Written by Muhammed Emin Yasul
Kurds in Soviet Russia faced different policies in different periods. From the establishment of the Soviet Union until its collapse, they experienced both cultural rights and oppression.
Kurdish people constituted an important minority group during the Russian Empire and later in the Soviet Union. Kurds were particularly concentrated in the Caucasus region and began to migrate to the area from the late 19th century onwards. In 1897, census counts put their number in Russia at about 100,000, and in 1917 at 500,000 (1, 3). The Russian Revolution and the subsequent establishment of the Soviet Union marked the beginning of a new era for them. In this respect, we can divide the Soviet periods into the Lenin Period, the Stalin Period, and the Post-Stalin Period.
Lenin Period
Following the establishment of the Soviet Union, under Lenin's rule, decentralization policies were implemented to reinforce the loyalty of Kurds to the country. These policies encouraged minority groups to receive education in their language and protect their cultural rights. In 1926, there were 54,662 Kurds in the Soviet Union (2). During this period, schools offering education in their mother tongue were opened and the cultural activities of the people were supported. Lenin's policies were enough to maintain peace at the time, but after Lenin's death, these policies were radically changed.
Stalin Period
In the early 1930s, with Stalin's rise to power, a period of great repression began in the Soviet Union. Intellectuals and leaders were targeted during the Great Purge and many were executed or sent to Gulag camps. In 1944, on Stalin's orders, Kurdish people living in the Caucasus were deported en masse to countries in Central Asia, such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan (2). These deportations deeply affected the social structure and cultural identity of Kurds.
Post-Stalin Period
After Stalin's death, with Khrushchev coming to power, a period of partial détente began in the Soviet Union. During this period, some of the deportees were able to return. However, there were still serious restrictions on cultural rights and obstacles to education in the mother tongue. The Kurdish population in Russia was 58,000 in 1969; 116,000 in 1979; and 153,000 in 1989 (1).
Soviet policies had a major impact on the Kurdish language, education, and media. Schools and media outlets that had opened in the early Soviet period were closed down under Stalin and their mother tongue was banned. This put Kurds in danger of losing their cultural identity. The social structure also changed drastically due to these policies. Those who were exiled to Central Asia struggled to survive while trying to form new communities. During the Soviet period, some intellectuals, despite the repression, continued to engage in cultural activities and contributed to the preservation of the identity of the Kurdish people.
During this period, of course, the nation also attempted to establish a state, but most of these attempts were short-lived.
Kurdish Republic of Mahabad
During the Second World War, Russia was one of the countries that dominated Iran (4). During this period, political gaps were created in the region and as a result, this state was established on January 22, 1946 (1). The Mahabad Republic is considered to be the first republic established by the Kurdish people in the modern era. However, immediately after the Russian withdrawal from Iran, Iranian armies entered the region and ended the existence of this state on December 17, 1946 (1).
Kurdistan Uyezd
In 1923, the Soviets established the Kurdistan Uyezdi in the region between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This autonomous region, which was established by a direct decision from the Soviet administration, was dissolved in 1929.
Kurds in Soviet Russia faced various policies in different periods, which had lasting effects on their identity and culture. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, a new era began for them and the opportunity to reconstruct their cultural identity arose.
References:
Karabay, E. (2022, September 9). Sovyetler Birliği’nde Etnik Politikalar ve Rus-Kürt İlişkileri. 403 Forbidden. https://kurdarastirmalari.com/yazi-detay-oku-212
Pohl, J. O. (2023, September 7). Soviet nationality policy towards Kurds, 1917-1956. Kulturní studia / Cultural Studies. https://kulturnistudia.cz/soviet-nationality-policy-towards-kurds-1917-1956/
Pohl, J. O. (2017, August 26). View of Kurds in the USSR, 1917-1956. Kurdish Studies – International Peer-Reviewed Scholarly Journal. https://kurdishstudies.net/menu-script/index.php/KS/article/view/153/142
Demirel, K. (2023, August 19). Soviet Union's politics toward the Iranian Kurds. https://kurdistanchronicle.com/babat/2718
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