• 29 September 2026
• 61

THE SUFI TRADITION DURING THE SOVIET PERIOD: A DISCUSSION OF RESEARCH AND CURRENT ISSUES

An international academic and practical conference on the topic “The Sufi Tradition During the Soviet Period: Research and Current Issues” was held at Korkyt Ata University in Kyzylorda.

The conference was organized as part of the research project AP22787282, “Sufism in Soviet Kazakhstan: The Case of the Yasawi and Ishani Traditions”, funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2024–2026.

Participants in the conference included Ualikhan Ibraev, the university’s vice rector for social and educational affairs, as well as domestic and international scholars, experts, researchers, representatives of the clergy and students. The event was moderated by Nurlybek Mynjas, head of the Scientific Research Coordination Department.

The following speakers presented papers at the international conference: Dosay Kenzhetaev, professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the Khoja Ahmed Yasavi International Kazakh-Turkish University and Doctor of Philosophy and Theology; Seyfettin Ershahin, professor in the Faculty of Theology at Ankara University and Doctor of Science; Ali Yaman, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Sociology at the Kyrgyz-Turkish “Manas” University and in the Department of Political History at Abant Izzet Baysal University in Bolu.

Besides, the following individuals presented their research findings: Kerim Shamshadin, Director of the Department of Science and International Relations at Nur-Mubarak University, Doctor of Philology, Professor; Muhaye Isakova, Senior Researcher at the National Archives of Uzbekistan, Doctor of History, Professor; Aralym Aliyeva, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Music and Choreography at K. Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University and an independent researcher at the Yunus Rajabi Uzbek National Institute of Musical Arts; and Talgat Zholdasuly, Associate Professor in the History and Archaeology program at Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University, Talgat Zholdassuly, Ph.D.

The conference proceedings took place in two sessions. The first session addressed the topic “Religious Policy of the Soviet Period and the Sufi-Ishan Tradition: Figures, Institutions, and Research Issues”, while the second session was devoted to “Historical and Cultural Continuity of the Sufi-Ishan Heritage: Education, Literature, and Spiritual Heritage”.

During the discussions, participants examined the characteristics of religious policy during the Soviet period, the history of the formation and development of the Sufi and Ishani traditions, the social activities of religious figures, as well as issues related to the scholarly study and preservation of spiritual heritage.

The international academic conference provided scholars with an opportunity to exchange experiences and scholarly perspectives, identify new directions for studying the Sufi tradition of the Soviet era, and strengthen professional collaboration between domestic and international researchers.

Media Center of the Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University