The International “Odysseys” of Kazakh Political and Public Figure Shaimerden Kosshygulov (early 20th century)
Международные одиссеи казахского политического и общественного деятеля Шаймердена Косшыгулова (начало ХХ в.)
Zhumatay S. Kozhamzharova D.P. Ganibayeva Z.A. Syzdykov S.M.
December 2025Cherkas Global University Press
Bylye Gody
2025#20Issue 42056 - 2065 pp.
The study of public figures from among the «alien» populations of the Russian Empire currently involves primarily the discovery of little-known facts. The main reason for this lies in the formerly restricted nature of the subject during the dominance of Soviet ideology – most of the deputies of the early State Dumas, following the events of 1917, ended up either in political exile or as victims of mass repressions. This research aims to reconstruct the biography of Shaimerden Kosshygulov, a Kazakh from the Akmolinsk region of the Steppe Territory and a deputy of the Duma, through the prism of his extensive cultural and educational activities, which he carried out not only within his native linguistic and ethnic environment, but also in a multicultural context. The sources used in the study include archival materials from Kazakhstan and abroad, epistolary heritage, and various narrative accounts. Some data about Kosshygulov are introduced into academic circulation for the first time. Using an interdisciplinary approach – at the intersection of history, political science, elite studies, and anthropology – and applying methods of critical analysis and synthesis, the study establishes that Shaimerden Kosshygulov had a strong inclination toward enlightenment based on Islamic teachings. His audiences included various ethnic groups of the Russian (Bashkirs, Tatars, Sarts (Uzbeks), Azerbaijanis, etc.) and Ottoman Empires at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. In the period around 1908–1909, already a former Duma deputy, Kosshygulov was in Istanbul, where he interacted with Turkish democratic activists. The «Оdysseys» of this Kazakh public figure on the international stage are of interest in terms of his communicative abilities and his hypothetical role as an authorized representative of the national political party Alash. Supporting this latter hypothesis is the fact that Kosshygulov was a progressive thinker and participated in publishing a secular newspaper in St. Petersburg.
Azerbaijanis , enlightenment , exile , Kazakhs , Muslims , Russian Empire , Shaimerden Kosshygulov , State Duma , Steppe territory
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Institute of History of Kazakhstan and Central Asia, Astana, Kazakhstan
Mukhtar Auezov South Kazakhstan University, Shymkent, Kazakhstan
Aktobe Regional State University, Aktobe, Kazakhstan
L.N. Gumilyov, Eurasian National University, Astana, Kazakhstan
Institute of History of Kazakhstan and Central Asia
Mukhtar Auezov South Kazakhstan University
Aktobe Regional State University
L.N. Gumilyov
10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель
Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026