Ideological Narratives of Peasant Uprisings in Soviet Kazakhstan in the 1920s–1930s (on the basis of the F. Tolstoukhov uprising)

Research Article

Abstract

The article examines the ideological narratives of peasant armed uprisings in Soviet Kazakhstan during the 1920s–1930s, using the rebellion led by F. D. Tolstoukhov as a case study. The relevance of this research stems from the need for a more in-depth analysis of the insurgent movement during the collectivization period, not only as a socio-economic phenomenon but also as a specific form of political and ideological self-determination of the peasantry. The aim of the study is to reconstruct the ideological orientations, motivational patterns, and behavioral strategies of the uprising’s participants, as well as to identify the distinctive features of the formation of their political platform. The methodological foundation of the research consists of the principles of historicism, systemic approach, and interdisciplinary approach, as well as elements of microhistorical and narrative analysis. The source base comprises a wide range of archival materials, including documents from central and regional archives of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as investigative files of the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU), containing interrogation records, operational reports, intelligence summaries, and insurgent propaganda materials. The use of these sources made it possible not only to reconstruct the course of events but also to uncover the internal logic and underlying meanings of protest behavior. Special attention is given to the analysis of the rebels’ political platform, their slogans, proclamations, rumors, and forms of agitation, reflecting the specific nature of their perception of Soviet power, collectivization policies, and the socio-economic transformations of the late 1920s to early 1930s. It is established that the ideology of the uprising was complex in nature, combining elements of anti-Soviet rhetoric with notions of a “just” peasant authority, “free labor,” and the restoration of traditional forms of economic organization. It is demonstrated that, in the consciousness of the movement’s participants, Soviet power was not entirely rejected but rather reinterpreted through the prism of local experience and social expectations. The study concludes that peasant protest movements of this period represented not only a reaction to accelerated socio-economic transformations but also a form of alternative political thinking rooted in the peasant milieu, manifesting in attempts to construct their own model of power and social order. The findings expand our understanding of the nature and content of anti-collectivization uprisings in Kazakhstan and contribute to the historiography of insurgent movements in the Soviet period.