Annotation
The article deals with topical issues of the Kurdish diaspora in Eurasia that are not yet studied in the social and political literature. The article studies in detail the history and fate of the Kurdish diaspora and their way spread themselves, so that the millions of the Kurdish people found themselves far outside their historical Motherland - Kurdistan. Today, all around the world, about 4 million representatives of Kurdish diaspora live and work and about one million they are in Eurasia.The paper paid attention to the peculiarities and problems of the Kurdish diaspora in Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan. At the same time studied issues of the present generation of Kurds in Eurasia: the way they guard and protect the Kurdish civilization to their posterity. However, the attention paid to discussion questions also.
1. INTRODUCTION
The problems of the Kurdish diaspora in Eurasia and the world have not been studied in the literature. Of course in one article it is impossible to consider all problems of the Kurdish diaspora. Therefore, we will learn some of the issues of the Kurdish diaspora in Eurasia.
First of all, it should be pointed out that the Kurds – are one of the oldest nations in the Middle East; they settled in areas of middle and northern Zagros and in the headwaters of the Tiger and Euphrates - the region called Kurdistan [1], which anciently considered the center of world civilization. The fate of Kurdish people counts a lot of hardship; because of the complex geopolitical conditions Kurds still do not have their independent state ship (although in Iraqi Kurdistan an Autonomous Republic with wide powers: the president, parliament, ministries, the army, etc.). They suggest different hypotheses about the origin of the Kurds. The history preserved the names of several ancient peoples inspired by the modern name of the people. Kurds themselves consider they are descendants of the Medes.
The territory of the ancient Medes and profile is almost identical with modern Kurdistan. The Kurdish national anthem is heard "Median trail." Historians, political scientists and linguists agree that the formation of ethnic Kurds processed with obvious participation of the Medes.
Many scientists since ancient times, traveled by the land of Kurdistan, have left details of it. In their works we find the material on geography, history, ethnography, linguistics, art, culture, traditions and customs of the Kurds. The first information on the settlement lands of the modern Kurds left Didor Sicilian (lived in the I century BC), who described in the books the history of Egypt, Babylon, Assyria; Herodotus (about 484-425 BC); the first Greek historian, wrote about the nature of the political system and southern Mesopotamia, in particular, of Cyrus II, the last king of the Medes state. Strabo and Ptolemy (the end of IV century, the beginning of the III century BC) in their works mentioned about area Korduyunu (Gorduyunnu) - Kurdistan. Greek scholar Xenophon (IV century BC) proves, that in ancient times the Kurds were called Kardio, Karduhs, and that morden Kurds living in Kurdistan in the front Asian subregion inhabit it more than 4,000 years. Marco Polo (1254-1324) an Italian traveler, explorer of Inner Asia, including Iranian Kurdistan, Mongolia, China, Sumatra, for his twenty four year journey gathered vast geographical scientific material. The vast reservoir of historical research of Kurdistan is associated with the names of Russian travelers and scientists. The famous Russian explorer of XV century Athanasiy Nikitin, in 1466 visited Iranian Kurdistan, and India, in his famous book "Journey Beyond Three Seas" gives its broad geographic research. The interest of
V.F. Minorskyi (1877-1966 years) to the Kurds and Kurdistan, who wrote and spoke in Kurdish, was put in his writings on religion, ethnography, history of the Kurds, in his studies of traditions and customs of this people, in the studies of ancient monuments of Lake Urmia (Iran). Another scientist, A.Orbeli, a person with a huge collection of researcher, while traveling in Turkish Kurdistan, has collected a lot of material. As a specialist in linguistics, he created the Kurdish alphabet, contributed to the emergence of the Kurdish Scientific School, real and actively helped the Kurdish scholar. Interesting articles and notes about the Kurds were written by
V.P. Nikitin, a professor at the Sorbonne, but the main and the last of his fundamental work, which is full of great actual field material – is the book "The Kurds", published in Paris in 1956. Three books about the Kurds in Arabic language are published by Arabic scholar - Shaker Hasbak: "The Kurds and the Kurdish issue," "Kurds. Geographic and ethnographic study", "Northern Iraq" (physical geography and population), they contain a great amount of factual material on population, demographics and etnografy [2].
The first written monument of Kurdish literature became fragments of the poem relating to VIII century, found in the city Sulaymaniya (Iraq) and written in the Kurdish language [3]. History has preserved for us the name of the first Kurdish poet who lived in the XI-th century - Ali Hariri (1009-1079). Followed by a whole galaxy of outstanding poets - Mel Dzhtztrt (XI c.).
Fakiya Tairan (1302-1375, Turkey, Moksya), Ahmed Hany (1591-1652, Turkey, Basidia). Ahmed Hani opened madrassas for his people, where Kurds had the opportunity to study various sciences, to develop their culture and language; he founded the Arab-Kurdish Dictionary "Nubar" (the firstborn), wrote a poem, "Mom and Zin." By the influence he has had on the development of Kurdish culture and education some scientists compare Ahmed Hani with Ferdowsy (who wrote the poem "Shah-nama"). At the end of the XIX century and early XX century Kurdistan was glorified by such famous scientists as Arab Shamilov (1897-1978), Wazir Nadri (1941-1946), Adzhie Dzhndi (1908-1999), Amina Awdal (1906-1964) and others. It should be said, that the Kurdish people are industrious, friendly, talented and long-suffering people that BC had their own state, its culture and civilization. Its fate is so that millions of its representatives found themselves outside their historical homeland. Today, around all the world, live and work about 4 million of Kurdish diaspora, and about one million are in Eurasia (Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan).
2. KURDS IN RUSSIA AND OTHER BORDERINGS
Most of the Kurds found themselves in Russia. According to the first general census of the Russian population in 1897, Kurds- Muslims and Yezidi-Kurds were 99,9 thousand people. According to the All- Union census in 1926 the Muslim Kurds and the Kurds-Yezidis were 69,1 thousand people, including in the South Caucasus – 66,7 thousand people, and in Central Asia – 2,2 thousand [3]. According to the 1979 census in the former Soviet Union, the Kurds are 115 858 people. Of the total number of Kurds living in Eurasia their most part – is the rural population of the former Transcaucasian republics - Armenia SSR, Azerbaijan SSR, the Georgian SSR and the Central Asian republics, Kazakhstan and Russia [4]. On the territory of Georgia Kurdish settlements emerged in the XV century, when the Yezidis fled the territories occupied by the Turks. In the Soviet Union out of their tragedy struck in 1944. Thousands of Kurds with the Meskhetian Turks and Khemshils were escorted to Central Asia. Today, the Kurds make up small communities in Georgia, confessing Yezidism - close to the pre-Islamic religion of Zoroastrianism. According to the report of an expert of Analytical Center "Caucasus" Eduard Abrahamyan, the community has really only about six thousand members, while official sources indicate that in the country they live about 20 thousand Kurds. In Georgia, in early 2000s the "International Foundation to Protect human rights, religious and cultural heritage of the Kurds" was registered; it was led by George Shamoyev. One of the objectives of the fund - the revival of a unified Kurdish language and cultural space in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) (more than one million. Kurds).
In XVII-XVIII centuries Iranian shahs relocated Kurds in Khorasan, Gilan, Baluchistan, and it sought to ensure the protection of the eastern borders of Iran's attacks Turkmens and Uzbeks. Infantry of Khiva Khanate of XVIII-XIX centuries t consisted of slaves-the Kurds. Since that time, the Kurds start their move in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. According to the materials of Kurdish researcher K.E. Mirzaev, the most compact resettlement is in Mary province. In 1937, when the deportation of Kurds from Armenia and Azerbaijan started, they were distributed into 14 provinces and 110 districts of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. Each village had to shelter 20-25 families. They observed low level of literacy among the Kurdish population. But the most massive resettlement of expelled Kurds happened here during World War II. In mid-December 1944 in Uzbekistan 29 trains with special settlers arrived from Georgia. All Kurds were divided into 7 provinces and 43 districts of the Republic, particularly in Tashkent, Samarkand, Fergana and Bukhara regions. On April 1956, the special settlers’ restrictions on rights were removed. Some Kurds remained in Uzbekistan were engaged in agriculture.
The data of number of Kurds population in Uzbekistan in the records of census of 1959, 1970, and 1979 are not shown. In 1989, the population of Kurds in the republic was 1839 person (in Tashkent 77 pers.); the breakdown is 52.6% - men; 84% believe their native language Kurdish, 5,4% - Russian; 53.5% are fluent in a second language (Russian). After the fall of the Kurdish Mahabad Republic (Iraq), did not last a year (from January 22, 1946 - November 17, 1946), the Kurds, headed by M.Barzani, fearing reprisals, had crossed into the territory of the USSR (Nakhichevan region). In August 1948 squad (500) was transferred to Uzbekistan and placed near Tashkent where have employed in small groups in Tashkent, Samarkand, Namangan, Andijan and Ferghana regions.
In 1952, Iraqi Kurds have been re-united in a camp in Almazar district of Tashkent region. Mustafa Barzani, while studied in Moscow. July 14, 1958 in Iraq it was overthrown the monarchy and proclaimed the Republic. The new authorities allowed Barzani return home. Later, on March 1959, the Kurdish detachment organized flown to Odessa and then by sea to the city of Basra (Iraq).
At present time, according to statistics, the Kurds in Turkmenistan mainly live in the southern villages of Kopetdag, located in Ashgabat and Geok-Tepinsk areas and in the cities of Ashgabat, Mary and Bairam-Ali.
During continuous struggle for national liberation and cultural independence in the early XIX century the part of Kurds were forced to move to Russia, mainly into the South Caucasus. However, they found refuge either in their countrymen who emigrated from countries of the Near East into the Caucasus somewhat earlier or creating new settlements, mainly in the territory of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
After joining Georgia to Russia (1801), "Russia began to count Kurds among its peoples." In 1807 the Kurdish leader kind Mahmed Sophie Sultan passed Russian-Iranian border with his tribesmen, which included 600 families, and settled in Karabakh location [5]. While some scientists refer Kurds to the nations of the Caucasus, but in spite of the resettlement in these areas, the Kurds were and are indigenous to Asia Minor and the Middle East.
Numerous archival documents indicate that at the beginning of the XIX century, some Kurdish tribes gave a petition to the Russian authorities in the Caucasus, to allow them to resettle in Russia and to take Russian citizenship. So, from November 1831 to August 1833, Kurds of Bayazit pashalik asked to allow them to take an oath of allegiance to Russia and settle in the Armenian region. Often, the Kurds crossed the border from Turkey secretly. The founder of Chelabiassk Kurds, living in Karadag, appealed to local authorities of Russia to allow 1(one) thousand Kurdish families to settle in the South Caucasus. In 1885, as evidenced by historians, some Kurdish tribes crossed the Russian-Turkish border and adopted Russian citizenship.
In the XIX century Kurds, who were in the Transcaucasian lands were divided into many tribes. Field material on families and Kurdish tribes late XIX - early XX century, collected in the 50-s in the South Caucasus, confirms the existence of a number of Kurdish tribes (eg.: Sipko, Jalali Shekkaki, Zilani, Gasananli etc.) [6]. In Armenia, the Kurds were settled at the end of the XIX century by tribal principle, in Azerbaijan they built their settlements considering consanguinity.
In the 50-60-ies of XX century in Armenia Kurds were settled by tribal principle, based on a strict account of kinship, leaving the roots in Turkey, Iran, ie Kurds living areas in the XIX century. In eight regions of Armenia with the Kurdish population prevailed this or that tribal name - Bela, Mahamadi, Horns, Sipko.
The reasons for the migrating Kurds in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, are different. First of all, the desire to avoid physical destruction in the Middle East, the desire to escape from the difficult social and economic dependence, the search for the necessary land and grazing land for farming, the desire to be reunited with relatives by religion. In the Caucasus, they migrated as a separate tribal group and family.
Kurdish villages in Azerbaijan were included mostly in Kelbajar, Lachin, Kubatly, Zangelan, which from in 1923 by the decision of the Central Executive Commissioner (CEC) of Azerbaijan it was formally established Kurdistan district, i.e. Red Kurdistan (Lachin city). In the 30-s of the district was geographically changed and converted into the Kurdistan Region with districts Kelbajar, Kubatly, Koturlinsky, Zangelan and part of Jebrail. Center of Kurdistan remained Lachin city. In order to eliminate illiteracy among the Azerbaijani Kurds, in 1930 they founded Kurdish alphabet, based on the Latin letters; since 1931 they began teaching in the Kurdish language, were prepared textbooks for schools. Until 1960 in Lachin city in Azerbaijani language they left issuing regional newspaper "Soviet Kurdistan". After the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, i.e. Karabakh events (1988-1993 years), the entire territory of Red Kurdistan was captured by the Armenian army and completely destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of Kurds were displaced. Historically the Kurds in Azerbaijan twice received the right to national-territorial entity, despite the difficult economic conditions, especially during the famine in the early 1920-s [7]. In the 1930s, during the period of Stalin's repressions, many families were deported to Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
It should be noted that the emergence of the Kurds in Russia and building their villages took place in different ways and for different reasons. It seems wrong to approve the modern science view that frequent crossing state borders Kurdish people and their constant migrations within the same state are due to their nomadic way of life and their psychology. First, Kurdish tribes have settled tribes, known to historians. They, along with the tribes of nomadic Kurds have repeatedly acted as organizers of migration and custodians of traditional culture. Secondly, migration of certain Kurdish tribes and tribal unions were occurring to several reasons, among those are economic (no environment for farming, no will to come to hill to a particular lord, and so on), political (wars between the states, interstate delimitation, Turkish-Armenian and Turkish-Kurdish conflicts and national and religious intolerance among the "small peoples", inspired by Turkish feudal, numerous uprisings of the Kurds, etc.), administrative and territorial ones (numerous redrawing of some areas with Kurdish population). Third, many Kurds- migrants aimed the reunification by religious affiliating with their rest tribe members, who lived in the South Caucasus. The Kurds, who lived on the territory of Russia, recognized the Soviet power. After the Great October Revolution in the Soviet Union, they enjoy all civil rights, in contrast to the millions of compatriots living on their ancestral lands historic.
In 1921, in Armenia the I-st Kurds’ Congress was held, and in 1921, Kurds were the participants of the next Congress of Soviet Armenia, adopted Constitution. In the same year, by the decision of Armenian Government, two specialists Arab A.Shamilov and Assyrian Isaac Morogulov worked out the Kurdish alphabet, based on Latin alphabet. Until that time they used the textbook "Shams" ("Sun") for primary Kurdish schools; that book was prepared in 1921 by Hakob Kazaryan (famous writer, scientist of Kurdish culture and traditions, teacher) on the basis of the Armenian alphabet. In 1921year they opened 5(five) in 1925 year – 10(ten) and in1930 year – 27(twenty seven) Kurdish schools.
In 1930, they published first issue of the newspaper "Ria Taza"; in 1931, in Yerevan they opened first Kurdish Trans Caucasian Teachers College. In 1934, in Yerevan, the I-st All-Union Conference on Kurdish culture study was held. Two years later, they opened the separate section of the Kurdish writers as the part of Union of Writers of Armenia. In 1935, was organized the Kurdish theater, according to the decision of the People's Commissariat of Education of the Armenian SSR. At the requirement of Central Government, in 1944, the Kurds of the USSR entered a new alphabet based on Cyrillic. It was worked out by leading representatives of the Kurdish national intellectuals as Adzhie Dzhndi, Vezire Nadiri, Nado Mahmudov, Hrachya Acharyan, Amine Awdal, A.Kapanyan. After 60-70 years of XX century, Soviet Kurdish science starts its active development. So, at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR and at Yerevan State University (YSU) they opened offices of Kurdish culture science. They played an important role in the studies of history and culture of the Kurdish people. Currently, Kurdish intellectuals, living mainly in the cities, as well as the villagers dispersed living in Abovyan and Masissk regions account for up to 1,000 persons.
In Armenia, there are schools with teaching Kurmanji. In addition to their mother language, all the Kurds are fluent in Armenian, and representatives of the intellectuals, even Russian. The rural population is engaged mainly in agriculture, horticulture, cultivation of melons. Kurdish intellectuals in Armenia - engineers, lawyers, doctors, scientists - take quite active part in public life: with the assistance of the State, they issue the Kurdish newspaper "Ria Taza" (New Way) – some when the only Kurdish newspaper in the entire Soviet Union; they have broadcastings of radio programs in Kurdish. Currently specialists are developing the new training manuals for Kurdish schools. The Writers' Union of Armenia has tis separate group of the Kurdish Writers of Armenia.
In the Armenian Oriental studies they have long traditions of Kurdish culture studies. Nowhere in the world in had recent decades it has not been published so many scientific papers - on Kurds culture studies, no translated literature and fiction in Kurdish language as in Armenia. Here it was shot the first film about the Kurds, containing a wealth of ethnographic material.
At the time, the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia and nowadays the Caucasian Center for Iranian Studies and the Department of Iranian Studies at Yerevan State University are actively engaged in the issues of Kurdish language, literature, history, ethnography. At the Department of Iranian Studies at Yerevan State University since 1996 year, it was introduced the teaching of the Kurdish language, and since 2002 year at the level of University Master, they opened an office of Kurdology.
On the basis of the Law on national and cultural autonomy of the Russian Federation (RF), 3 regions of the Kurdish national-cultural autonomy - Moscow, Krasnodar and Saratov - at a joint meeting were united in a Common Federal structure. To this end, on April 28, 2000 in Moscow, at the Ministry of Federation and Nationalities Affairs of the Russian Federation, they held a Founding Congress of the Federal National and Cultural Autonomy of Kurds living in the Russian Federation.
Together with the delegates of the forum, representatives of the Kurdish diaspora in Stavropol Territory, the Republic of Adygea, Tambov region, Yaroslavl, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Tagil, Nizhny Novgorod, Chelyabinsk, Kostroma, St. Petersburg participated in this forum. Russia is home to more than 300,000 Kurds. This significant event opens up opportunities to develop national culture and preservation of Kurdish ethnic group in Russia.
In the summer of 1999 year, in St.-Petersburg University’ Faculty of Oriental Studies department they opened Kurdish culture studies department. This is a landmark event promoting the continued examination of the history and culture of the Kurdish people. In the Department of the faculty, along with representatives of the Kurdish people, the youth of other nationalities continue their studies.
Currently in Moscow resides 15-20 thousand Kurds. "The Kurdish national community of Moscow" has existed since 1994 year. Since 1996 year it is known as the "Kurdish house." Here social and cultural works are actively conducted as well as educational activities, they held meetings and negotiations, they perform editorial works to publish the newspaper "Free Kurdistan" and magazines "Druzhba" and "Women's Voice". In February 12, 2002, the Committee for Relations with Religious Associations under the Government of Moscow registered the Yazidi religious group "Lalish." In accordance with Article 7 of the Law "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations" religious group has the right to conduct worship services and other religious rites and ceremonies, as well as to the teaching of religion and religious education of its followers. Earlier in Kursk in 2000 was opened Kursk regional Yezidi-Kurdish NGO "Shumer." Its Chairman is Safto Dzhaforov.
Federal national-cultural autonomy of the Kurds (FNKAK) of the Russian Federation was established in 2000 year. The Organization FNKAK is headed by Aziz Mamoyan.
One of the main points of the Charter of the organization is: revival, national culture preserving and developing, deep studies of native language and history, national customs and traditions conserving, protecting the legitimate rights and interests of FNKAK members at the level of government and state management in accordance with the current legislation of RF.
In Moscow, in the period from 2000 to 2001 they registered "Society of Cultural and Business Cooperation with the Kurdish diaspora abroad," the purpose of the founding was to expand and strengthen ties with the Kurdish diaspora of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Europe. The Organization is active in the establishment of new relations with the Kurdish organizations and associations. Its task the organization has determined as to be "a bridge between Russia and Kurdistan." And also to become “a bridge between Russian Kurds and the Kurds of Kurdistan”. This organization supports the political course of Massoud Barzani – the President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Jamal Shamoyan at the time, in the Tambov region unfolded a large road-construction business, where he involved as the workers the persons, representatives of Kurdish origin.
Living in the lands of former USSR, the Kurds found women's organizations, which have goals and objectives that are often beyond the scope of public associations. In addition to the development of education and the preserving cultural heritage, Kurdish women are actively involved in politics. So in 2002 in Moscow was registered regional public organization, promoting the rights of Kurdish women "Free woman." The Chairman of that organization became Aloyan Nane.
Kurds of Russia, Eurasia do not remain aloof from the problems of the historical homeland of Kurdistan. So, the two Russian businessman of Kurdish origin, Mister Zelimkhan Mutsoev and Mister Amirhan Mori, in September 2014 transferred to the "Barzani Charity Foundation" the funds of $ 1.5 million US Dollars for the needs of the Kurdish Yezidi refugees. In 2013, these businessmen sent planes full of food and essentials for Syrian refugees in Iraqi Kurdistan. At a press conference in Erbil, Mr. Z.Mutsoev said: "The purpose of my visit to Kurdistan, this time is to bring 40 tons of humanitarian aid for refugees in the region, with the support of the Russian government ... I expressed my willingness, and I asked Barzani Fund to inform me, what refugees need, so that I can provide it quickly" [8]. Mr. Zelimkhan Mutsoev is a Kurd-Yezidi, ex-member of the Russian Parliament, as well as a successful businessman.
Today, the Kurdish diaspora in Russia, Eurasia, live in the vast territory in more than thousands of villages, towns and cities. Now let us consider the Kurdish diaspora in Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
3. KURDS IN KAZAKHSTAN
Kazakhstan is home to quite a significant Kurdish diaspora, formed here as a result of the deportation of Kurds from Caucasus. It should be noted that the resettlement of Kurds in the territory Kazakhstan proceeded in several stages. The first - was the autumn of 1937, when they were forcibly resettled in the mass order, among other peoples - Iranians, Turks, as mentioned in the documents of those years, "the purification of the border strip" of the Soviet state border in the Caucasus. The second stage - was Kurds deportation as part of the North Caucasus peoples in 1944. The Decree of the State Defense Committee (GKO) of July 31, 1944 adopted and stamped as "Top Secret", required the Government of Kazakhstan to accommodate 40 thousand of special migrants of Georgia, which was a consequence of criminal policies of Stalin and Beria about evicting the 115.5 thousand people from the border with Turkey regions of Georgia - Akhaltsikhe, Adigeni, Aspindza, Akhalkalaki and Bogdanovsk. Among them were about 20 thousand Kurds. But the tragedy of Kurd people continued during the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989-1990 years. They were forced to move from their native lands as a result of military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagornyi- Karabakh. At this stage, hundreds of Kurds have moved to Kazakhstan from Armenia and Azerbaijan and the Central Asian republics, Russia, Georgia.
But let us back to the events of mass political repressions. After the deportation of 1937 a significant part of displaced families with many young children had no able-bodied workers, not to mention the means of subsistence. In the spring they found themselves in a difficult position, with no hope for the future. The plight was in Kazakhstan, in that spring, the Kazakhs themselves were in poverty. But it is a miracle to which can only simple people do! Traditionally hospitable Kazakh found an opportunity to accommodate and place hundreds of thousands of immigrants of different nationalities; it was only in the autumn of 1937 from Caucasus to Kazakhstan arrived around 2000 Kurds families. Below are the stories of eyewitnesses of the time.
Here is how writes about it Mr. A.K. Nadirov - honored teacher of the Republic of Kazakhstan: "In the middle of November 1937 (when I was studying at the Yerevan Kurdish college) we were woken up by the staff of the National Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD) and told to follow them. In the morning I was taken to the railway station Arazdayan, Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, where all Kurds of the region were herded with personal belongings. All area around was guarded by solders. A few days later they started trains sending. Greatest possible number of people was driven in each wagon. None of that Kurds did know why and where they are sent. It felt like being taken to the north, and where - can only guess. Many of people could not withstand unusual physical and moral load, got sick on the road and died… on December 12, our train arrived in Mirzoyan (now Taraz). The snow up to the knee, about 40 degrees below zero. We are transplanted into open cargo tracks (with no tent) and sent along off road of 200 km from Mirzoyan to Sary- Suyskiy region and later distributed 2-3 families to region collective farms. In May 1938 in the mountains Karatau it was organized the Kurdish collective farm named after Budennyi. People have started to work on the farm, living in the open area. Starts of houses constructing they promised after completion of sowing. One night, in June, 40 men Kurds were taken away from the farm. Of all those, so far no one has returned. What was the reason they were taken and what was their fault, no one to this day knows. Many of them were not even knowledge-coma with each other, to say nothing of any conspiracy" [9].
"According to the compilation of the list, the groups of people were deported by echelons. Filed a train for the residents of our village, freed the men to help immerse their families ... In the cars they placed on for 10-12 families, it was way longing 22 days; the guards stopped the train on the road, only to water-fed cattle. And we went on. At last they unloaded the train at the station named Ili. The cattle were driven, and people waited for two or three days more. After a while, we were driven to village Babakhty, Balkhash region. We were very cold in an open auto trucks. But the world is full of good people. The locals – they were the Kazakhs - received us with hospitable. Each Kazakh family took residence one Kurdish family" [10]. This is evidenced in their memoirs, the elders kind of the Kurds of Kazakhstan Mr. Sheikh Aziz, Sheik Kadir, Mstoe Usve Mhyke, Hussein Bro, Kyarame Pala, M.S. Babaev, Mahmadamine Aziz, Ziyae Badrhan, Aslanov Sari, Azize Usva, Shamshie Mustafa, Aido Aliyev, Kadim Dursunov and others. In total, in 1944 from Georgia to Kazakhstan and the Central Asian republics were sent 6297 families, i.e. 27 657 person. Of these, about three thousand (number of Kurds among the deportees, unfortunately, is not known) were moved in Alma-Ata region. From archival documents of 1937-1944 years, it follows, that because of warm clothing, shoes, lack, many of the displaced were unable to return to work. But the severity of this particular move, of course, fell on the weak children’ shoulders. In 1946, the main reason for school non-attending was the language barrier. According to statistics, only 21% of schools had an enrollment of children of school age and only 12% attended preschool.
The big problem was the placement and maintenance of newcomers with job. Nothing has been done by state structures to receive and accommodate the forced immigrants. As participants of those events witness, that was the reason why winter of 1937/38 years and 1944/45 years killed a lot of people, among them great number of children and the elderly. In Kazakhstan those (30-s) years was very difficult social-economic situation. Local authorities could not provide the local population with housing, food and industrial consuming, and moreover, it was extremely difficult for forced immigrants. Yet Kazakhstan and its people and were able to accommodate hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons.
All the above indicates the true situation of Kurds in the years of Stalin’ repression. The activities of Kurdish public institutions in Kazakhstan started before the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1989 the first national association of Kurds of Kazakhstan became the Alma-Ata National Cultural Center. Today in Kazakhstan the Kurdish Association of Kazakhstan "Barbang" (Dawn) functions, the Kurdish cultural Centers are in towns and regional centers of the Republic - Astana, Almaty, Akmola regional center, Alma-Ata regional center, South Kazakhstan, Zhambyl regions and others.
They publish the newspaper "Zhiyna Kurd", literary and art magazine "Nubar". In places of Kurds compact residence, people organized creative folk ensembles, poetic circles. In schools, for Kurdish children are held Kurdish language lessons. According to assessment of well-known Kurdish scientist Ordihana Jalil, Kurds of Kazakhstan managed to preserve the wealth of the national language and folklore, and many of the surviving texts of folk songs are simply unique. The experience of Kurds of Kazakhstan in the sphere of preserving national culture, language, literature is the property of all the Kurdish CIS diaspora. Since 1998, the State National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan the department functions; it presents spiritual and material values of the Kurds.
According to the official 1999 year census, population of Kurds in Kazakhstan is 34 thousand Kurds, according to "Barbang" - more than 80 thousand Kurds and experts estimate the number of Kurds in Kazakhstan reaches up to 150-200 thousand persons. This discrepancy in the data is due to the fact, that the many of deportee Kurds were registered as Azerbaijan and Turks. In the period of 1989 to 1993 years, statistics state that the number of Kurds in Kazakhstan increased by 29%. The Kurdish population growth has several reasons. But the most compelling, perhaps, were and are political instability, aggravated inter-ethnic situation in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, in contrast with - inter-ethnic harmony in Kazakhstan, its social, economic and political stability. A large part of Kurds community live in Almaty, Taraz and Shymkent (Chimkent).
Kurds of Kazakhstan clearly manifest themselves in science, culture, public life. Mr. Nadir Karimovich Nadirov is a Doctor of Chemistry, Professor, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, Honorary President of Association of Kurds in Kazakhstan "Barbang", State Prize Laureate, Honored Scientist of Kazakhstan. Also invests his scientific contributions to the development of modern literary, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Academician of the International Academy of Sciences, Member of Writers Union of Kazakhstan, Academician of Social Sciences of RK, Professor K.I. Mirzoyev. I would like to note an active scientific work of the deceased Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of International Academy of Mineral Resources Mr. G.A. Musaev; Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Mr. U.A. Sadykov, Doctor of Economics, Professor A.Z. Aliev, Doctor Chemical Sciences, Professor, Laureate of the State Prize Mr. A.S. Nadirov, Ph.D Mr. V.K. Mirzoev, the Head of Department of the Academy of Tourism and Sports, Honored Master of Sports Mr. M.O. Myrzaev, Ph.D on Philology - M.S. Yusubov, G.A. Aliev, Ph.D on Political Science - M.M. Mamedov, Ph.D. on Chemistry A.N. Nadirov, Ph.D. on Biology - X.A. Nadirov, Ph.D. on Biology X.M. Sadykov, Ph.D.
Technical Sciences N.A. Shamoi, Ph.D. on Medicine Sciences - M.A. Badirov, Ph.D. on Medicine Sciences B.N. Nadirov, Ph.D. on Medicine Sciences T.K. Mirzoev and many others.
Do not stay aside from the Kurds in the education system. Thus, the title of Honored Teacher of the Republic of Kazakhstan awarded A.K. Nadirov, M.T. Suleymanov, A.B. Nadyrov, S.I. Seidov, I.A. Aliev. Excellence in Public Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan became A.S. Aliev and V.U. Broev.
In Kazakhstan, works an Honored teacher of Kyrgyzstan Mr. N.A. Chatuev; writers and publicists - Barie Bala, Hasan Hadzhisuleyman, Majeed Sulaiman, Saleh Sayyad, Malikshakh Gasanov, Zahar Sadykov and others. Usva Said, Said Ali and Sheikh Gasane, Sheikh Qadeer, Arif Shaikh, Sheikh Faizo, mullah Suleiman nowadays play an important role in the spiritual education of the Kurdish youth of Kazakhstan.
Today, dozens of Kurdish sportsmen in different sports have achieved good results. Their names are known not only in our country, but also far beyond its borders. Brothers Michael and Ismayil Nadirovs, Ramazan Sayadov – are European Champions in kickboxing; World Champion in combat is Sulhaddin Ayupov, there are the Master of sports of International class. Master of Sports Alik Aslanov - head coach of CSKA team in boxing. Malikshakh Myrzaev – is an Honored Master of Sports, is now the Head of the Department of the Academy of Tourism and Sports. Two-time champion of Kazakhstan on struggle and the Sports Master is Haneyvaz Khanayev.
In places of compact residence of people of Kurdish origin there are Cultural Centers and schools with educating in their native language. In South Kazakhstan region, in areas where the general population is Kurds and where about 16,000 Kurds live, they planned to organize schooling in the Kurdish language.
"Barbang" Association of Kurds of Kazakhstan, is a public organization, it is one of the first enters to the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan. Schoolchildren study their native language in areas densely populated by Kurds, in Sunday schools, in special classes. In Kazakhstan they have created textbooks and methodical program to study the Kurdish language and in 2006 it is approved by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The author is works are the President of the Association "Barbang", Professor Mirzoev Prince Ibrahimovich.
A special role in the development of the Kurdish diaspora in Kazakhstan belongs to the Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan (APK). 12 representatives of the Kurds of Kazakhstan are elected as APK members and the President of the Association of Kurds is elected a Deputy of the ANC Chairman.
It should be said that the Kurds were in Kyrgyzstan also as a result of forced deportation from the Caucasus, mostly from the areas of the Soviet-Turkish border, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The first wave of Soviet deportation of Kurds came in 1937, went down in history of the USSR as the peak of Stalin's repressions. How many families have lost Kurdish families on a long way into obscurity when they, emaciated, sick, destitute, had to start a new life in a new, unusual for them the harsh conditions.
During the second wave of forced migration of peoples in 1944 from Georgia there were deported Meskhetian Turks, Kurds, Hamshens in Kyrgyzstan. All repressed peoples in 1937 and 1944 put the stamp of "special immigrants", they were not able to without permission from the authorities (the NKVD commandant's office) to move somewhere else. According to official data, in 1944 out of all exiled to Kyrgyzstan (81,121 people) 1533 persons were Kurds. Kurds, as well as others, were resettled to Kyrgyzstan by order №6279 of the State Defense Committee of the USSR on July 31, 1944. The decision marked "Top secret" they stated: "... paragraph 1. Relocate from the border strip of the Georgian SSR of Akhaltsikhe, Adigeni, Aspindza, Bogdanov regions of Adjarian SSR areas 16,700 households with a population of 86,000 Turks, Kurds and Khemshins, including the Kazakh SSR - 40 thousands, to the Uzbek SSR - 30 thousands, In Kirghiz SSR - 16 thousand person... " [11].
Kurds were settled in Kyrgyzstan in Osh region and Chui valley. They were placed in the most remote areas of the country, mainly in remote villages of the Suzak district of Osh region, suburbs Kok-Yangak and Jalal-Abad. Prior to cancellation in 1956 a decision on "special settlers", Kurds have been deprived of basic socio-economic and political rights. According to the census of that year, on 4783 Kurds were registered in the territory of the Kyrgyz SSR, living mostly in the south of the country.
Even before the collapse of the USSR Kurds in Kyrgyzstan, gradually restoring their constitutional rights began to educate in secondary and higher education institutions; they have been able to revive their language and communicate it freely. More than 40 people graduated and got a law degree. Many of them worked in various positions in the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), some of them rose to the ranks of colonel and lieutenant colonel, doctors, entrepreneurs, etc. The representatives of the Kurdish diaspora held high positions in government also.
In the late 80-s and early 90-ies of XX century in the Republics of former Soviet Union the clashes on ethnic grounds started. Just as in many other republics, in Kirgizia ethnic clashes occurred. After these events, hundreds of Kurdish families were forced to leave their second homeland and seek refuge in neighboring countries. The rest have decided to unite to defend their rights. In 1993, the Kurds Association "Nishtiman" was established in Kyrgyzstan; in 2001 it was renamed into the Republic Association of Kurds in Kyrgyzstan "Midia".
The foundation of that organization became an important step towards addressing cultural and educational questions of the Kurdish people. The Association aimed its activities at the revival of language, culture, customs, traditions and art of the Kurdish people; protecting the interests of the Kurds in the social, economic, political and culture fields; educating young generation in the spirit of tolerance and internationalism and many other aspects, to provide long life of the people.
Since 2002 year, the state TV and radio company starts its broadcasting in the Kurdish language, once a week for 15 minutes. In the frame of the Association’ assistance they launched works of musical groups and folk dance ensembles. In cooperation with the Kyrgyz TV Kurdish organization has carried out the shooting of six documentaries on the life of the diaspora in the country. But despite the hard work, unfortunately, we can state, that the educational level of the Kurds remains low, especially for the Kurdish people in Talass region. Infact, only the tenth part of adult population of Kurds people there have college or university education. Even now the young generation present there successful businessmen, politicians and popular public figures.
Today grater part of Kurdish diaspora lives in the Chui valley, mainly in Alamudinsk and Sokuluk regions. There are small settlements in the Talass valley - in Manas and Karaburinskom districts in Osh region, in Suzak district, in the towns of Kok-Yangak and Jalal-Abad. In the last of 15 years, the Kurds have started to move in Bishkek and nearby villages, such as Karl Marx village, villages Petrovka, Vasilevka, Grape, Leninsk, etc.
In 1989, the census revealed that 14,300 Kurds live in Kyrgyzstan. Bearing the high reproductive rate among the Kurds and the distortions in the census, local Kurdish observers suggest, that today in Kyrgyzstan there are more than 20 thousand people of Kurd origin. In February 2001, they elected Mr. Ramazan Seidov as a Chairman of Kurds Association in Kirgizia. Today in the republic, as the nationwide population census registered in 2009, the number of Kurds is 20171 persons, accounting for about 6% of all population of Kirgizstan.
They mostly remember their Kurdish language, their folkway and traditions, and culture.
Amir Timur, who won in the XIV century lands of Kurdistan and Khorasan, started his policy of massive Kurds resettling in his homeland - in Shakhrisabz and Samarkand. In XVII-XVIII centuries, Iranian shahs, to ensure the protection of the eastern borders of Iran from attacking Uzbeks and Turkmens, resettled Kurds in Khorasan, Gilan, Beludzhistan. Thus, in XVIII-XIX centuries the part of Khiva Khanstate’s army was Kurds. In the early XX century in this country, in Uzbekistan, according to official records there were more than 10 thousand Kurds people. The number of Kurds population in Uzbekistan increased due to deported Kurds from Georgia and Crimea, in 1944. In autumn of 1944 from Georgia to Uzbekistan totally they deported 55,550 Kurds forced immigrants: Meskhitin- Turks and Khemshins. Those deported Kurds were resettled into 7 provinces and 43 districts, into hundreds of villages of the Republic, especially in Tashkent, Samarkand, Fergana and Bukhara regions.
In 1946, according to official reports, in Uzbekistan there were 15 thousand Kurds people, and by 1979 their number decreased to 982 persons. The 1989 year census indicated that Kurds were 1839 persons, and the census of 1959 and 1970 in Uzbekistan registered that such people at all "no existed". In 1989, they registered in the Republic 1839 persons of Kurd origin (in Tashkent - 77 persons), with breakdown: 84% considered their native language the language of title nationality (Uzbek), 5.4% - Russian; 53.5% were fluent in a second language (Russian). The armed conflict in Nagornyi Karabakh in 1989-1990 years caused immigration of 685 people of Kurd origin in Uzbekistan.
Traditionally Kurd people are good in: semi-nomadic cattle (cattle and small animals), agriculture (grain, horticulture, tobacco). Ancient Kurds crafts are: carpet weaving, woolen goods production, metal ware, metal stamping, and woodcarving. In 1947 year, the legendary leader of the Iraqi Kurds, General Mullah Mustafa Barzani, who crossed the borders along with his 500 soldiers in the Soviet Union, since 1948, several years, lived in Uzbekistan; his soldiers were scattered across several regions and districts, in particular - in the Samarkand region.
During the Great Patriotic War, the Kurds in Samarkand, engaged in sheep breeding, have been saved from death, and did not know hunger and cold. Uzbek Kurds gradually assimilated; the process is still going on. Kurds as a distinct nationality has not been possible to fully participate in social and political life of Uzbekistan. Lack of access to education in their native language and environment for the development the national culture; all this have led to the loss of identity of the Kurds in Uzbekistan.
The earliest settlers from Asia Minor are Kurds in Turkmenistan, of all Kurds, living in Central Asia. However, preserving their ethnic identity, they also could not resist the process of assimilation. Turkmenistan - one of the countries which absorbed its Kurds. That is why, in contrast to all other Kurdish diaspora of CIS, there is no reliable research life of the Kurds of this Republic.
The history of the local Kurdish community is. In the XVII century Iranian ruler Shah Abbas resettled Kurdish tribes along the north-eastern borders of Iran. Resettlement continued in 1740, with the Nadir Shah. Militant Kurdish tribes were to become a kind of shield against attacks of Turkmens. At the same time it weakened the military power of the Kurds in Western Iran.
Anthropological type of Kurds in Central Asia is not sufficiently studied. Fragmentary information at our disposal shows that anthropologically Kurds of Turkmenistan together with the Kurds of Iran compose and belong to Europeoids of Iran. The Kurds have long inhabited the border regions of Iran and Turkmenistan. In the X-th century Kurdish villages were in the Eastern Khorasan, and in the XII century Kurds inhabited Mazandaran.
Persian and Arab sources note a significant role of Kurds in the history of Eastern regions of Iran. Starting from the XI century Kurds were active participants of Seljuk’ conquests operations to Khorasan.
In the XIX century, when Russia entrenched in Central Asia and Turkmens’ raids stopped, Kurds gradually started to move to a modern Turkmenistan. Currently in Turkmenistan, with its population of about five million people, home to about 4,500 Kurds.
According to the assumptions of some kurdologists and evidences of local Kurds, in this country there are more than 300,000 ethnic Kurds. In the early XX-th century it was believed that they were 100 thousand people. However, the census in 1970 registered only 2 993 people. In a letter dated January18, 1990, the head of the Department of International Relations of the Central Committee (CC) of the Communist Party of Turkmenistan M.Aydogdyev to the Representative of the Organizing Committee on founding Kurdish Autonomy, Mr. M.S. Babev they indicated that the country is 4 300 people of Kurd origin. Most of them lived in the south - the border with Iran - and regions and in Ashgabat, which is just 45 km far from the border with Iran.
Kurds carefully preserve their national identity, culture and traditions and remember with nostalgia Soviet times, when there were Kurdish schools and newspapers. Until 1995, the Republic had libraries, cultural centers, schools with teaching in the Kurdish language, but now all the centers and schools are closed.
Kurds in Central Asia, as well as all the Kurds of the former Soviet Union speak Kurmanji - dialect of the Kurdish language, belonging to north-western group of the Iranian languages. However, in Turkmenistan that dialect has some phonetic and grammatical features, some differ it from kurmanji, the language of Caucasian Kurds and brining it closer to Kurdish of Khorasan.
In the language of the Kurds of Turkmenistan there are significant numbers of words borrowed from Persian and Turkmen languages. Kurds living in Turkmenistan, speak Turkmen language, many retain the knowledge of the Russian language. The Kurdish youth are usually owned by Turkmen and Russian languages, the older generation - Turkmen and Kurdish. In the villages, where Kurds lived a long time to mingle with the Russian, the elderly are also well aware of the Russian language.
The acute anxiety of Kurds in Turkmenistan is threat to loss their native language. Like all Turkmen citizens, they must know the Turkmen language. The native language of Kurds now is spoken only at home: the Kurdish language will not hear on the street or in public places. The Kurdish young people are mostly not remembering the specifics of their native language; they do not know its speaking dialects, rich literary masterpieces in verse and prose.
Most of the Kurds, as well as Turkmens - Sunni Muslims, but among them there are representatives of other Muslim sects - and the Yezidis, Ali- Allahs, as well as Shiites and Christians. Members of religious minorities have complaines of harassment on religious grounds displayed by authorities.
Turkmen’ Kurds live in southern Turkmenistan, along the border with Iran: Ashgabat, Geok-Tepinsk, Kaahkinsk, as well as the Turkmen-Kala and Bajram Aliysk, Marysk regions and in the cities of Ashgabat and Mary [12]. In the Mary region Kurds migrated from southern sub-Ashhabad areas - in the 1930s, during the period of collectivization and the Great Patriotic War. In Ashgabat and its suburbs now have their homes to some 6 thousand people of Kurdish origin. They are descendants of immigrants from Iran, Turkey, Iraq and the Caucasus. Kurds in general retain their identity, particularly its material and spiritual culture. However, Kurds of Turkmenistan, numbering according to various sources reached 300 thousand people, almost completely assimilated (to 90-95%).
4. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it should be said that the Kurdish diaspora in Eurasia has a lot of problems, but much works has been done over the last decade. Any Kurdish diaspora, wherever and whenever it settles in Eurasia, try to preserve their national identity. The objectives of the present Kurds’ generation in Eurasia are to keep preserve and transmit to their descendants the Kurdish civilization. Thus the Kurdish diaspora in Eurasian through many ties - spiritually, economically, politically, continues to be closely linked with their historic homeland - Kurdistan. All events in Kurdistan, with joy or pain perceived close by Kurds Diasporas of Eurasia.
We think that the problem of the Kurds each Eurasian country –is a separate and multidimensional object which requires further research.
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