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Capital Relocation and the Making of Soviet Kazakhstan, 1920-1929

In the first decade of its existence, Soviet Kazakhstan had three different capitals (Orenburg, Kzyl-Orda, and Alma-Ata), and several other cities were considered as potential centers for the republic.

Date & Time

Thursday
Mar. 21, 2019
3:00pm – 4:00pm ET

Location

5th Floor, Woodrow Wilson Center
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Overview

In the first decade of its existence, Soviet Kazakhstan had three different capitals (Orenburg, Kzyl-Orda, and Alma-Ata), and several other cities were considered as potential centers for the republic. Why did Soviet authorities undergo the difficulty and expense of relocating the administrative center of a vast, sparsely populated republic not just once, but twice within the span of nine years? Title VIII Research Scholar Maria Blackwood discussed the motivations and the extensive negotiations behind these decisions to move and the various options considered for Kazakhstan’s capital. Her analysis illuminated Moscow-republic relations in the early Soviet period and contextualized our understanding of Astana as the capital of independent Kazakhstan.


Hosted By

Kennan Institute

The Kennan Institute is the premier US center for advanced research on Eurasia and the oldest and largest regional program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The Kennan Institute is committed to improving American understanding of Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and the surrounding region though research and exchange.  Read more

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