Institute of History and Ethnology named after Sh. Sh. Ualikhanov

Project topic: “Trends and transformations of historical memory in modern Kazakh society (1992-2020)”

The name of the priority direction of the development of science for which the application is submitted: 7. Research in the field of social sciences and humanities

Name of the specialized scientific field in which the application is submitted, type of research:7.2. Fundamental, applied, interdisciplinary research in the field of humanities: 7.2.2. New humanitarian knowledge. Synergetic research in the humanities.

Estimated start and completion date of the project, its duration in months: April 1, 2021 – December 31, 2023; 36 months.

Relevance.In Kazakhstan, there are no fundamental works on the coverage of missionary activities, especially religious and social movements: the Muslim Naqshibandi orders, the Vais movement, etc. The activity of spreading religious teachings that have nothing to do with traditional Islam is completely unexplored. For example, in 1870, work was carried out on the territory of Kazakhstan to spread a new Muslim teaching, the meaning of which was to donate one’s property for the salvation of the soul in the future afterlife.

The aim of the project is to study trends and transformations of collective historical memory in modern Kazakh society (1992 – 2020).

The expected results of the study are publications:

1. Publication of 2 articles in a peer-reviewed scientific publication indexed in the Social Science Citation Index, Arts and Humanities Citation Index and (or) Russian Science Citation Index of the Web of Science database and (or) having a CiteScore percentile in the Scopus database of at least 35 (thirty-five), as well as at least 6 (six) articles and (or) reviews in peer-reviewed foreign and (or) domestic publications recommended by CQAES;

2. Conducting a series of scientific webinars and a specialized international conference on the topic “Trends and transformations of collective historical memory in modern Kazakh society (1992 – 2020)” with the involvement of Kazakhstani and foreign scientists (with subsequent publication of videos in the Internet space);

3. Conducting a series of public lectures (possibly online), open with the aim of popularizing historical knowledge among students and school audiences through the channels of the Eurasian Network of Universities in support of the culture of knowledge of Al-Farabi-Abai.

4. Dissemination of the results of the work among potential users: popularization of the results of scientific research both in the academic environment and among the general public through electronic sites where the results will be published, etc. internet resources.

Results achieved: In accordance with the calendar plan, the collection of materials was started in order to further compile the base of narratives of the historical memory of the Kazakh society. In particular, in the digital space of the Kazakh media sphere (Internet, TV programs, etc.), we analyze historical narratives containing victimizing and glorifying intentions. A questionnaire has been prepared for conducting a social survey among students and teachers in order to determine the ratio of historical narratives in their memory and rhetoric. In the process of carrying out the above-mentioned works, the typology of narratives of historical memory in public and academic discourses of Kazakhstan is being determined.

A social survey was conducted. The questionnaire prepared by us consisted of 15 questions reflecting the main mythologems of Kazakh historiography, as well as narrative elements that are potentially adaptive for constructing glorifying historical images. The survey results will allow us to better develop the following areas:

Members of the research group:

Abylkhozhin Zhulduzbek Bekmukhammedovich – Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor. Chief scientific researcher of the Institute of History and Ethnology named after Ch.Ch. Valikhanov. Specialist in the field of Modern history of Kazakhstan, including the Soviet period. Author of books and scientific articles, including those published abroad. Author of 12 monographic studies (part co-authored) and more than 150 scientific articles, including those published in international journals (Japan, Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, USA, Turkey, Russia, etc.). Specialist in the history of Kazakhstan, Central Asia and the historical memory of the post–Soviet space of the XX – beginning. XXI century . project management, control over documentation, setting the tasks of the research group, summarizing the results obtained, preparing and publishing articles in rating journals and CQAES journals.

Mikhail Akulov is a PhD doctor, assistant professor at Nazarbayev University. He defended his doctoral thesis at Harvard University in 2013. In the same year, he returned to Almaty and was accepted to a teaching, scientific and administrative position at the Kazakh-British Technical University. Working as the head of the Department of History and Social Sciences, and then as the Dean of the Faculty of General Education, he focused primarily on coordinating the curriculum of the humanities with key modern practices. In the fall of 2018, he started working at Nazarbayev University in the Department of History, Philosophy and Religious Studies, where he teaches the complex history of Eurasia.

Kubeev Rustem Dzhaulybayuly – PhD doctoral student, scientific researcher of the Institute of History and Ethnology named after Ch.Ch. Valikhanov. Research interests – foreign historiography (issues of identity, national identity, traditionalism, modernization of traditional societies, historical psychology). Has publications in journals included in the Scopus and CQAES databases.

Burkhanov Bimurad Badritdinovich – Master of History, scientific researcher Institute of History and Ethnology named after Ch.Ch. Valikhanov. Specialist in the field of oral history, everyday life of Kazakhs of the first half of the twentieth century. He has experience working in domestic and foreign archives, the compiler of several collections. Engaged in the study of collective memory issues, conducting field research on the collection of memories, their processing and compilation of the database. Author of about 10 scientific articles, including a publication in the RSCI. Participated in the implementation of a number of scientific projects

Krupko Igor Vladimirovich – 2nd year doctoral student of the Institute of History and Law of KazNPU named after Abai. There are publications on the topic in the journals of the Scopus, CQAES and RSCI databases. The main cognitive intention is to integrate the latest interdisciplinary theoretical and conceptual models of world historical science into the historical science of Kazakhstan.