Sources of persecution of Alash intelligentsia in documents of Soviet security

Abstract

According to documents collected by the People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs on the Kazakh intelligentsia, Kazakh “counter-revolutionary nationalism” was divided into four stages:1916–1920: Orenburg was the cultural and administrative center of the Kazakh region, where the newspaper “Kazak” was published under the general edition of A. Baitursynov. During this period, the Alash intelligentsia was represented, including A. Baitursynov, M. Dulatov, G. Berimzhanov, B. Karaldin, T. Shonanov and others. Information about former Alash officers and evidence that Alashorda was not destroyed, but divided into five separate factions are provided. 1928–1932: It is concluded that the member’s of “Alash” took actions opposed the Soviet reforms and organized popular uprisings. 1932–1938: It was noted that the followers of the “Alash” members “sit” in responsible positions of Soviet power. The mechanisms of their persecution are shown, as well as information about the “birth of a new nationalism”.