Send message to Author

Abstract

The paper examines the history of changes to Mäshhür Zhüsip Köpeyuly’s shrine as a reflection of state policy and power relations from 1931 to the 2020s (up to 2024). The shrine was built in 1930–31, destroyed in 1952, restored in the 1970s as a historical heritage monument, and renovated in 2006. Mäshhür Zhüsip Köpeyuly (1858-1931) is a revered saint, as well as a significant ethnographer and scholar of the region. His shrine is functioning as a pilgrimage site that has been popularized not only locally but also within the broader national sacred landscape.

The data for the research were collected through the fieldwork at the shrine in 2018 and 2023–2024, as well as archival sources from the State Archive of Pavlodar Region. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s theory of power and Henri Lefebvre’s spatial triad, this paper shows how the shrine has been perceived over time by society, communities, and the state, as well as how these perceptions have evolved.

The results demonstrate that Mäshhür Zhüsip Köpeyuly’s shrine is deeply embedded in national pilgrimage networks and represents the transformation of attitude and policy towards sacred sites. By combining historical material with contemporary analysis of shrine pilgrimage activities, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the relationships between religion, power, and space.