The role of the people’s liberation movement in contemporary culture, politics, and identity formation: A comparative analysis of Central Asian countries

The aim of the study was to highlight the main stages of the Basmachi movement and its further impact on the history of the Central Asian region and, in particular, Kyrgyzstan. People’s liberation movements of the 20th century in Central Asian countries, such as the Basmachi, had a profound and lasting impact on the formation of modern cultural identity, political institutions and religious beliefs. The study analysed the preconditions for the beginning of the Basmachi uprising, their relationship with the Soviet authorities and the reasons for the uprising's defeat. Special attention was paid to the ideology, structure, and methods of struggle of these movements, as well as their leaders and participants. The Basmachi movement was studied as a central element of resistance that united various social groups and played an important role in resisting Russian imperialism. The reasons for the division of Turkestan into Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan and how the division affected the Basmachi movement, and the future of the region were also examined. The conflict in the Fergana Valley has a great resonance in the Central Asian region today. The study reveals the origins of the conflict, its causes and the relationship with the Basmachi movement in the region. The study shows both historical events and symbols of the Basmachi movement, which are being integrated into the contemporary cultural and political discourse of Central Asian countries, forming a new post-Soviet identity. A characteristic feature of this identity is the rehabilitation of the Basmachi as heroes of the national liberation movement and a return to a traditional way of life with the restoration of the culture before the advent of Soviet power and the Russian Empire.