GW Work

This article focuses on a theatrical play performed during the Jubilee, the anniversary feast of Isabek Ishan, a local Kazakh saint. The state-supported celebration at Isabek’s restored shrine is an example of the nation-building processes of post-Soviet Kazakhstan. The Jubilee brought together pre-Soviet, Soviet, and post-Soviet themes, including narratives of sainthood and the significance of local sacred lineages. The play depicts Stalinist repression of religion, pointing to the importance of religious nationalism in contemporary state ideology. Despite occupying a relatively small space in the celebration, the play demonstrated how Stalinist trauma continues to inform local Muslim beliefs and practices, emphasizing the association of Kazakh nationalism with religious practices.

Author

• Bigozhin, Ulan

DOI

•  https://doi.org/10.1163/22142290-00501002

Keyword

• sacred families
• religious nationalism
• state
• Islam
• Post-Soviet Kazakhstan

Date created

• 2018

Type of Work

• Article

Rights statement

• In Copyright

GW Unit

• Central Asian Affairs Journal

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/work/g158bj01g

License

• All rights reserved

Relationships

In Collection:

• Central Asian Affairs

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