Kyrgyzstan Risks Riling Russia with Tribute to Historical Tragedy

[Larry1]

I had not heard of this incident:

Kyrgyzstan Risks Riling Russia with Tribute to Historical Tragedy

Kyrgyzstan is preparing to mark the centennial of a historical tragedy that nationalists in Bishkek are portraying as a Russian-led genocide. The commemoration is causing unease in the Kremlin.

In the summer of 1916, Kyrgyz nomads rose up against a World War I-era conscription drive imposed by Tsar Nicholas II's government. When Cossacks loyal to the tsar put down the rebellion, thousands of Kyrgyz undertook a fateful exodus over snowy passes to China. Local historians claim the resistance and the "Great Flight" — or "Urkun," as it is known in Kyrgyz – left over 100,000 Kyrgyz dead. The events, which were glossed over in Soviet textbooks, remain contested.

A May 27 presidential decree on the anniversary hints at difficulties in striking a balance between nation-building efforts focused on the country's ethnic Kyrgyz majority, preserving national harmony in a country with a significant Russian minority, and not offending Moscow.

But rest assured that a foundation of the Russian Foreign Ministry is hard at work to research the "historical facts" about the tragedy:

The Russian Foreign Ministry's Gorchakov Foundation – named for Alexander Gorchakov, a tsarist-era foreign minister – agreed last year to fund research on the "restoration of historical facts" connected to the tragedy. The organization under consideration to lead the research project is none other than a group of local Cossacks.

According to a source close to policymaking circles in Kyrgyzstan's government, the fact that the Gorchakov Foundation is considering the Cossacks to implement the project has sent Kyrgyz officials "in a rage".

"For Russia, it is important to get its version of history across after [the propaganda-fueled war in] Ukraine," said the source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic. "But this is quite dangerous."

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/news/article/kyrgyzstan-risks-riling-russia-with-tribute-to-historical-tragedy/524400.html

I think the Kyrgyz government should be very careful of what it says about Russia. After all, they have a Russian-speaking minority which Putin might feel he needs to protect.

What are your thoughts?

[Boethius]

David Marples wrote an interesting book with respect to Ukraine, Heroes and Villains,  which not only discusses different historical issues of the 20th century, but also, historical approaches to that issue.  He looked at perspectives during the Soviet period, when historians generally wrote what the party demanded, to the ultranationalist approach many of these historians took once the USSR collapsed.  It is an interesting read, with lots of dispassionate background on UPA (which is why debating that issue with now banned know nothings was futile).

The point is, there is still an immaturity among historians in that region, given where most of its "scholars", and those training new scholars, came from.  The world of "ideas" is still rather dangerous, or, can be.  So, I am not in the least surprised that Russia would politicize history to its perceived advantage.  That has always been part of its historical history, from the time Gerhard Mueller advanced the Normanist theory, to the chagrin of Lomonosov and other Russian ultranationalists.