The Political Persecution and Rehabilitation of Ermukhan Bekmakhanov

Ermukhan Bekmakhanov and the Historiography of the Kazakh SSR

Ermukhan Bekmakhanov was a distinguished historian and the first Kazakh scholar to earn the degree of Doctor of Historical Sciences. He established his academic prominence as one of the primary authors of a profound scholarly work titled "The History of the Kazakh SSR," which was published in $1943$. This collective effort involved several core contributors, including A. Pankratova, B. D. Grekov, I. M. Druzhinin, and A. P. Kuchkin. Despite the academic significance of the publication, it eventually became the target of intense scrutiny and political accusations. Bekmakhanov was specifically charged with glorifying Kenesary Khan within the pages of "The History of the Kazakh SSR." The central allegations leveled against the work claimed that it was written from an anti-Russian perspective and that it inappropriately celebrated uprisings directed against the Russian Empire.

Academic Achievements and the 1947 Monograph

Bekmakhanov continued his academic trajectory by defending his doctoral dissertation at the USSR Academy of Sciences in $1946$. Following this, in $1947$, he published a seminal monograph entitled "Kazakhstan in the 20s-40s of the XIX Century." This doctoral work, however, served as the catalyst for severe ideological condemnation. The primary accusation against Bekmakhanov was his glorification of the character Kenesary Khan and the alleged promotion of "bourgeois-nationalist" ideology. This period coincided with a shift in official Soviet rhetoric, as Joseph Stalin and his inner circle began to propagate the narrative that Russia had performed an exclusively civilizing role in the national peripheral regions of the empire. Consequently, Bekmakhanov faced substantial and increasing pressure between the years $1947$ and $1950$.

Systematic Repression of Intellectuals and the "Cosmpolite" Accusations

The political climate of the era extended beyond historiography, as the charge of being a "cosmopolite" was weaponized against various scientists. This campaign primarily targeted scholars working in the fields of biology, medicine, and ecology. Prominent social scientists and cultural figures also faced political accusations, including A. Zhubanov, Q. Zhumaliev, B. Suleimenov, and E. Ismayilov. The atmosphere of persecution became so intense that renowned figures such as the writer Mukhtar Auezov and the scientist Kanysh Satpaev were forced to leave Kazakhstan and seek refuge in Moscow. This systemic crackdown aimed to enforce a strict ideological line across all branches of academic and cultural life.

The "Pravda" Article and Formal Condemnation

A turning point in the campaign against Bekmakhanov occurred on December $26$, $1950$, with the publication of an article in the newspaper "Pravda" titled "Let's report the issues of the history of Kazakhstan from a Marxist-Leninist standpoint." The authors of this critical piece were Shoyinbaev, Aidarova, and Yakunin. The article launched a scathing attack on Bekmakhanov's historical views. Following this public denunciation, on April $10$, $1951$, the Central Committee of the Kazakh SSR issued a formal decision condemning Bekmakhanov's "bourgeois-nationalist" views. By the end of $1951$, Bekmakhanov was summarily dismissed from his university position and expelled from the Communist Party.

Exile, Arrest, and Initial Sentencing

Following his dismissal and expulsion, Ermukhan Bekmakhanov was forced to find work outside of the academic capital. For a period, he served as a history teacher at a school in the Narynkol district of the Almaty region and later worked as a teacher in the Shu district of the Zhambyl region. However, the persecution did not end with professional exile. On September $5$, $1952$, Bekmakhanov was officially arrested. Later that same year, by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Kazakh SSR, he was sentenced to a term of $25$ years in prison, effectively silencing one of the nation's most prominent historians.

Rehabilitation and Post-Stalinist Review

The path to justice for Ermukhan Bekmakhanov began after the execution of Lavrentiy Beria, the head of the NKVD. Following Beria's death, his case was subject to a legal review. A pivotal figure in the effort to clear his name was the scholar Anna Mikhailovna Pankratova, who provided essential assistance in the rehabilitation process. As a result of these efforts, Bekmakhanov was officially rehabilitated and released on February $16$, $1954$. This marked the end of his formal persecution and allowed for the eventual restoration of his status within the scientific community.