Glasnost' in Practice: The Uzbek Experience

Central Asian Survey

Volumn 8, Issue 2, 1989, Pages 1-45

  Fierman, William ^a  

^a NONE   (United Kingdom)

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EID: 84882340359     PISSN: 02634937     EISSN: 14653354     Source Type: Trade Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/02634938908400663     Document Type: Article

References (176)

1. These are primarily the weekly newspaper Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (Literature and Art of Uzbekistan), and the monthly thick journals Zvezda Vostoka (Star of the East [in Russian]) and Sharq Yulduzi (Star of the East [in Uzbek]).
2. There would, of course, be significant differences from republic to republic. Most importantly, the problems of russification or the erosion of status of the local language would not apply to the USSR's dominant nationality in their homeland, Russians in the RSFSR.
3. 1 realise that the Soviet authorities are already aware of many of my meetings. On a number of occasions I was conspicuously followed by ununiformed tails who were obviously intent on finding out where 1 was going. Nevertheless, in order not to cause unnecessary problems for these individuals, I will name the source only in the case of published materials.
4. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (10 June 1988).
5. Pravda Vostoka (5 October 1986).
6. Ibid.
7. • 7. Komsomolets Uzbekistana (5 April 1988).
8. Poet Erkin Vahidov claims that the return to celebration of the holiday was a great victory for the republic's writers (Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati [24 April 1987]).
9. Sovet Ozbekistani (18 March 1988).
10. Yash Leninchi (25 February 1988).
11. Pravda Vostoka (7 March 1987) and Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (6 March 1987). There is evidence that admiration for such liberals as Tvardovsky is not new for some Uzbek writers. The Uzbek literary monthly Sharq Yulduzi recently published Rauf Parfi's translation of Tvardovsky's poem The Right to Remember. It has also been revealed that this translation, completed in 1966–1969, remained unpublished for almost 20 years. It is significant that Parfi was a young poet in his 20s when he made this translation. See Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (9 October 1987 and 5 February 1988).
12. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanfati (6 March 1987). While in Uzbekistan, in the spring of 1988, I spoke with several writers who were considering whether to send articles about Uzbekistan to central publications. These writers felt that although their essays were too controversial to be printed in Uzbekistan, they might be accepted in a central publication.
13. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (18 December 1987).
14. See Khatira huquqi, Sharq Yulduzi, No. 12 (December), 1987, pp. 43–49.
15. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (10 June 1988).
16. Pravda Vostoka (4 December 1986).
17. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (13 May 1988), reprinted from Literaturnaia Gazeta (4 May 1988).
18. For a discussion of this see William Fierman, Uzbek Feelings of Ethnicity, Cahiers du Monde Russe et Sovietique, Vol. XXIII (2–3), 1981, pp. 187–229.
19. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va San'ati (1 January 1988).
20. Ibid.
21. Central Asian mystic poet, born in city of Yassi (later Turkistan). Date of birth unknown; died 1166.
22. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (15 May 1988).
23. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (29 May 1987) and Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (20 November 1987).
24. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (26 February 1988).
25. Ibid., 5 February 1988.
26. Yash Leninchi (5 March 1988); Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (5 February 1988).
27. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (10 July 1987); this suggestion may be more palatable than others to education officials who, if instruction were made part of the school curriculum, would be faced with cutting the number of hours for another subject in order to be able to include the new material.
28. [22 28. This argument was made by Mirza Kenjabaev (Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati January 1988]).
29. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (1 January 1988). Nadir Narmatov, who makes this argument, criticises the action of a group of teachers in Surkhan-Darya Oblast who stopped one of their colleagues (a literature instructor) from teaching the alphabet because they claimed that his action helped to propagate religion.
30. Komsomolets Uzbekistana (5 April 1988).
31. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va San ati (24 Aprill987).
32. Ibid.
33. Roman Solchanyk, Karamzin's Defence of Russian Autocracy, to be published, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 385/87 (28 September 1987).
34. Saulius Girnius Debate on Lithuanian History Continues, Radio Free Europe • Research (Baltic Area), No. 2, 1988 (16 February 1988). pp. 37–40.
35. Cited in Saulius Girnius, New Developments on Lithuanian Historical Prose, Radio Free Europe Research (Baltic Area), No. 6, 1987 (29 August 1987), p. 19.
36. See Saulius Girnius, Writers Union Plenum, Radio Free Europe Research (Baltic Area), No. 4, 1987 (15 June 1987), p. 29.
37. The most prominent political cases are those of the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan Akmal Ikramov and the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of Uzbekistani Fayzulla Khodzhaev. Both were executed in 1938.
38. Abdulla Qadirii, born 1894, is recognised as the first Uzbek novelist. He perished in 1940.
39. Yash Leninchi (4 February 1988).
40. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sani ati (20 November 1987).
41. Ibid., 18 March 1988.
42. The jadid movement members were Muslim reformers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century who were active in promoting new-style (jadid) schools.
43. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (15 May 1988).
44. It is not clear just how strong Surovtsev's support was. As John Soper points out, published accounts of Surovtsev's remarks are contradictory (John Soper Rehabilitation of Uzbek Writers Tentatively Endorsed, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 259/87 [16 June 1987]).
45. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (10 July 1987).
46. In particular, Karimov took issue with the treatment of Cholpan and Fitrat in a new five-volume history of Uzbek literature (Ozbekistan Adabiyati va San"ati [10 July 1987]).
47. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (24 April 1987).
48. See Naim Karimov in Ozbekistan Adabiyati va San'ati (10 July 1987).
49. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (15 May 1987).
50. Ibid., 1 April 1988.
51. Uzbek writer, born in city of Kokand 1907, died in 1967. Served as chairman of the Board of the Uzbekistan Writers Union 1954–1956.
52. See, for example the discussion of Qahhar and other writers in Azad Sharafiddinov's Faithful to the Truth, Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (15 May 1987).
53. 1 based this judgement on personal conversations in Uzbekistan.
54. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (5 February 1988). It is possible that in making this statement Shukrulla does not have in mind the mistake of allowing control of Uzbekistan's culture to be made thousands of miles away. But based on my recent conversations in Uzbekistan, I feel confident that some of Shukrulla's colleagues feel this way.
55. See, for example, Ibrahim Ghafurov in Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (4 March 1988).
56. Bohdan Nashaylo, Concern Voiced about Six Million Ukrainian Condemned to Denationalisation, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 92/88 (27 February 1988).
57. John Soper, Re-evaluation of Azerbaijani History Urged, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 297/87 (7 July 1987).
58. Bohdan Nahaylo, More Signs of Greater National Assertiveness by Belorussians, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 22/88 (18 January 1988) p. 5.
59. See, for example, Ann Sheehy, Renewed Appeal for Rehabilitation of Kazakh Poet, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 107/88 (10 March 1988); Bess Brown, Kazakh Writer Calls for Further Literary Rehabilitations, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 141/88 (17 March 1988); Ann Sheehy, Renewed Attempt to Rehabilitate the Works of Two Important Kirghiz Literary Figures Fails, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 98/87 (9 March 1987).
60. Pravda Vostoka (12 April 1988).
61. Komsomolets Uzbekistana (11 February 1988).
62. Yash Leninchi (25 February 1988).
63. Ibid., 20 January 1988.
64. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (1 January 1988). Nadir Narmatov also refers to problems in medical institutes (Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati [1 January 1988]).
65. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (8 January 1988).
66. Ibid., 15 January 1988.
67. Ibid., 22 January 1988.
68. Ibid., 12 February 1988.
69. Ibid., 22 January 1988.
70. As we will see below, they also blame the generally poor educational system and the practice of using child labour in the cotton fields.
71. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (1 January 1988).
72. Ibid., 6 March 1988. In this regard Parfi pointedly recalls Lenin's statement that it is impossible to be a true internationalist if one does not love his own homeland.
73. Ibid., 12 February 1988.
74. As some members of the Uzbek creative intelligentsia told me, We read a lot about internationalism with regard to language, but to date this has just been a one-way street which has resulted in the erosion of Uzbek. Although we learn Russian, the Slavs and other Europeans who live in our midst — even those who were born here — usually know little or nothing of our language. Moreover, they look down on it as uncivilised and uncultured.
75. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va San ati (25 March 1988). Some Uzbek writers have expressed only lukewarm support for the idea that Russians should learn Uzbek. Asqad Mukhtar (considered an Uzbek writer though in fact he is a Tatar) said that while many demand that Russians who live in Uzbekistan study Uzbek, he feels this is desirable, but not imperative (Komsomolets Uzbekistana, 5 April 1988).
76. Ibid,, 1 January 1988. Despite their support, however, many of the members of the creative intelligentsia with whom I spoke were not optimistic that the measures under consideration would have the desired effect of forcing everyone who lives in Uzbekistan to learn Uzbek.
77. Ibid., 22 January 1988.
78. Traditional Uzbek cradle.
79. Ozbekistan A dabiyati va San ati (25 December 1987).
80. Roman Solchanyk, Ukrainian Writer Lambastes Great-Power Chauvinism and Home-Grown Russifiers, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 270186(7 July 1986).
81. Bohdan Nahaylo, More Signs of Greater National Assertiveness by Belorussians, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 22/88 (18 January 1988) and Roman Solchanyk, Ukrainians and Belorussians Focus on Language and Ecology, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 140/88 (17 March 1988).
82. Roman Solchanyk, Tug of War on Ukrainian Language Issue, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 467/87 (16 November 1987).
83. John Soper, Kirgiz Writers Express Concern over Their National Language, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 142/88.
84. Saulius Girnius, Writers Union Speaks Out on Nationality Problems, Radio Free Europe Research (Baltic Area), No. 5, 1988 (20 May 1988), pp. 25–28.
85. Bohdan Nahaylo, More Signs of Greater National Assertiveness by Belorussians, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 22/88 (18 January 1988).
86. John Soper, Kirgiz Intelligentsia Seeking to Lessen Russian Influence on Native Language, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 412, 1987 (24 September 1987).
87. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (8 August 1986).
88. For a review see Yash Leninchi (24 February 1987).
89. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (18 March 1988). A transcript was also published in Literaturnaia Gazeta (9 March 1988). For analysis of the published version of Yaqubov's speech see Anne Bohr, Head of Uzbek Writers Union Criticises Moscow's Economic Diktat, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 146/88 (22 March 1988).
90. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (18 March 1988).
91. Ibid., 5 June 1987.
92. Literaturnaia Gazeta (30 July 1986). This was reprinted in Pravda Vostoka (3 August 1986).
93. This argument was cited approvingly by the literary scholar Pirmat Shermuhamedov (Komsomolets Uzbekistana [13 October 1987]).
94. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (11 December 1987).
95. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (22 January 1988).
96. Otkir Hashimov, Avladlarga nima deymiz? Sharq Yulduzi, No. 2 (February), 1988, p.155.
97. Yash Leninchi (25 February 1988).
98. Otkir Hashimov, Avladlarga nima deymiz? Sharq Yulduzi, No. 2 (February), 1988, p.160.
99. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (5 June 1987).
100. Otkir Hashimov, Avladlarga nima deymiz? Sharq Yulduzi, No. 2 (February), 1988, p. 157.
101. lbid., p. 162.
102. Yash Leninchi (25 February 1988).
103. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va San'ati (22 May 1987).
104. Ibid., 11 December 1987.
105. Ibid., 1 January 1988.
106. Otkir Hashimov, Avladlarga nima deymiz? Sharq Yulduzi, No. 2 (February), 1988, p.157.
107. Ibid., p. 156.
108. Salahiddin Mamajanov, Nafasat tuyghusi-mojiza Iar manbai, Sharq Yulduzi, pp. 194–96.
109. Otkir Hashimov, Avladlarga nima deymiz? Sharq Yulduzi, No. 2 (February), 1988, p.153.
110. Nuzhna li Srednie Azii sibirskaia voda? Zvezda Vostoka, No. 6 (June), 1987, pp. 3–14.
111. See in particular the expressions of support from Russian and other colleagues in Ozbekistan Adabiyati va San'ati (10 April 1987).
112. See for example Asqad Mukhtar's reference to V. Rasputin in Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (18 September 1987).
113. Sovetskaia KuVtura (18 November 1987), reprinted in Ozbekistan Adabiyati va San'ati (27 November 1987).
114. Oqituvchilar Gazetasi (13 January 1988).
115. Komsomo Vskaia Pravda (1 April 1988), citing interview with Timur Polatov published in Moscow News, No. 14, 1988.
116. f'ati (15 May 1987 and 19 December 1986).
117. See Ozbekistan Adabiyati va San"ati (13 March 1987 and 10 April 1987).
118. Yash Leninchi (15 June 1987).
119. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va San"ati (17 July 1987).
120. Ibid., 10 July 1987.
121. Ibid., 23 January 1987.
122. Ibid., 10 November 1987.
123. Ibid., 5 February 1988.
124. Mamadali Mahmudov, Bugun va erta, Sharq Yulduzi, No. 4 (April), 1987, p. 151.
125. Otkir Hashimov, Avladlarga nima deymiz?, Sharq Yulduzi, No. 2 (February), 1988, p. 161.
126. Oqituvchilar Gazetasi (13 January 1988).
127. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va San'ati (18 March 1988).
128. Personal communication.
129. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va San"ati (5 February 1988).
130. Ibid., 18 March 1988.
131. Komsomo Vskaia Pravda (1 April 1988).
132. Otkir Hashimov, Avladlarga nima deymiz? Sharq Yulduzi, No. 2 (February), 1988, p.159.
133. Ibid., p. 161.
134. Ibid., p. 162.
135. Ibid., p. 158.
136. Yash Leninchi (25 February 1988). Salih received a strong endorsement from Kamil Ikramov, who now lives in Moscow but maintains ties with the republic (Ozbekistan Adabiyati va San"ati [13 May 1988], reprinted from Literaturnaia Gazeta [4 May 1988]).
137. Pravda Vostoka (12 March 1988).
138. Yash Leninchi (25 February 1988).
139. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (18 March 1988).
140. Bohdan Nahaylo, Mounting Opposition in the Ukraine to Nuclear Energy Program, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL Supplement 1/88 (24 February 1988) and Roman Solchanyk, Ukrainian Writers Protest against Nuclear Construction Site, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 336/87 (11 August 1987).
141. Saulius Girnius, Criticism of the Government's Ecological Policy, Radio Free Europe Research (Baltic Area), No. 4, 1988 (4 May 1988), pp. 15–18.
142. Elizabeth Fuller, Armenian Writers Union Elects New Chairman, Radio Liberty Research Bulletin, RL 51/88 (3 February 1988).
143. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (10 April 1987).
144. S. Ziiadullaev, Sud'ba regiona, Zvezda Vostoka, No. 8 (August), 1987, p. 147.
145. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va Sanati (18 March 1988). The embarrassment of being a resident of Uzbekistan even extends to Slavs living in the republic. A Russian friend of mine in Tashkent complained that when he spoke with colleagues in other areas of the country he was embarrassed by their repeated references to corruption in Uzbekistan.
146. Otkir Hashimov, Avladlarga nima deymiz? Sharq Yulduzi, No. 2 (February), 1988, p. 158.
147. KomsomoVskaia Pravda (1 April 1988).
148. Yash Leninchi (25 February 1988).
149. Otkir Hashimov, Avladlarga nima deymiz? Sharq Yulduzi, No. 2 (February), 1988, p.155.
150. Pravda Vostoka (8 April 1988).
151. Ibid.
152. Ibid.
153. Sovetskaia KuVtura (18 November 1987), reprinted in Ozbekistan Adabiyati va San"ati (27 November 1987).
154. Otkir Hashimov, Avladlarga nima deymiz? Sharq Yulduzi, No. 2 (February), 1988, p.153.
155. Pravda Vostoka (1 March 1988).
156. Ibid., 12 March 1988.
157. Ibid., 12 April 1988.
158. Ibid., 12 April 1988.
159. Ibid., 5 October 1986.
160. Ibid., 20 March 1988.
161. Ibid., 20 March 1988.
162. Ibid., 12 April 1988.
163. Ibid., 12 April 1988.
164. For a discussion of this see Rahman Qochqarov, Tarikh haqiqati, Yashlik, No. 6 (June), 1987, pp. 72–78. Qochqarov's account also paints a very unfavourable picture of Sharaf Rashidov's role in this activity. Vahabov has denied many of the charges made against him. See Pravda Vostoka (21 June 1988).
165. Bibliograficheskie ocherki o deiateliakh obshchestvennykh nauk Uzbekistana, Vol. 11 (Tashkent: Fan, 1977), p. 143.
166. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va San'ati (10 July 1987).
167. Hamil Islamovich Yaqubov, Uzbek Soviet Encyclopedia, Vol. IV (Tashkent, 1973).
168. Bibliograficheskie ocherki o deiateliakh obshchestvennykh nauk Uzbekistana, Vol. II (Tashkent: Fan, 1977), p. 341.
169. Pisateli Sovetskogo Uzbekistana. Bibliograficheskii spravochnik (Tashkent: Gafur Guliam, 1977), pp. 88-90. The year for the defence is listed as 1956, but no month is given. Among Qayumov's accomplishments, this handbook lists a great contribution to unmasking bourgeois theories of falsification of the history and culture of the peoples of Central Asia.
170. Adil Yaqubov, Hayat sabaqlari va ijad mashaqqatlari, Ozbek Tili va Adabiyati No. 1 (January), 1988, p. 65.
171. Ibid.
172. Adil Yaqubov, Uzbek Soviet Encyclopedia, Vol. IV (Tashkent, 1973).
173. Pisateli Sovetskogo Uzbekistana. Spravochnik (Tashkent: Gafur Guliam, 1984).
174. 1 was told that at this time hand-copied versions of works by such poets as Fitrat and Cholpan circulated among students of philology at the university. It is likely that the writers studying there (and perhaps those at other institutions) began to read the forbidden authors at that time.
175. Otkir Hashimov, Avladlarga nima deymiz? Sharq Yulduzi, No. 2 (February), 1988, p. 156.
176. Ozbekistan Adabiyati va San'ati (25 March 1988).