SOVIET CULTURAL POLICY IN UZBEKISTAN: ESSENCE, STAGES, AND CONSEQUENCES

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the cultural policy carried out by Soviet authorities in the territory of Uzbekistan during the period from 1917 to 1991. The study examines the campaign to eliminate illiteracy conducted under the slogan of “cultural revolution,” alphabet reforms (the transition from Arabic script to Latin and subsequently to Cyrillic), the repression of national intellectuals, atheistic upbringing, and the ideological measures aimed at forming the concept of “the Soviet people.” The dual nature of this policy is also examined in a comparative manner – on the one hand, the development of mass education, science, and the arts; on the other hand, the suppression of national identity, religious values, and historical memory. The findings demonstrate that Soviet cultural policy produced profound transformations in the spiritual life of the Uzbek people, the consequences of which are still felt during the process of national self-restoration in the years of independence.