'Kirghiz' experienced a brief period of autonomy before succumbing to the Bolsheviks' rule

Following the collapse of central government in Petrograd in November 1917, the Kazakhs (then in Russia officially referred to as 'Kirghiz') experienced a brief period of autonomy (the Alash Autonomy) before eventually succumbing to the Bolsheviks' rule. On 26 August 1920, the Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic within the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) was established. The Kirghiz ASSR included the territory of present-day Kazakhstan, but its administrative centre was the mainly Russian-populated town of Orenburg. This establishment marked a significant moment in the history of the region, as it represented the first formal recognition of the Kirghiz people within the Soviet framework. The Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic aimed to provide a degree of self-governance and cultural autonomy for the Kazakh people during a tumultuous period of political upheaval. However, the Kirghiz ASSR was short-lived in its original form. In June 1925, it was renamed the Kazak Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (Kazak ASSR), reflecting a shift towards a more Kazakh-centric identity. This change was accompanied by a transfer of the administrative centre from Orenburg to Kyzylorda, and later to Alma-Ata in April 1927. These transitions were part of the broader Soviet strategy to consolidate power and integrate various ethnic groups into the Soviet system. The establishment and subsequent changes to the Kirghiz ASSR highlight the complexities of national identity and governance in the early Soviet Union, as well as the ongoing struggle for autonomy among the Kazakh people. The legacy of this period continues to influence Kazakhstan's political and cultural landscape today. #mooflife #mof #MomentOfLife #KirghizAutonomousSocialistSovietRepublic #KazakhstanHistory #SovietUnion #KazakhIdentity #BolshevikRule