Özgecan Kesici-Ayoubi on How the Alash Movement Is Studied in the West

Özgecan Kesici-Ayoubi is a poet and academic whose work bridges literature and Kazakh intellectual history. Though born and raised in Europe, her writing and scholarship show a deep affinity with the Kazakh people. Her early poetry earned attention and acclaim, and during her university studies she began researching the Alash Movement, work that culminated in a PhD completed in Ireland. We recently spoke with her in a short but insightful interview. TCA: Your academic research focuses on the Alash Party. How did you come to choose this topic while studying in a Western country? Özgecan: Growing up as a Kazakh in Germany, I was always interested in the formation of my identity and cultural heritage. I studied Political Science at both undergraduate and master’s level, and for my master’s thesis, I explored the process of Kazakh nation-building after independence. I then wanted to delve deeper into the foundations of the modern Kazakh nation, which I believe were significantly shaped by the Alash movement in the early 20th century. In Sociology, there's a major subfield focused on the historical sociology of nations and nationhood, which I used as a framework to study the Alash movement. TCA: In developed countries, academic standards are typically very high. What kind of support did your supervisor provide? Özgecan: My supervisor, Professor Siniša Malešević, is a Full Professor of Comparative Historical Sociology at University College Dublin. He was extremely supportive of my research. His expertise in historical sociology and theories of nationalism gave me the academic guidance I needed. Moreover, Ireland’s own colonial past means that its universities have research profiles that aligned well with my work on the Alash movement. TCA: Conducting research on the Alash movement from abroad must have presented challenges. How did you overcome them? Özgecan: It’s important to note that my research was sociological, not purely historical. I wasn’t aiming to discover new archival materials but rather to position the Alash movement within the broader sociological field of nations and nationalism and explore its theoretical implications. That said, I did require primary sources, which I accessed during fieldwork. I connected with local Kazakh scholars who helped me find the necessary materials and books, and I’m very grateful for their support. TCA: Are Western scholars aware of the Alash intellectuals' civic ideals and national identity struggles? Has the topic been studied where you lived? Özgecan: In Ireland, where I was based, the topic hadn’t been studied. However, the Alash movement has been examined by a number of Western scholars. When I began my PhD, several articles and dissertations had already been written in English, many by Kazakh scholars themselves. TCA: You previously mentioned you're working on a book. Can you tell us more about it? Özgecan: Since completing my PhD, I’ve been writing a novel based on my grandparents’ migration from the Altay region in China during the 1930s to Turkey and later the West. The novel is written from a female perspective. TCA: I've read your poems. What inspired your shift...

Love and Politics: How the Wives of Alash Founders Sparked a Controversy

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...