Abstract:

This community, composed of two ethnic minorities, offers a glimpse of Central Asia as a region of international student migration. Indian and Pakistani students form a temporary community in Central Asia (they live there during their studies) and specialize in medicine (especially surgery and oncology). The presence of these students demonstrates a continuity of links between the Central Asian region, the Indian subcontinent and Pakistan, which must be read in the light of Indo-Pakistani-Soviet relations established in the 1960s, when the first students from this region entered Soviet universities.

In 2022-3, Kyrgyzstan is estimated to have hosted 14,500 Indian and about 8,000 Pakistani students in its universities. Indo-Pakistani student migration is also dependent on recent global events such as Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine, which have respectively closed China and Ukraine to students. Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are the leading countries that have benefited from this windfall.

This community presents original characteristics that deserve to be studied: the number of restaurants or shops run by Indian or Pakistani nationals has exploded and plays a significant role in the internationalization of the city of Bishkek; the Pakistani minority is unfortunately and regularly the target of attacks (63 recorded in 2021). Geographically, the Indo-Pakistani community is located in Bishkek and Osh, but also in the provinces near the universities built specifically for these students (Djalal-Abad, Cholpon-Ata, Kant).

The case offered by this community allows us to study Kyrgyzstan, no longer as a country of origin, but as a host country, a perspective that is still new or very little present in Central Asian studies in general; and also, to observe the insertion of the region into the networks of globalization and to question the connections that Central Asian spaces maintain with other countries.

The aim of this paper is to present first results and perspectives on this topic after a short fieldwork in Bishkek in spring 2024.

Abstract:

This paper focuses on the visual evidences of realizing the Soviet modernity project as experienced by the Kalmyks and Tuvans in the 1930s. The Cultural Revolution being part of project aimed at radical breakdown of traditional culture and creating “new Soviet person”. I argue that analyzing the photos reveals visual signs of modernity and indicate the success of this project. The methods of visual sociology and the decolonial approach were used. The analysis revealed signs of modernity present in their bodily practices and lifeworld. These signs include, for example, European-style clothing and headdresses, and short haircuts for women. The traditional requirements codifying the position of arms and legs do not work for Kalmyks, for example, the taboo of folding arms across the chest or sitting cross-legged. The official photographs present such essential signs of modernity as Soviet symbols such as flags, banners, as well as newspapers and books denoting enlightenment and the liquidation of illiteracy. Unity with the collective was also shown, as demonstrated by the strict geometry of the group's arrangement in space. Collective photographs with clearly defined geometry of the crowd are very characteristic of early Soviet culture. Signs express the new social order and showing the forms of relations between the representatives of Soviet authorities and “colonized minorities”. The latter include the relations “propaganda – mass", “Soviet boss – subordinates”, “political leader – mass in the column”. The photographs show the signs of transforming the women status of formally “equality” to men during the Cultural Revolution. Such equality visually expresses in the lack of femininity in women's uniforms, short haircuts, strictness, orderliness and discipline in both dress and posture. Although the Kalmyks and Tuvans were presented similar, there are some differences in their visual images. Since the 18th century Kalmyks, being part of realizing the first modernity project Russia, encountered modernity unlike the Tuvans, and this was the basis for their “readiness” to accept Soviet modernity. The visual images of ethnic minorities that experienced Soviet modernity are examined for the first time from a decolonial perspective. Furthermore, studying this experience is interesting because it compares Kalmyks who lived in the Soviet state and Tuvans who had their own state at that time. This paper bases on archival materials (photos of the 1930s) from the National Archives of the Tuva Republic (Kyzyl, Russia), the National Archives of the Republic of Kalmykia and the National Museum of the Kalmyk Republic (Elista, Russia).

Abstract:

In different parts of the world, social contradictions periodically intensify, and intrastate and interstate conflicts occur. The collapse of the USSR was also accompanied by regional conflicts due to social discontent, opposition to structural violence, and the desire for self-determination. Chechnya experienced a deep socio-political crisis, conflict, and two wars. The experience of participating in a conflict process requires reflection and determination of the prospects for the development of a regional community.

The subject of the study is the sociocultural values of various groups of the population of Chechnya during the period of socio-political crisis.

Goal: to identify the significance of values in the emergence of the Russian-Chechen conflict, the peculiarities of their changes in different periods of its course, to determine their influence on the social behavior of actors and the motivation of political actions.

Materials and method. The study used a sociocultural and subject-active approach, a method of quantitative analysis; for more than twenty years, sociological monitoring of changes in sociocultural values and political value systems was carried out. Values are considered through the categories “preservation” - “change”

Result. In the system of sociocultural values of Chechen society, the terminal values are freedom, justice, and equality. The perception of the content of these and other values changed during different periods of the conflict, but in general, for example, freedom, a sustainable value, is included in the core of the hierarchical value system. It is perceived not only as a manifestation of the will of the individual, but also as security from internal and external violence, illness and material deprivation. Equality is understood in a traditional context rather than as equality of opportunity, meaning equal legal and regulatory status. Equality before ethical and legal norms and the Almighty makes one equal to another. The role of instrumental values is self-organization, self-determination, sovereignty, resistance, cooperation. All these values influence individual and social behavior, socio-political activity, and collective mobilization. However, the degree of influence of values on social activity depends on socio-political conditions and the political regime. The uniqueness of the current period in Russia and the regions introduces some restrictions on the activities of civil institutions and public organizations. In Chechnya, since 2003, a post-conflict situation of partial conflict resolution has developed, and on April 16, 2009, the counter-terrorism operation (CTO) officially ended. The republic's social and communal infrastructure has been restored, and the foundation of the economy is being created. But in the virtual space of Internet resources, the ideological and political conflict continues between the foreign Chechen socio-political diaspora and the ideologists of the regional authorities of the Chechen Republic. Each side demonstrates a different understanding of basic sociocultural values - freedom, justice. The results of the study can help correct the positions of opponents and clarify the value perceptions of various groups of the population.

Abstract:

This presentation examines narratives, memories, and life experiences of ethnic Koreans (koryo saram) who were forcibly relocated to Kazakhstan in the 1930s and their descendants. Through analysis of their stories alongside declassified archival documents, we address the question: How have ethnic Koreans integrated into Kazakhstani society since their deportation from Far East Russia 86 years ago? Drawing from a project focused on archival documents and life histories, we present interview results collected between 2017 and 2023 with 36 participants, bridging the gap between official records and lived experiences.

Kazakhstan, historically a destination for “ethnic repressions,” is now a diverse nation with over 130 ethnicities and dominant religions of Islam and Christianity. This diversity poses challenges to territorial unity, particularly in the current geopolitical landscape. While earlier Korean migration to Russia was voluntary, the subsequent relocation to Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, was involuntary. In the 1930s, the forced movement of ethnic minorities, viewed as a security threat by the Soviet state, shaped the demographic landscape of Kazakhstan. Despite the collapse of the USSR and subsequent migrations, according to the Foreign Ministry of Republic of Korea, the number of ethnic Koreans in Kazakhstan remained stable – at 109,923 as of 2021, emphasizing their enduring presence in the region. However, with few survivors of the forced relocation era remaining, there is a narrowing window of opportunity to reconcile archival records with living memory.

Our analysis considers questions of social status, interethnic relationships, and language dynamics among the koryo saram community in Kazakhstan. By examining historical documents and contemporary narratives, we gain insights into the complex process of integration and identity formation within a polyethnic society. This presentation highlights the importance of preserving and understanding the experiences of ethnic minorities in Kazakhstan, shedding light on their contributions to the nation’s diverse cultural tapestry and the ongoing challenges of reconciliation between past traumas and present realities.