Uzbek feelings of ethnicity - article ; n°2 ; vol.22, pg 187-229

William Fierman

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Cahiers du monde russe et soviétique - Année 1981 - Volume 22 - Numéro 2 - Pages 187-229
William Fierman, Les sentiments d'ethnicité des Ouzbeks. Étude des attitudes exprimées dans les publications ouzbekes récentes.
Les œuvres de fiction, les critiques littéraires et les articles sur divers thèmes culturels, publiés récemment par des auteurs soviétiques ouzbeks, constituent une source d'information quasiment inexploitée sur leurs sentiments d'ethnicité. Les témoignages fournis par les œuvres passées en revue pour le présent article font ressortir la fierté renouvelée que les Ouzbeks éprouvent pour leur pays, leur histoire, leurs coutumes, leur langue, leur littérature, leur musique et leur art. Au cours de la période stalinienne, le message adressé le plus couramment aux lecteurs ouzbeks consistait à affirmer qu'être moderne, c'était être russe, alors qu'aujourd'hui on leur rappelle fréquemment aussi qu'ils sont les héritiers d'une tradition (qui n'est en rien inférieure à la tradition européenne) et qui est adaptée au monde moderne. Les Ouzbeks qui ont tourné le dos à leur propre culture sont représentés comme des imbéciles et des opportunistes. Bien qu'aucun écrivain ouzbêk ne nie qu'une culture soviétique pluri-nationale soit en train de se constituer, certains d'entre eux tiennent particulièrement à ce que leur contribution personnelle à cette dernière ne soit pas sous-estimée ; en outre, ils soutiennent que les éléments asiatiques de la culture soviétique sont aussi « internationaux » que les éléments européens.
William Fierman, Uzbek feelings of ethnicity. A study of attitudes expressed in recent Uzbek literature.
Recent works of fiction, literary criticism and articles on other cultural matters by Soviet Uzbek authors offer an almost untapped source of information about feelings of ethnicity. Evidence in the literature surveyed for this study indicates that Uzbeks are exhibiting renewed pride in their own land, history, customs, language, literature, music and art. During the Stalin period a dominant message to Uzbek readers was that to be modern was to be Russian; today, in contrast, Uzbek readers are also frequently reminded that they are heirs to a tradition (in no way inferior to the European one) which is relevant to the modern world. Uzbeks who have turned their backs on their own culture are portrayed as fools and opportunists. Although no Uzbek authors deny that a multinational Soviet culture is being created, some are particularly insistent that their own contribution to it not be underestimated; moreover, they maintain that Soviet culture's Asian elements are as international as the European ones are.
43 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

Informations

• Publié par: CAHIERS_DU_MONDE_RUSSE_ET_SOVIETIQUE
• Publié le: 01 janvier 1981
• Nombre de lectures: 17
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

William Fierman
Uzbek feelings of ethnicity
In: Cahiers du monde russe et soviétique. Vol. 22 N°2-3. Avril-Septembre 1981. pp. 187-229.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Fierman William. Uzbek feelings of ethnicity. In: Cahiers du monde russe et soviétique. Vol. 22 N°2-3. Avril-Septembre 1981.
pp. 187-229.
doi : 10.3406/cmr.1981.1912
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/cmr_0008-0160_1981_num_22_2_1912Résumé
William Fierman, Les sentiments d'ethnicité des Ouzbeks. Étude des attitudes exprimées dans les
publications ouzbekes récentes.
Les œuvres de fiction, les critiques littéraires et les articles sur divers thèmes culturels, publiés
récemment par des auteurs soviétiques ouzbeks, constituent une source d'information quasiment
inexploitée sur leurs sentiments d'ethnicité. Les témoignages fournis par les œuvres passées en revue
pour le présent article font ressortir la fierté renouvelée que les Ouzbeks éprouvent pour leur pays, leur
histoire, leurs coutumes, leur langue, leur littérature, leur musique et leur art. Au cours de la période
stalinienne, le message adressé le plus couramment aux lecteurs ouzbeks consistait à affirmer qu'être
moderne, c'était être russe, alors qu'aujourd'hui on leur rappelle fréquemment aussi qu'ils sont les
héritiers d'une tradition (qui n'est en rien inférieure à la tradition européenne) et qui est adaptée au
monde moderne. Les Ouzbeks qui ont tourné le dos à leur propre culture sont représentés comme des
imbéciles et des opportunistes. Bien qu'aucun écrivain ouzbêk ne nie qu'une culture soviétique pluri-
nationale soit en train de se constituer, certains d'entre eux tiennent particulièrement à ce que leur
contribution personnelle à cette dernière ne soit pas sous-estimée ; en outre, ils soutiennent que les
éléments asiatiques de la culture soviétique sont aussi « internationaux » que les éléments européens.
Abstract
William Fierman, Uzbek feelings of ethnicity. A study of attitudes expressed in recent Uzbek literature.
Recent works of fiction, literary criticism and articles on other cultural matters by Soviet Uzbek authors
offer an almost untapped source of information about feelings of ethnicity. Evidence in the literature
surveyed for this study indicates that Uzbeks are exhibiting renewed pride in their own land, history,
customs, language, literature, music and art. During the Stalin period a dominant message to Uzbek
readers was that to be modern was to be Russian; today, in contrast, Uzbek readers are also frequently
reminded that they are heirs to a tradition (in no way inferior to the European one) which is relevant to
the modern world. Uzbeks who have turned their backs on their own culture are portrayed as fools and
opportunists. Although no Uzbek authors deny that a multinational Soviet culture is being created, some
are particularly insistent that their own contribution to it not be underestimated; moreover, they maintain
that Soviet culture's Asian elements are as "international" as the European ones are.WILLIAM FIERMAN
UZBEK FEELINGS OF ETHNICITY*
A study of attitudes expressed in recent Uzbek literature
Why look at Uzbek literature?
Nationalism has demonstrated itself as a powerful force in the recent
history of such diverse countries as Canada, Great Britain, Pakistan and
Nigeria. Although the leadership of the USSR claims to have solved the
national question in the Soviet Union, there is little doubt that there, too, feelings pose difficult challenges for the leadership. Many
foreign observers of the USSR have ignored this crucial issue, focusing
attention on the Russians alone, or at best on the Russians and other
"Russia" and the "USSR" are European peoples. In popular usage,
synonymous. This is probably because historically most of the territory
which comprises the USSR was part of the Russian Empire.
Never, however, has it been as important as it is today to recognize
the multi-ethnic nature of the USSR. The latest (1979) census will
probably show that although Slavic peoples still maintain a solid majority
in the population as a whole, the Russians have slipped to below half of
the total. The fastest growing groups in the Soviet population are the
Moslem peoples. The largest single group of Moslems is the
Uzbeks.
Are there any available clues about feelings of ethnic identity of Soviet
Central Asians? Is the Soviet official claim that a "Soviet people" is
rapidly being formed an accurate one? It would be enlightening to
conduct a poll among Soviet Uzbeks on the subject, but this, of course,
is impossible. Nor is it possible to gain an accurate understanding of
national feeling through the Soviet literature which directly deals with
the "solution" of the national question in the USSR. Unfortunately,
very few westerners have had the opportunity to observe cross-national
relations in the USSR first hand; even those who do live in the Soviet
* "The author gratefully acknowleges support for this study received from the
External Research Division of the United States Department of State. Special
thanks for encouragement and valuable comments are due Dr. James Critchlow
of the U.S. Board for International Broadcasting. All views expressed in this
report are, however, the author's own.
Cahiers du Monde russe et soviétique, XXII (2-3), avr.sept. jç8i, pp. 187-229. l88 WILLIAM FIERMAN
Union find that Soviet citizens understand the sensitivity of the subject
and shun discussing it with them in any but the official terms.
Does this mean that there is nothing valuable which can be learned
about these important questions? This study will demonstrate that the
answer is no. There is much to be learned about these problems from
afar. One potentially rich source of information on the subject is the
prose and poetry of contemporary Uzbek writers. The information in
belles-lettres literature is, moreover, greatly enhanced when it is supported
with such additional materials as literary criticism and historical accounts.
There are certain topics which are tabu in modern Soviet poetry and
prose fiction just as they are in any other types of literatures published
in the USSR. Among them are currently existing antagonisms among
Soviet peoples — especially between Russians on the one hand and non-
Russians on the other. Nevertheless, the particular emphasis or images
in writing can be revealing.
In the body of this study I will attempt to outline some of the issues
relating to ethnic feelings which have appeared in Soviet Uzbek literature
during recent years. In order to understand them better, a few trends
in Soviet Uzbek history will first be sketched. Following this introduct
ion, I will present a brief outline of the recent rehabilitations of Uzbek
political and literary figures who were condemned (and most of whom
died) in the late 1930's. This is necessary because it directly relates to
one of the most sensitive issues which has been raised in recent literature:
What happened in the 1930's and why was the older generation of the
Uzbek intelligentsia destroyed and replaced with a more compliant group?
After this I will give examples of the great pride which Uzbek literature
has exhibited in 1) native arts and music; 2) the Uzbek homeland and its
natural beauty; 3) Uzbek or Central Asian historical figures. Certain
characters in recent fiction have represented the "russified Uzbek."
Following the discussion of pride I will turn attention to these individuals,
and in the process look at some authors' treatment of the topic of religion
and religious practice. Next I will examine the interpretation which
some Uzbek writers have given to the development of a "Soviet people"
and "Soviet culture." Finally, I will briefly consider the growing links
between Uzbeks and the outside world (particularly "peoples of the
East") and other Soviet Moslems.
It is important to keep in mind that censorship limitations on literature
appearing exclusively in Uzbek are not necessarily less severe than those
on literature appearing simultaneously in Uzbek and Russian or in Rus
sian alone. There are, of course, few Russians who have mastered the
Uzbek language to the extent necessary to censor literature effectively,
especially belles-lettres literature. However, there are many Uzbeks who
are more vigilant in censorship demands than most Russians. As one
Uzbek scholar in a rare moment of frankness informed me when I was in
Tashkent, "In America they say that the Russians have russified our
culture; that's not true; it was done by certain Uzbeks." Many Uzbeks,
and an especially large proportion of them among the older generation
in senior positions, rose rapidly under conditions of severe repression of
the nationalist-minded intelligentsia; they owe their mobility to this
political climate and are, at a minimum, uneasy about change. UZBEK FEELINGS OF E