70) Inertia of Stalinist regime in post-war period. Case of e. Bekmakhanov.

The post-war period is characterized as a reactivation of political pressure and a new wave of repressions.

In 1947 the Communist (bolshevik) Party (KP(b) made the Resolution “about political mistakes in the Institute of language and literature of science Academy KazSSR” and forbade the study of intellectual and scientific heritage of the Kazakh people of period before 1917. Thus, all attempts of usage and investigation of past age culture were declared as political distortion of nationality and were flowed into a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution of kazakh intellectuals. Such campaigns involved the purge of “nationalists” and “ideologists of bays’ feudalism”. The same as it was in the late 30s, the atmosphere of fear and alertness occupied universities, scientific institutions and places of culture and arts.

When “Doctor’s Plot” was in consideration in Moscow, “Bekmahanov’s plot” was under publicity in Kazakhstan.

Ermuhan Bekmahanov was young talented scientist, distinguished scholar, one of the authors of notable “History of Kazakh SSR”, which was published in 1943 in Almaty. Bekmahanov was accused for giving a positive evaluation on Kenesary Kasymov’s rebellion in the 14th chapter of “History of Kazakh SSR”. The article “On Marxist-Leninist illumination of the questions of Kazakhstan’s history” (За марксистско-ленинское освещение вопросов истории Казахстана), published in the “Pravda” newspaper gave a start to a political persecution of Bekmahanov. In april of 1951 the Communist (bolshevik) Party (KP(b) of Kazakhstan took the resolution, which acknowledged all the accusations stated in the article and accepted Bekmahanov as guilty for the “bourgeois- national views”. Almost immediately, he was convicted for 25 years in a jail. In 1954, under the auspices of well-known scientists Bekmahanov was justified.

In addition to Bekmahanov, many other Kazakh writers, scientists and public figures were victims of repression: A.Zhubanov, K.Zhumaliev, S.Mukanov, A.Margulan, K.Satpayev, M.Auezov, etc. A.Margulan was convicted in non-scientific views, the president of KazSSR Academy of science Satpeyev was made to leave Kazakhstan. M.Auezov also was looking for home place beyond Kazakhstani borders. Many scientist were accused as “cosmopolites” (cosmopolite-uprooted from motherland).

The suppression of dissent was dramatically reduced and took new forms. The internal critics of the system were convicted for anti-Soviet agitation, Anti-Soviet slander, or as "social parasites". Others were labeled as mentally ill, having sluggishly progressing schizophrenia and incarcerated in "psikhushkas", i.e. mental hospitals used by the Soviet authorities as prisons. A number of notable dissidents, including Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Vladimir Bukovsky, and Andrei Sakharov, were sent to internal or external exile. By the report of Ministry of public health, more than 90000 soviet people were illegally sent to psychiatric hospitals.

71) Social and economic development of Kazakhstan in post-war period (1946-1960)

The USSR after the Second World War inherited demolished economic system. There was a severe labour force shortage. In order to recover from this labour deficit, 8.5 mln of soldiers were allowed to exit troops and go back to cities in order to improve life. In the post-war period factories specialized in military production were converted into factories aimed to produce peaceful goods. However, misbalance of agricultural and industrial development still existed. The first five-year plan was aimed to help in an agriculture recovery, development of an industry, construction of new rail roads. Black metallurgy was established in Temirtau, lead factory was built in Ust-Kamenogorsk. Oil production in Munaily was increased by 52%. Food and light industries were being developed quite fast. Garment factory “Komsomolka” was built in Petropavlovsk. By 1950-s there had been 59 factories in Kazakhstan. Changes in economic formation had results in growth of qualified labour force working in construction, transport, and communication areas. As for social development in Kazakhstan, they did not improved swiftly. People believed to the state and were anticipating better life for the sake of communism establishment. In 1947 card system was abolished and money reform was conducted. In 50s the Ministry established soviet national economy (sovnarkhoz). During that period prices were reduced three times and led to deterioration of life rate in auls. In 1949 there were several efforts to improve situation in agricultural sector but they were not successful. Afterwards, the government decided to process a great amount of virgin lands in 1954. Virgin lands included: Southern Sibir, Kazakhstan, Ural, Northern Caucasus. A chairman of communist’s party became Ponomarenko. During his chairmanship those who worked on the virgin lands were released from taxes for 2-5 years. As for improvements in social sector, financial aid to this sector was increasing. The government started to pay the dole, child benefit, disability allowance. A length of a work day was determined and paid leave was set. It seemed that the government was caring about people, in reality, the situation was different. The rate of wage growth was significantly lower than the inflation rate. Moreover, workers should contribute to government bonds each month. This obligatory point in their expenses affected them hugely. Standards of living in a city were much higher than these in a country. The Kazakhs were forced to stay in auls in 50s. The government showed they were not interested in the Kazakhs who were living in China. Eventually, a Kazakh nation was represented by one third of the population in KazSSR.

The government failed to accomplish all the missions of the 6th five-year plan (1956-1960 years). They decided to make a seven-year plan and lots of people were delivered to Temirtau so as to finish part of this plan. There was severe shortage of water, accommodation, and food. These social problems made workers of metallurgy factory construction go on strike in 1958.

To summarize, it can be easily seen that change of economic system should have been reinforced by changes in political system in order to prevent inconveniences caused to the citizens.