A comparative study of the role of heritage in Post-Soviet Central Asian nation-building
This research explores the recent use of archaeology and heritage in the Central Asian region, with its diversity of cultures, manifold landscapes, and large sparsely populated territory. The present-day countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan - share some similarities in culture and language, as well as tangled histories which can be traced back long before the Soviet era. However, the current Central Asian states were delineated under the USSR and its collapse presented a major challenge. New state borders brought new political, economic and social realities. The need to replace Soviet ideologies with new national ideologies, based on interpretations of national histories, was paramount, and the interpretation and presentation of archaeology played a central role in this process. Archaeology thus became a highly political subject. Through analysing political texts, mass media materials and other reflections of the stateâs vision of the heritage and nationâs past, the research demonstrates the use of heritage by the newly independent states under Independence in the last 20 years. It looks at the structure of heritage management agencies, the activities of heritage
Jorayev, G.
A comparative study of the role of heritage in Post-Soviet Central Asian nation-building. This research explores the recent use of archaeology and heritage in the Central Asian region, with its diversity of cultures, manifold landscapes, and large sparsely populated territory. The present-day countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan - share some similarities in culture and language, as well as tangled histories which can be traced back long before the Soviet era. However, the current Central Asian states were delineated under the USSR and its collapse presented a major challenge. New state borders brought new political, economic and social realities. The need to replace Soviet ideologies with new national ideologies, based on interpretations of national histories, was paramount, and the interpretation and presentation of archaeology played a central role in this process. Archaeology thus became a highly political subject. Through analysing political texts, mass media materials and other reflections of the stateâs vision of the heritage and nationâs past, the research demonstrates the use of heritage by the newly independent states under Independence in the last 20 years. It looks at the structure of heritage management agencies, the activities of heritage
comparative_study role heritage post soviet central_asian nation_building explores recent use archaeology_heritage central_asian region diversity culture manifold landscape large populated territory present_day country kazakhstan turkmenistan share similarities culture language well history trace_back long soviet era however current central_asian state delineate ussr collapse present major challenge new state border bring_new political_economic social_reality need replace soviet ideology new national ideology base interpretation national_history paramount interpretation presentation archaeology play_central_role process archaeology thus become_highly political subject analyse political text mass_medium material reflection state vision heritage nation past demonstrate use heritage newly independent state independence look structure heritage_management agency activity heritage