Famine in Kazakhstan in 1931–1933: Discussions and Debates

Abstract

Introduction. The history of famine in Kazakhstan during the early 1930s is a relatively under-researched topic in Russian historiography. This explains the growing public interest in the subject. This article provides a brief overview of Kazakh and foreign scientific literature on the famine of the 1930's. The purpose and objectives of this study are to identify and objectively analyze gaps in the history of Kazakhstan in the context of the policy of forming the historical consciousness of Kazakh society; a comparative analysis of various descriptions and interpretations of domestic and foreign scientific literature, and published archival sources on the famine in Kazakhstan in 1931–1933. Materials and methods. The main research materials are monographic works, collections of documents, and articles published on the topic by domestic and foreign researchers. The principles of objectivity and historicism were used as methodological approaches in conducting the research. In addition, the methods of analysis, synthesis, retrospective, comparative-historical, and historical-typological were used in the study of this problem. Results. The content and focus of historical research in the works under consideration are described, and areas of scientific interest are identified. Conclusion: Researchers from Kazakhstan and a number of foreign countries have made significant contributions to the study of the history of famine in Kazakhstan.