Bolsheviks, Imperialism, and the Spread of Soviet Rule in Central Asia — An American Historian

Daniel Lehmann is a graduate student at the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies at Stanford. He is researching one of the most complex periods in Kazakhstan's history — the arrival of the Bolsheviks and the establishment of Soviet rule. Why did this American scholar choose a topic that doesn't usually attract much attention in Kazakhstan? What did the Bolsheviks bring to Central Asia? How are recent political events shaping Americans' views on the history of Central Asia? We discussed these questions in this episode.If you have something to say about this historical period, feel free to leave a comment — it helps more people discover the episode. Thank you for liking and commenting! Let's support quality Kazakh-language content together.0:00:00 Teaser0:01:04 Why is Daniel researching Central Asian history? Why is he interested in the period when the Bolsheviks came to the region?0:06:48 Is it difficult to find good archival materials on this historical period?0:08:40 About Daniel's research topic: The relationship between the Bolsheviks and Central Asian communists0:14:15 How did ordinary people receive Soviet power?0:19:18 Were the Bolsheviks imperialists?0:21:54 How much did Soviet identity influence national identity in today's Central Asian countries?0:25:04 What explains the interest of Americans, including Stanford researchers, in Central Asia and Kazakhstan in particular?0:29:00 Was it possible to conduct research in Central Asian and Russian archives?0:31:06 Do Russian and Central Asian historians share the same views on this historical period, or do they differ?0:34:35 The process of shifting from Russian historiography to Central Asian historiography0:37:00 Did the local population support the "Reds" or the "Whites"?0:43:24 Daniel's trip to Kazakhstan coincided with the COVID pandemic0:49:45 About his learning experience at Kazakh National University0:53:27 About his work at the Caspian Policy Center think tank0:55:48 Has the Russia-Ukraine war changed how American analysts view Central Asia?0:57:10 Daniel's questions: Are there common stereotypes about Kazakhstan in Western media?1:00:09 A museum guard who prayed in front of a Lenin statue and drunk alcohol at home1:02:42 Summary of events that took place in Kazakhstan between 1918 and 1924