National Policy and the Process of National-Territorial Delimitation of Turkestan (1918-1925)

Abstract

The article analyzes the particular aspects of national policy in Turkestan ASSR in early Soviet period. It is shown that based on the thesis of the RSDLP «the right of nations to self-determination» and the «Declaration of the Rights of the Nations of Russia» in the Turkestan ASSR since 1919-1920, the regular realization of national policy through various methods and mechanisms started: the selection of sections on ethnic groups in the Commissariat for national affairs, the realization of cultural and educational activities of ethnic minorities in their native language, the organization of literacy courses in their native language and documentation in the language characteristic of the most of the population of the region inside Turkestan, the realization of the process of territorial redistriction of okrugs in according to the «national» structure since 1920. It is shown that national delimitation was one of the ways to contend with pan-Turkist moods and the Basmach movement. It is proved that in 1924 the compromise was made between the national and economic principle of the allocation of republics inside Turkestan. In 1925 the national-territorial delimitation of the region was realized on the basis of these principles.