RELIGIOUS CONTROL AND REPRESSIONS IN KARAKALPAKSTAN DURING THE SOVIET PERIOD (1920s–1930s)

This article examines the systematic processes of religious control and repression carried out by the Soviet authorities in Karakalpakstan during the 1920s–1930s. Beginning with measures implemented under the slogans of “enlightenment” and “anti-religious campaigns,” these policies gradually developed into full-scale repression by the 1930s. The study analyzes the destruction of religious institutions, the persecution and execution of religious leaders, the prohibition of traditional rituals, and the disruption of the entire spiritual sphere of society, drawing on various scholarly sources. It also demonstrates how strict directives issued by the central authorities were implemented within the local cultural and social context. The aim of this research is to place this dark chapter within its historical framework and to clearly demonstrate its profound impact on the religious identity and social memory of Karakalpakstan society.