Russia: The Challenges of Transformation

14 Russia and the Newly Independent States of Central Asia: Relations Transformed

383 chapter fourteen Russia and the Newly Independent States of Central Asia: Relations Transformed Rustem Zhangozha Translated by Siriol Hugh-Jones Setting Up “The Problem” This chapter is devoted to an analysis of the new kind of relations developing between Russia and the post-Soviet countries of Central Asia. Fifteen states emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union, among them five in Central Asia—Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan. Even a quick look at the literature shows that most of the research carried out on the countries of Central Asia has been done by non-Central Asian researchers who base their findings on what they observe from outside.1 This paves the way for an opportunity for more detailed comparative analysis, a reconstruction of the complex symptoms and features of the relations the Central Asian countries have with each other in the context of the development of relations with Russia as seen “from within” Central Asia. It remains an indisputable fact that global politics, history, culture, and value systems (at least in modern and contemporary history) have been viewed by generations of Central Asian populations through the prism of the Russian position toward them. Even today, this view of the world is unchanged, largely due to information flow inertia but also in no small part as a result of the considerable media resources and technology that Russia continues to direct toward the region. It is for this reason that, when trying to analyze the domestic politics of Central Asian countries, we have to interpret them in the context of Russian influence as the dominant factor. This is so whether the local elites, and in particular radical nationalists, like it or not. 384 Zhangozha Ever since they first arrived in Central Asia, the Soviets resolutely set about destroying the traditional hierarchy of local societies. Those who were similar to Soviet Russia in terms of class were promoted to the top of the power pyramid. The criteria for upward mobility within society and the political cadres were no longer a relatively good education and high level of culture as developed over generations, but devotion to the Bolshevist regime. Another axis of Bolshevist power in the region became the two changes of alphabet (initially, Arabic script was replaced with the Latin script and Cyrillic was introduced later, in 1939). This meant that previous written sources were no longer accessible, and cultural and historical continuity was no longer an issue. Under these conditions, when the regional culture was placed “out of bounds” of the accepted culture and lost its legitimacy, the question of cultural heritage and continuity ceased to exist even for the local population. Persuaded en masse that their society and culture were invalid, their only option was to adapt to the new reality and rules of existence. Russia’s Historical Involvement in Central Asia Whatever the miscalculations of Kremlin ideologues’ domestic policies, under the influence of Russia Central Asia was given an enormous push toward Westernizing its way of life and modernizing its infrastructure. With the adoption of the Russian language, the region’s national cultures gained access to world culture and advancements in science and production. Over the years of Soviet rule, educational institutions were set up in the republics of Central Asia in which the teaching was geared toward European standards . In a relatively short period, these republics saw the foundation of universities and national academies of science to which qualified scientists and teachers were sent from Russia’s academic centers and universities. Given its significant potential resources, production facilities were set up in the region (although most of them were fairly basic refining facilities) as a result of which industrial development followed and consequently a domestic working class. Reforms were carried out to modernize agricultural production, and connections were established between sectors for the creation of a unified production, farming, and retail complex both regionally and throughout the Soviet Union. All these radical changes were constructive in nature and facilitated a sharp rise in the modernization of the Central Asian Soviet republics. A still Central Asia: Relations Transformed 385 stronger impetus for their industry, economy, and agriculture came about as a result of the evacuation of industrial enterprises (with their skilled workers) from the western regions of the Soviet Union during World War II and the enormous campaign to develop virgin and fallow land and industrialize the national economies of the Central Asian republics. These...