FROM THE HISTORY OF THE LIQUIDATION OF BAI FARMS IN THE SEMIPALATINSK IRTYSH REGION

Abstract

The reorganization of agriculture in the Semipalatinsk Irtysh region, as well as throughout Kazakhstan, was carried out under the slogan of eliminating the kulaks and the bais as a class. The purpose of this article, based on the analysis of archival sources and documents, characterizes the agrarian policy of the Soviet state in the Kazakh steppe in the 1920s and 1930s, and examines the peculiarities of the confiscation of wealthy farms, such as bais, as one of the key moments of collectivization policy. It is known that the timing of the mass collectivization was determined taking into account the specifics of the economic development, the forms of sedentary-farming and nomadic, semi-nomadic (livestock-raising) areas. The authors note that the implementation of the dispossession policy was carried out in Kazakhstan, including in the Semipalatinsk region, in violation of the law, there were «excesses» committed during the liquidation of kulak and bais farms, appropriation of confiscated property, etc. The data from the sources show that the policy of the Soviet government was aimed at exterminating the prosperous layers of the nomadic society, including the most authoritative individuals, a significant number of whom enjoyed respect among the people, and their economic and social influence in the Kazakh village was enormous. The confiscation of wealthy farms had severe consequences for Kazakh society, destroying traditional economic relations in Kazakhstan. As a result of the campaign for the confiscation and further forced collectivization of the bais, the centuries-old economic system of the Kazakh people, spiritual values, and the ethnic social integrity of the Kazakh society suffered.