ASU scientist released a new book about the Kyrgyz of Altai

9 January 2017 Department of Political History, National and Religious Relations

At the end of December Center for Language and Culture of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and Department for International Affairs Development initiated a presentation of the book by Head of the Department of Political History, National and Religious Relations, Doctor of History, Professor Petr K. Dashkovskiy entitled “The Kyrgyz of Altai in Terms of Ethnocultural Processes in Central Asia”. This is the scientist’s 10th book. It has won the 1st prize in “History, Archaeology, Ethnography” category at “The Best Academic Book in Humanities – 2016” competition.

The presentation was attended by representatives of Kyrgyz expatriate community in Barnaul and international students, including Kyrgyz ones, of Altai State University. The event started with the welcoming speech by Vice-Rector for International Affairs Development Roman I. Raikin, who noted that studying history and culture of Central Asian peoples was one of the priority directions for Altai State University scientists.

According to P.K. Dashkovskiy, he started working on the history of the Medieval Kyrgyz in 1999, when he went ahead with archaeological excavations of a burial mound in Ust-Kansky District of the Altai Republic. Here the scientist studied one of the medieval interments of the Kyrgyz. From this moment on, Professor Dashkovskiy has been collecting materials, researching written sources and other scientists’ results and findings. Several years later, Petr K. Dashkovskiy discovered and studied a number of Kyrgyz burial mounds in Krasnoshchyokovsky District of Altai Krai. Finally, in 2015 he published a separate book about the history of the Kyrgyz in Altai.

Petr K. Dashkovskiy commented on the research results:

“There are known sites of Kyrgyz heritage from the Middle Ages located in the territory of Minusinsk Hollow, Tyva, Altai, East Kazakhstan and Mongolia. At the same time, the residency of the Ancient Kyrgyz in Altai is one of the most understudied topics in nomadic studies of Central Asia. The situation is determined by the lack of sources and materials for the research of nomads’ culture in this region. In this monograph I have linked together the main archaeological and written data on the Kyrgyz of Altai within the context of ethnocultural processes in South Siberia and Central Asia in the Middle Ages. By contrast with Tyva and Khakassia, in Altai the occupancy was not large-scale, this is why the number of archaeological sites is substantially limited. Moreover, there was no such title as Kyrgyz Khagan in Altai. However, objects that belonged to the Kyrgyz have been discovered in different regions of mountain and piedmont Altai, which once again confirms the fact that the region was controlled by the nomads. With rare exceptions we have discovered one Kyrgyz burial in each Altai grave mound. Researching social and political structure of nomad tribes is also important. The book features historiographical analysis of the problem and specific social reconstructions based on the Altai materials. Further research of the worldview of Turkic-speaking nomads, who learned about different religions (Buddhism, Manichaeism, Nestorianism, Islam) mostly due to the Great Silk Way, is essential as well. The term “Tengrism” is the best suited for characterization of Kyrgyz religious system.”

The representatives of Kyrgyz expatriate community, who attended the event, highly appreciated the scientist’s work, invited him to Kyrgyzstan and gave him a gift of kalpak – a traditional high-crowned Kyrgyz cap.

In the course of the event Kyrgyz students studying at Altai State University familiarized the author and the audience with their national poetry and performed a nomad dance.

The book “The Kyrgyz of Altai in Terms of Ethnocultural Processes in Central Asia” by Doctor of History, Professor P.K. Dashkovskiy will be especially useful to archaeologists, historians, ethnographers, cultural specialists and people interested in the history of nomadic tribes of Siberia and Central Asia.

P.K. Dashkovskiy said that he was going to continue his research of Central Asian peoples.

“Our Department of Political History, National and Religious Relations is currently concentrated on the research of intercultural collaboration between the peoples of Siberia and Central Asia. We have come to an accommodation with Kyrgyz Academy of Sciences and Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences on exploring this problem. Moreover, we met with Kyrgyz historian, Chairman of the Board of the Muras (Heritage) Foundation under the Office of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, President of the Kyrgyz History Society, Doctor of History, Professor of the Kyrgyz State National University Tyntchtykbek Kadyrmambetovich Tchoroev. In the framework of the meeting we have determined a number of events aimed at studying history and culture of Central Asian peoples.”

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