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- Convenor:
-
Marianne Kamp
(Indiana University, CEUS)
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- Discussant:
-
Daniyar Karabaev
(American University of Central Asia)
- Format:
- Panel
- Theme:
- History
- Location:
- Sessions:
- Friday 7 June, -
Time zone: Asia/Almaty
Abstract
The papers on this panel all address aspects of the Soviet experience as described in oral history. Study of individual interview narratives allows us to highlight the ways that historical events reverberate through ordinary life. The oral history projects that form the basis of these research paper offer the opportunity to see the ways that Central Asians of various communities felt the impacts of or responded to the Sino-Soviet split, the process of Soviet dissolution, and the reframing of nationality policy immediately following independence.
Accepted papers
Session 1 Friday 7 June, 2024, -Abstract
This paper compares oral histories with Uzbek respondents from a 1997 project with oral histories with Uzbek and Kyrgyz respondents in a 2023 project, both discussing their memories of the transition as it affected their lives in the end of the Soviet period and at the beginning of independence. In 1997, there was a sense that independence, however welcome, was beset with problems. In 2023, respondents focused on the fact that it took them a long time to realize or accept that the Soviet Union truly was over.
Abstract
This talk explores the feelings of fear and uncertainty among Uyghur emigres during the Sino-Soviet split in the late 1960s and 1970s. Using oral interviews, it examines the impact of these emotions on the lives of Uyghurs amidst geopolitical upheaval. Additionally, the interviews reveal the hopeful aspirations for their homeland's freedom if conflict were to occur between the two superpowers.
Abstract
This study delves into the experiences of three distinct ethnic groups—Uyghurs, Dungans, and Kurds—shedding light on how the disintegration of the USSR thrust them into a critical juncture. During this period, a wave of Slavic migration to Russia occurred, accompanied by local nationalist sentiments such as "Kazakhstan is for Kazakhs, Kyrgyzstan is the homeland for Kyrgyz." Stateless minorities found themselves grappling with a profound question: "Once Soviet citizens, who are we now in this new era?"