THE SOVIET PARADOX: SIMULTANEOUS ACTS OF PRESERVING AND DESTROYING THE MAUSOLEUM OF KHOJA AHMED YASAWI

The article examines and compares the Soviet authorities’ efforts to eliminate the religious significance of the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi Mausoleum, as well as their attempts to preserve and promote it as a historical monument. It is well known that atheist ideology had a negative impact on Islam, particularly on Sufism and Islamic sacred sites. In their efforts to reshape society into a secular and atheist one, the Bolsheviks viewed Sufi traditions and major Sufi religious centers, which were deeply revered by the people, as significant obstacles to their agenda. In this regard, the main goal and objective of this study is to analyze how Soviet authorities sought to reduce the religious importance of the Yasawi Mausoleum while preserving it as a historical and cultural monument, based on newly uncovered archival documents. To abolish the religious and spiritual significance of the Yasawi Mausoleum, regarded as the “Second Mecca” by the local population, the Soviet authorities strove to prevent believers from visiting it and attempted to convert the Mausoleum into an atheist museum. Although rapid restoration was necessary to achieve it, various factors prolonged the renovation work. After the lengthy restoration, the museum established within the Yasawi Mausoleum was not officially labeled as atheist, yet its primary function included promoting atheist propaganda. Therefore, this article examines and compares these contradictory actions of the Bolsheviks concerning the Mausoleum, drawing on primary sources.