About the Department of Historiography, Source Studies and Modern Methodology

Department history

On September 7, 1978, the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR adopted Resolution No. 131 “On the establishment of the Department of Historiography of Kazakhstan at the Institute”. On October 25 of this year, the department consisting of 5 scientific and technical staff began its work under the leadership of the then Vice-President of the Academy of Science of the Kazakh SSR, Academician Baidabek Akhmetovich Tulepbayev. The first member of the department was senior researcher, Candidate of Historical Sciences S.B. Nurmukhamedov, junior researcher – R.V. Koldobskaya, L.N. Katassonova and laboratory assistant V.A. Zamareva. The opening of the department at the Institute was a good start in the training of historiographers. The first members of the department, senior researcher V.K. Yanulov, graduate student of the Academic Council of the Leningrad Branch of the USSR Academy of Science N. Alimbayev successfully defended their PhD thesis in the specialty “Historiography”.

In 1979 at the next meeting of the Board of Directors of the Institute, the issue of strengthening the staff of the department and expanding the scope of scientific research was considered and in the same year A. Galiev, who graduated from graduate school, and R. Esirkemessova, an employee of the editorial board of “Zhalyn”, senior laboratory assistant Zh.I. Kuanyshev were accepted.

This issue is raised again by the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR and the Department of Social Sciences, it is proposed to revise the structure of the Institute and other institutions of the department as a whole. The management of the Institute, while maintaining its structure depending on the direction of research work, only in order to improve the coordination of research work of the Soviet period transformed the former departments into sectors and created one large department – the Department of Historiography of Soviet Kazakhstan. In this regard, a new topic “The history of the development of historical thought in Soviet Kazakhstan” is added to the five-year workload of the department’s employees. Soon it is being revised as a “Historiography of Soviet Kazakhstan”, consisting of two parts.

In 1986, corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR, Doctor of Historical Sciences M.K. Kozybayev was appointed head of the department. So, in 1986-1988 Manash Kabashevich worked as the head of the Department of Historiography of Soviet Kazakhstan, and from 1988 to January 2002, that is, until the end of his life, director of the Ch.Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology.

In 1985-1989, head of the department M.K. Kozybayev, leading researcher S.B. Nurmukhamedov and researcher V.K. Yanulov, together with the Department of Industry Development and the History of the Working Class, participated in the implementation of the theme “Historiography of the History of Industrial Development of Soviet Kazakhstan” (1918-1980).

Thus, the main core of the scientific direction of the problems of historiography of the 1980s are reviews on the history of historical sciences and, in some cases, criticism of foreign bourgeois historiography. Nevertheless, the research of these years clearly shows not so much the scarcity of research on the methodological justification of historiographical research, as the weakening of the identity of the history of historical science as a subject of worldview, hindering the disclosure of the laws of the development of historical knowledge. Hence, there is a need to pay close attention not only to the staff of the department, but also to the staff of the Institute as a whole to the methodological and theoretical aspects of the issues of Kazakh historiography, especially the historiography of current issues of modern history, the transition period (results and prospects).

Therefore, the academic direction of the Department of Historiography is being considered again, and the topic “Issues of Historiography of Soviet Kazakhstan”, consisting of two main sections, is included in the research plan of the Institute. The head of the topic was the head of the department in those years, M.K. Kozybayev, and the deadlines were approved for 1987-1995.

At the suggestion of the Problematic Council on Historiography and Source Studies of the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences, a regional section on this problem will be created on the territory of the republics of Central Asia and Kazakhstan on the basis of the Department of Historiography and Source Studies of the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences. This indicates the formation of best practices and the reliability base of Kazakh historiographers on this issue.

Employees of the department R.V. Koldobskaya and A.I. Narmanbetova compiled an index of defended dissertations on the history of the Kazakh SSR (1935-1985) and prepared for publication.

The staff of the department, who took an active part in the public affairs of the Institute, put forward another new initiative. They held a constituent meeting of the Society of Local Historians of Kazakhstan, at which the head of the department M.K. Kozybayev made a report on the state of local history in the republic. P.S. Belan showed great activity in conducting this Kurultay.

During these years, the staff of the department is replenished with new employees S.A. Kuandykova, E.A. Baytogayeva, R.S. Kudabayeva and G.A. Baybolova.

At the meeting of the Academic Council of the Institute on January 7, 1993, the issue of reorganizing the structure of the Institute was considered, according to which the Department of Historiography and Source Studies was expanded to include the departments of the Central Archive and Scientific Information on Social Sciences. In this regard, the changes also affected the direction and objectives of the department’s research. Under the leadership of Candidate of Historical Sciences B.M. Suzhikov, Candidates of Historical Sciences L.I. Katassonova, D.M. Kostina, D.M. Yuzkayeva, were involved in the implementation of the following topic “Western Historiography on the Issues of the History of Kazakhstan of the XVIII-XX centuries” G.B. Byrbayeva, S.A. Zhakisheva, senior engineer A.T. Rakisheva.

In the Department of Historiography and Source Studies, headed by a leading researcher, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor B.M. Suzhikov, , Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Chief researcher Zh.B. Abylkhozhin, Candidates of Historical Sciences, Associate Professors: leading researchers I.V. Erofeeva, S.F. Mazhitov (winner of the Young Scholars Award of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan), Senior Researchers S.A. Zhakisheva, K.S. Alimgazinov, Junior Researchers M.R. Satenova, Z.M. Tolenova and engineer A.T. Rakisheva continued their searches on the path of science.

Along with research work within the research direction of the department, the department staff worked under the State Program “Cultural Heritage” and carried out work on the preparation for the publication of 30-volume publications in Russian and Kazakh on the following topics: ” History of Kazakhstan of XII-XX centuries in Western sources”, “World Historical Thought”, “Russian Sources on the History of Kazakhstan”. They were supervised by B.M. Suzhikov, S.F. Mazhitov, I.V. Erofeeva. The publication includes unpublished works in the republic on the history of the Kazakh people and the modern period, the history of Kazakhstan and neighboring states.

In general, this department has so far employed qualified specialists, outstanding scholars who have contributed to the study of “white spots” in domestic historiography and the development of new directions in historical science. Today, the department employs doctors of historical sciences Zh.B. Abylkhozhin, O.Kh. Mukhatova and candidate of historical sciences A.T. Kaipbayeva, who continued the path of the older generation of the previous wave, PhDs N.N. Kurmanalina and A.M. Abikey, Master’s B.B. Burkhanov, A.N. Konkabayeva. In recent years, Z.B. Baizhumanova has been successfully conducting professional research on the implementation of research projects in the field of state grant financing and program-targeted financing in accordance with the new requirements established in the academic sphere of the country.

Research projects

Over the past fifteen years, the Department has studied topical issues that have become the main indicator of priority areas for the development of historical science. Thus, in 2003-2005, the research project “Historiography and Source studies of Kazakhstan in the Context of Innovative Methods and Research Technologies” provided for fundamental research on 4 blocks that make up a single thematic complex within the framework of the tasks set. In particular, Block 1: Socio-economic and socio-political development of Kazakhstan in 1991-2001: analysis of historiography and issues of development of historical knowledge. Domestic and foreign literature; 2-block: Transformation of the Traditional Socio-Political System of Nomadic Society in the Conditions of Modernization: Innovative Approaches and Interpretations; 3-block: The History of Kazakhstan on the World Wide Web and SCDO (satellite remote control channel); 4-block: Electronic bio-bibliographic catalog of editions and publications of the historical and humanitarian genre (1986-2001).

Subsequent 2006-2008 research project dedicated to the topic “Issues of Methodology of the History of Kazakhstan: The Formation of a New Scientific Paradigm”. Based on the professional orientation of the project performers, the thematic tasks were divided into the following areas:

– New methodological approaches to the study of the history of Kazakhstan of new and modern times;

– Information support on foreign historiography of Kazakhstan;

– Kazakh-language historical Internet: the formation of a scientific discipline;

– Auxiliary historical disciplines in medieval studies of Kazakhstan;

– Historical informatics: methodology, historiography, technology.

– Methodological principles of historical education;

– Epistemological approaches of Western social studies to the study of Central Asian history.

– Historical personalities in the history of Kazakhstan: the methodology of consortium analysis.

The results of the research are embodied in a number of monographs, a series of articles, educational and methodological manuals, the creation of a Kazakh-language web site, electronic versions on the history of Kazakhstan. The monograph “Essays on Historiography and Methodology of the History of Kazakhstan” was published (Almaty: Iskander, 2007. – 328 p.) in 2007, and there was also published monograph (with the assistance of Friedrich Ebert Foundation) “Scientific Knowledge and Myth-Making in Modern Historiography of Kazakhstan”. – Almaty: Dyke Press, 2007. – 292 p.

In the period from 2007-2009, the department was actively involved in the implementation of the applied scientific research “National Idea in Historical Retrospect and Perspective of Kazakhstan”.

In 2009-2011, the department developed the project “Polyethnic Capital and Potential of Kazakhstan in the XX-XXI centuries: Methodology, Historiography and Historical Computing” by State order 6.4 “Kazakhstan in the system of world historical landmarks: transcontinental features of civilizational development”.

The main tasks of the project are formed on the basis of the State Program for the Development of Science in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2007-2012, where one of the six priority areas of scientific research is the “national idea as the basis for sustainable development of Kazakhstan”, which includes the task of creating conditions for the integration of Kazakhstan into world science. Based on the professional orientation of the project performers, the thematic tasks are divided into the following blocks:

Block 1. Historical dynamics of trends of Traditionalism, Utilitarianism and Modernism in the XX-XXI centuries: methodological aspects of the problem;

Block 2. Historical science of Kazakhstan and CIS countries: from privatization to integration;

Block 3. National-state demarcation, collectivization and industrialization in the assessments of the post-totalitarian school of Western Kazakhstan;

Block 4. Methods and technologies of computer processing of historical data in the context of the analysis of the source database;

Block 5. Hypertext source array in the system of multivariate reflection of the history of sovereign Kazakhstan 1991-2006: theory and technology of information support;

Block 6. The scientific heritage of academician M.K. Kozybayev: the ethnic renaissance of the Kazakh people and the construction of a tolerant society in Kazakhstan.

In 2012-2014, the staff of the department implemented a research project “History and Antihistory of Kazakhstan: Analysis of Pseudoscientific Knowledge”. As a result of the research work, several research publications have been published.

From 2015-2017, the department’s staff worked on the grant financing project “Documentary Chronicles in the Memory of the People: Source Studies by Methods of Interdisciplinary Synthesis (computerized analysis and database creation)”. The project manager was the head of the department, Doctor of Historical Sciences G.S. Zhughenbayeva. Based on the professional orientation of the project performers, the thematic tasks were divided into the following sections:

– Scientific solution of problems: methodology of research of folk memory sources; institutionalization of “memory” as a historiographical and source definition; historical excursion and panoramic analysis of sources;

– Methodological approaches of Western historiography to the study of oral (folk) history. Scientific and abstract reviews of works by foreign authors;

– Kazakhstan. 18th – 19th centuries. Memory is a mechanism of revitalization of the Kazakh ethnic group;

– Kazakhstan. 1920-1940. The experience of Soviet modernization in the memory of ordinary people;

– Kazakhstan during the Soviet regime: monuments of oral history (1941-1985);

– Kazakhstan. 1985-1991 Living evidence of the documentary chronicle.

The results of these research projects have been widely tested in the form of collective monographs, articles, reports of performers. The research works of the department’s employees are published in the journal “Otan Tarikhy”, in the electronic “е-history.kz ” journal, as well as in Thomson Reuters, Scopus databases.

The main direction of the work of the Department of Historiography, Source Studies and modern methodology and the implementation of research projects was carried out with the involvement of qualified historiographer scholars, source study specialists.

Since the mid-2000s, the staff of the department, well-known scholars B.M. Suzhikov, Zh.B. Abylkhozhin, S.F. Mazhitov, I.V. Erofeeva, S. A. Zhakisheva, K. Alimgazinov, G.S. Zhughenbayeva and others have been concerned with the study of “white spots” in Russian historiography and the development of new directions in historical science.

Works devoted to priority areas and the development of world historical thought, studies of foreign historiography of the history of Kazakhstan (1989-2012) under the authorship of an outstanding scholar, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Chief Researcher B.M. Suzhikov. The foreign archeographic fund of Kazakh Studies of the Soviet period has been supplemented by the translation of B.M. Suzhikov, and over the years of independence, the analytical work of the scientist based on Euro-American studies on the problems of political, socio-economic, ethnic, interethnic relations in Central Asia at a new and modern stage has had a significant impact on the formation of fundamental directions of national historiography. The scholar’s works, methodological research, in turn, contributed to the substantiation, determination of the directions of fundamental research on the history of national (ethnos and ethnicity) problems, which are carried out by the entire staff of the Institute.

In 2008-2010, a well-known scholar, historiographer S.F. Mazhitov worked as the director of the Institute. His candidate’s dissertation was dedicated to the issue of the historical vision of the outstanding historian E. Bekmakhanov and the national liberation movement (“The People’s Liberation Movement in Kazakhstan of the XVIII-early XX centuries: Problems of History, Theory and Historiography”). The scholar who defended his doctoral dissertation (2007) became a leading major expert on the theoretical and methodological foundations of the history of the struggle for liberation, historiographical issues. Academic Historian 2004-2011 he took an active part in the implementation of the state program “Cultural Heritage”. Under his leadership, a series of books “World Historical Thought” (“Tarikh – adamzat akyl-oyynyn kazynasy”) was published in 14 volumes in the Kazakh language. He actively participated in the work in the direction of professional historical education. He made efforts to develop textbooks “History of Kazakhstan and the World History”, a standard program on the history of Kazakhstan (for bachelor’s degree).

The staff of the department headed by S.F. Mazhitov took part as the main performers in the publication of the IV-V volumes of the academic book “History of Kazakhstan”.

Other employees of the department are also involved in the implementation of the Cultural Heritage program. Russian scholar I.V. Yerofeyeva supervised the project “The History of Kazakhstan in Russian sources of the XVI-XX centuries” and the publication of B.M. Suzhikov “The History of Kazakhstan (XII-XX centuries) in Western sources” (in Russian).

Since 1976, along with theoretical and methodological considerations on the issues of the history of Kazakhstan of the twentieth century, the archival data has been constantly introduced into scientific circulation, the unique works on the modernization of Kazakh society of the twentieth century are presented by the head of several research projects, a well-known scholar, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Zhuldyzbek Bekmukhamedovich Abylkhozhin who contributes to increasing the scientific potential of this department. In 1983 he defended his PhD thesis on the history of the tax relations of the Soviet state with the pre-kolkhoz peasantry of the aul and villages of Kazakhstan (supervisor – corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR G.F. Dahshleiger). In 1991 Zh.B. Abylkhozhin defended his doctoral dissertation on the topic “The Traditional Structure of Kazakhstan: Socio-Economic Aspects of Functioning and Transformation (1921-1929)”.

He participated in the creation of all the collective works of the Institute, is a member of the fundamental 5-volume editorial board “History of Kazakhstan” (Vol. 4, 5), was the editor-in-chief of 5 volumes.

Laureate of the Prize of Young Scholars of Kazakhstan (1991, awarded the honorary badge “For contribution to the development of science in Kazakhstan” (2014).

Zh.B. Abylkhozhin is the participant of many international academic conferences held in Turkey, Italy, Japan, England, Iran. He participated in a number of research projects and received international grants. Author of 12 monographs (part in co-authorship) and about 170 researchic articles, including those published in Italy, France, USA, Sweden, Japan, Germany, Russia and other countries.

The department has completed the country’s first doctoral dissertation on historical computer science. An employee of the department K.Sh. Alimgazinov conducted a study on specialty 07.00.09-historiography, source studies and methods of historical research “Electronic Historical Source: Theoretical and Methodological Aspects and Technology of Source Analysis” and wrote a doctoral dissertation “The New Vision of the Emergence, Storage and Presentation of Historical Information – Source Analysis of Electronic Historical Data Using Digital Methods”. The study was carried out in an interdisciplinary synthesis with text analysis of electronic sources storing materials of the modern period of the history of Kazakhstan. The work includes a database of historiographical and documentary content in electronic form, archeographic, reference, bibliographic publications, periodicals, electronic data sources with justification by an integrated information complex.

A separate direction, dynamically developing in the research center, should also be noted about oral history. In 2015-2017, according to the grant financing project “Documentary Chronicles in the Memory of the People: Source Studies by Methods of Interdisciplinary Synthesis (Computerized Analysis and Database Creation)”, the archaeological expeditions were conducted to the western, eastern, northern regions of the country, the interviews were obtained on the issue of oral history from more than 500 informants. A special electronic database has been created. It was a major work aimed at turning memories of those moments in our history of the Soviet period into historical facts with the involvement of direct witnesses.

As well, under the heading of G.S. Zhurgenbayeva, new research works were carried out that form the basis of national historiography about the traditional oral history of the Kazakh people, the historical memory of nomadic society, the historical cognitive significance and potential of folklore. Several articles, reports, and research papers have been published within the framework of this topic. G.S. Zhugenbayeva’s project “The Crimean factor in the historical memory of Akhmet Yassawi University, received a grant and made it possible to determine the role and place of heroic epochs in the study of the history of nomadic peoples.

To date, the staff of the department is fruitfully carrying out research work. In particular, under the guidance of Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Zh. B. Abylkhozhin, a grant funding project on the theme “Myth-making trends and transformations of historical memory in modern historiography of Kazakhstan as a threat to the modernization of public consciousness” was implemented, also the department staff were involved in projects within the framework of fundamental program-targeted funding “History and Culture of the Great Steppe”, “Historical Encyclopedia of Kazakhstan” and in the scientific project “Analytical research, updating and information support” of the interactive scientific historical map “People of Kazakhstan”, developed according to the state assignment. As well as in 2020-2022, under the grant financing of scientific and (or) scientific and technical projects of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the leadership of the Leading Researcher, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Kaipbayeva A.T. within the framework of the scientific project “20-30-s of the twentieth century the system of secular education and enlightenment in the modernization policy of traditional Kazakh society”, the scientific staff of the department conducted fruitful research work and contributed to the development of national historical science and education of the country. The purpose of the project is 1920-30s, reforming the education and enlightenment system in the Great Steppe after the October Revolution, reforms in the formation and development of the secular education and enlightenment system and a comprehensive study of the activities of the national intelligentsia in the process of its implementation, forming a new approach based on scientific research of the features of the education and enlightenment system in the modernization policy of Kazakh society.

In addition, a scientific project on the topic “Trends and transformations of historical memory in modern Kazakh society (1992-2020)” is being carried out. The term of execution is 2021-2023. Project manager is Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Zh. B. Abylkhozhin. The results of the study will form a fundamental scientific basis for the formation of the scientific historical memory of the Kazakh society, and will also significantly contribute to the effective actualization of the ideas of “Rukhani Zhangyru” (“Spiritual revival”) as the modernization of public consciousness in Kazakhstan. The study of this issue can play a significant role in the effective use of modernization tools, including the promotion of the idea of common civic identity as an important condition for society’s cooperation.

Under the guidance of a young scientist, PhD Kurmanalina N.N., a scientific project “Declassified Russian archives about unknown aspects of the life and work of Kazakh khans, sultans and batyrs (18^th – first half of the 19^th century)” is being carried out. The purpose of the project is to reveal unknown episodes of the life and activities of outstanding Kazakh statesmen and military figures of the era of modern history, based on the documents of the Russian archives. Today there is a need to study unknown aspects of the history of Kazakhstan of the 18^th – 19^th centuries based on the collection and analysis of new historical documents received recently from declassified funds of Russian archives. In particular, the documents of a number of prominent political and state figures of the Kazakh steppe with official correspondence with the Russian authorities. The scientific results obtained on the topic of the project were noted by a number of prominent Kazakh statesmen: Abylai, Nurali, Abilfeiz, Uali, Sultanmamet, Kudaimendy, Kulsary, Aryngazy, Kenesary, etc. allows revealing previously unknown pages of the life and work of other personalities. The new documents obtained enable to consider the historical processes that took place in the Kazakh steppe at the beginning and in subsequent periods of Russian colonization.

Publishing activities

The department has published many major works on the publishing activities of the scientists:

Among them, we can mention several fundamental works of Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Zh. B. Abylkhozhin: “The traditional structure of Kazakhstan: socio-economic aspects of functioning and transformation (1920-1930s)”. (Alma-Ata, 1991): “Essays on the socio-economic history of Kazakhstan. XX century”. (Almaty, 1997); “A country in the heart of Eurasia”. (Almaty, 1998) (in co-authorship); “History of Kazakhstan. Peoples and cultures”. (Almaty, 2002) (in co-authorship); “History of Kazakhstan and Central Asia”. (Almaty, 2002) (in co-authorship); “Essays on historiography and methodology of the history of Kazakhstan”. (Almaty, 2007) (in co-authorship); “Scientific knowledge and myth-making in modern historiography of Kazakhstan”. (Almaty, 2007) (in co-authorship); “Stalinism and Nomadism: On the issue of the power policy of sedentarization in Kazakhstan in the late 1920s – early 1930s // The phenomenon of nomadism in the history of Eurasia”. (Almaty, 2007); “Some stages of ecological (environmental) history of Ili-Balkhash region) Soviet period)/Reconceptoalizing Cultural and Environmental Change in Central Asia. A historical perspective on the future”. (Kyoto, Japan, 2009); “Kazakhstan: contemporary politics (in co-authorship)”. (Connecticut, USA, 2009) (in co-authorship); “Groupocentrism and historiography// The book “The Many-faced Clio: battles for History in the post-Soviet space”. (Braunschweig, Germany, 2010); “Historiography and methodology of National History”. (Almaty, 2011) (in co-authorship); “The post-Stalinist period in the history of Soviet Kazakhstan: a series of doomed reforms and failed declarations (1953-1991).” (Almaty, 2020), etc.

Publications of the Leading researcher of the Department, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor O. Kh. Mukhatova: ” Historiography of agrarian reforms in Kazakhstan in the first decades of the twentieth century” (1998); ” Historiography of agrarian changes in Kazakhstan in the twentieth century”; (1999), ” Historical and historiographical data” (2012); ” Socio-Economic Consequences of Tsarist Russia’s Colonial Policy” (2014); ” Historiography of the history of Kazakhstan” (2016); “Development of domestic historical thought” (2017); ” Asylbek Seitov – a trace in history” (2018); “Activity of the Central State Archive of Scientific and Technical Documentation of the Republic of Kazakhstan” (2018); ” Names stored in historical memory” (2020); Alexander the Great in Kazakh oral historiography // Journal of World Applied Sciences 29 (9)” 1204-1207, 2014; Household manners of the inhabitants of the Kazakh Khanate// Balcanica Posnaniensia. Acta et studia, XX, Poznan 2013, Wydawnictwo Instytutu Historii UAM, pp. 85-94; From the Russian pre-revolutionary historiography of the Great Silk Road // Bygone Years. Volume 48. Is. 2. pp. 588-597. 2018; Enlightening Activities of the Tsarist Government in Semirechye in the early 20^th century (According to the Documents from the Fund of the Head of the Semirechye Region’s Resettlement Administration)// Bygone years// Vol. 49. Is. 3. pp. 1296-1306. 2018; Archival terminology in the USSR and in post-Soviet countries: continuity and changes // Archives and Manuscripts. Mау, 2021.

Publications of the Leading Researcher of department, Candidate of Historical Sciences, assoc. professor A.T. Kaipbayeva: History of the great steppe. Textbook. (Almaty, 2019) (co-author); National liberation movements in the sphere of preserving and strengthening national identity in Kazakhstan. Collective monograph. (Almaty, 2020); Monograph “Ilyas Omarov state and public figure (1912-1970)”. (Almaty, 2020) etc.

Scientific, organizational and methodological work