CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2024
| Author | Bekturganov, Temirlan |
|---|---|
| Title | Chosen Trauma or Chosen Amnesia: The Ukrainian and Kazakh Famines of the 1930s and the Politics of Genocide Recognition |
| Summary | The dissolution of the Soviet Union gave rise to 15 independent republics, each grappling with the legacy of their Soviet past. This task proved particularly challenging due to geopolitical tensions and Russia's efforts to reframe the Soviet and Communist histories in these newly independent states. Among the contentious issues was the Soviet Famine of the 1930s, which significantly impacted regions including Ukraine, Kazakhstan, the North Caucasus, and areas within today’s Russian Federation. Notably, the populations of Soviet Ukraine and Soviet Kazakhstan suffered profoundly, with Ukraine's 1932-33 famine, known as the Holodomor, officially recognized as a genocide both domestically and internationally. In contrast, Kazakhstan's 1930-33 famine, referred to as the Asharshylyk, has not garnered similar acknowledgment and remains unrecognized on both levels. This thesis explores the divergent recognition of these famines through the lens of genocide recognition politics, proposing that variations in political opportunity structures and the utilization of historical analogies are pivotal in facilitating recognition both domestically and internationally. Employing structured, focused comparison and process-tracing methods, this study elucidates the causal mechanisms underlying genocide recognition in Ukraine and its absence in Kazakhstan. The findings reveal that shifts in Ukraine’s political opportunities precipitated the Holodomor’s recognition as a genocide. Further, historical analogies, particularly those marked by Russian aggression and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, have enhanced its recognition both within the country and globally. Conversely, in Kazakhstan, although the Holodomor serves as a significant historical analogy influencing the perception of the Asharshylyk, the country’s limited political opportunity structure—rooted in its dependency on Russia—have led Kazakh authorities to adopt a chosen amnesia strategy. This approach allows for local interpretations of the famine as a genocide while avoiding this rhetoric at the international level. |
| Supervisor | Jenne, Erin |
| Department | International Relations MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2024/bekturganov_temirlan.pdf |
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