Periodical press of the Turkestan region as a source for studying the history of Kazakhstan at the beginning of the ХХ century

Research article

Abstract

The purpose of our article is to present a historical reconstruction of the change in the lifestyle of Kazakhs in the frontier space of Kazakhstan at the beginning of the XX century based on materials from the periodical press of the Turkestan region. The spatial phenomenon of the frontier implies a borderline mobile space that is unstable, and the imperial power is not yet influential enough. The first stage of the research involved studying the history of periodicals.  The study took into account: outdated terminology; and the presence of headings with a different semantic load.  In the process of work, all publications were grouped into thematic sections that were most relevant for the research: reforms, the resettlement issue, the land crisis; the electoral system; education; and events in Semirechye in 1916. Results: The periodical press is most closely connected with the problems of Kazakh society because it is close to current events. Newspaper articles have an unconventional view of the problem, sometimes different from public opinion, which causes harsh criticism. Newspaper materials can be conditionally divided into publications that are informational or analytical. The newspapers record the most interesting facts and topical events of Kazakh society. The analysis of the periodical press deserves a full review, rather than a selective one because the information of interest was not distributed evenly across the newspapers. Newspaper publications require critical analysis because correspondence has always carried a certain subjective assessment of events by the author. In the frontier space, a process of mutual influence of cultures, economic and trade relations of the Kazakh population, settlers, and representatives of the administration of the Turkestan region takes place. There is a forced adaptation of the Kazakh population to the new conditions that have arisen and the integration of the Kazakh steppe and the Turkestan region into the Russian Empire. The establishment of new social institutions of power in the Kazakh steppe is taking place, and the penetration of culture and law into Kazakh society is similar to those that existed in the Russian Empire. A wave of protest is growing against: resettlement, land relations, and elections of judges. The number of people dissatisfied with education  In Russian-Kazakh schools is increasing, where imperial policies were observed so that students would forget their native language, thereby destroying national individuality.