A controversy that may appear perplexing to outside observers has ignited debate across Kazakh society. The target of online backlash is journalist Maya Bekbaeva, known for her extensive work promoting Kazakh history, from the era of Khan Jochi, son of Genghis Khan, to notable Soviet-era figures.
Two years ago, Bekbaeva released a documentary highlighting the wives of prominent Kazakhs who fought for autonomy within the Russian Empire. A fragment of the film, selectively edited, surfaced on YouTube last week, triggering widespread public reaction.
A Controversy with Cultural Implications
The edited clip suggested that the founders of the Alash party routinely married Russian women because Kazakh women were “uneducated” and unable to compete, a claim that quickly drew backlash. The storm was fueled by a Facebook post from journalist Mukhtar Tumenbay, who encountered the clip and shared it with commentary that drew a flood of emotionally charged responses. Some commenters accused the film of inciting interethnic tension, implying that Alash leaders chose Russian partners due to the inaccessibility of “proud and chaste Kazakh women.”
Bekbaeva responded by clarifying that the excerpt had been misleadingly edited. She reiterated that the film was intended to inspire modern Kazakh women to pursue education and societal advancement. “You could always talk to [those women] about various things. That’s something we should remember when raising girls, don’t rush them into marriage; let them learn and prove themselves. Love prefers equals,” she said, emphasizing the film’s deeper message.
Revisiting Alash and Alash Orda
To understand the roots of this debate, one must revisit the early 20th century. Following its defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, the Russian Empire entered a period of upheaval. Peripheral regions, including modern-day Kazakhstan, began resisting colonial policies such as the Stolypin reforms, which facilitated the resettlement of Russian and Ukrainian peasants to Kazakh steppe lands, disrupting nomadic traditions and livelihoods.
A pivotal moment came on May 16, 1907, when Bakhytzhan Karataev, a descendant of Khan Abulkhair and a law graduate from St. Petersburg, delivered a speech in the State Duma defending the rights of the steppe people. His ideas eventually laid the groundwork for the formation of the Alash party in 1917.
Founded by Alikhan Bokeikhanov, Akhmet Baitursynov, and Mirzhakip Dulatov, the Alash movement advocated for autonomy and reform. That same year, the All-Kazakh Congress in Orenburg approved the creation of the Alash Orda Provisional People’s Council, a precursor to the modern Kazakh state.
The Wives Behind the Leaders
Among the Alash founders, two were indeed married to Russian women. Akhmet Baitursynov’s wife, born Alexandra Ivanova, converted to Islam and adopted the name Badrisafa. She supported Baitursynov through exile, imprisonment, and repression, becoming one of the first women deeply involved in the national movement.
Alikhan Bokeikhanov married Elena Sevostyanova, daughter of an exiled Narodnik. Despite his mother’s opposition, Elena was Christian, the couple remained together until her death. Some speculate that Bokeikhanov may have converted to Christianity for her, as she was buried with Orthodox rites.
Political analyst Daniyar Ashimbayev notes that until 1918, interfaith marriages in the Russian Empire required one spouse to convert. “Russian wives rarely changed their religion,” he points out.
Bokeikhanov and Sevostyanova’s daughter, Elizaveta, later married writer Smagul Sadvakasov, another prominent figure in Kazakh cultural life who died of typhoid in 1933.
Cultural Intersections, Not Conformity
While these individual cases are well documented, most Alash leaders married Kazakh or Tatar women, who demonstrated equal fortitude during Soviet repression. The notion of a “tradition” of marrying Russian or European women is not supported by broader historical evidence.
During the Soviet era, geologist Kanysh Satpayev, founder of the Kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences, married Taisia Koshkina, a Russian mineralogist who worked closely with him and remained devoted through his political persecution. She played a pivotal role in preserving his legacy.
Writer Mukhtar Auezov also had a Russian wife, Valentina Kuzmina, whom he met at Leningrad State University. But his most enduring relationship was with his fourth wife, Fatima Gabitova, a Tatar intellectual who had previously been married to other leading Kazakh poets. She is credited with preserving the works of her late husband Ilyas Jansugurov, some of which survived due to her ingenuity during Stalinist purges.
These stories underscore not a trend, but rather the complexity of personal relationships shaped by the region’s multicultural fabric. Far from suggesting the inferiority of Kazakh women, these marriages reflect the cultural blending that has long defined Eurasia.
