekmakhanov, whose work is assessed as the first professional
work on the history of Kazakstan, was almost the first
historian to evaluate Kenesary and his movement positively in the
Soviet Union. Because of this work, the author had enormous difficulties
and challenges, investigation and prosecution. Bekmakhanov’s
period coincided with the period when history was shaped to the
ideological foundations, in accordance with the Marxist, Leninist and
Stalinist principles and criteria. Bekmakhanov’s difference from other
historians was that he published the results of his in-depth research
regardless of ideological borders of the period.
While writing the history, historical topic, writing process and the
author, all of them have permanently become history themselves. This
historical process, experienced criticisms, questionings, prosecution,
had affected negatively historian’s health and life for sure. The role
of Ermukhan Bekmakhanov and his works are great in taking the place
in the history of Kenesary Kasymuly and his activities. In addition,
Bekmakhanov has influenced the perspectives of history writing of the
independence era as well, and has left a permanent mark in history.
145 Kalkan, İbrahim. “Halk Düşmanı mı, Halk Kahramanı mı? Sovyet Tarihçiliğinin İkilemi”
(People’s Enemy or People’s Hero? Dilemma of the Soviet Historiography), Stalin ve Türk
Dünyası (Stalin and Turkic World), edp. Emine Gürsoy-Naskali and Liaisan Şahin. İstanbul,
2007, p. 286.