Full Circle: Identity, Soviet Nationalities Policy, and Central Asia

How did Soviet nationalism impact the diverse ethnic groups of Central Asia? This paper interrogates Soviet “modernization” policy toward different identity groups in modern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Using an International Relations approach, the author problematizes the Leninist ethnoterritorial nationalist framework, arguing the complexities of ethnic identity in the region. As such, the creation of discrete bordered “socialist nations” is an artificial endeavor based on incorrect assumptions about the homogeneity of regional ethnic groups. The repeated divisions of Central Asia during the Bolshevik era attempted to catalyze the development of socialism within governable economic units of the Soviet empire. This phenomenon is clearly articulated in the Ferghana Valley region, which houses Uzbek, Tajik, and Kryrgz populations, among others. The geography of this area is analyzed to highlight the pitfalls of Soviet border delineation. Last, the article further explores the influence of the clan system during the nation-building period and the process of “korenizatsiia” or “indigenization,” which was used strategically by both clan leaders and soviet officials to harness political power.