The Attack on National Identity: Soviet Narratives and Kazakh Tragedy

Abstract

The article analyzes the informational and ideological influences on national identity in the history of Kazakhstan during the Soviet period. The study, which covers collectivization, the Holodomor, the Basmachi movement, and the political repressions of the 1920s and 1930s, reveals the impact of the official narrative of the Soviet regime on the sociocultural structure of Kazakh society. The author explores the characteristics of the Soviet narrative through a one-sided interpretation of historical data, information manipulation, and methods of subjugating public consciousness to ideology. The literature review systematizes scientific works covering economic, political, and cultural aspects, and describes the impact of censorship in the media and literature on national identity. The results of the study show that the Soviet discourse limited the creative freedom of the national intelligentsia and distorted historical consciousness. At the same time, it has been revealed that the long-term impact of the official information narrative has been preserved in the historical memory of modern Kazakhstani society. The discussion shows that the Soviet narrative functioned as a direct and indirect attack on national identity at the ideological, cultural, and psychological levels. In conclusion, it is emphasized that the comparative study of narratives in the media and literature provides an important theoretical basis for protecting national identity and developing modern cultural discourse.