Депортация народов Северного Кавказа в Казахстан в 40-е годы ХХ века: от коллективной памяти к национальной и культурной идентичности

Abstract

This article analyzes the formation of collective memory and cultural identity among North Caucasian peoples deported to Kazakhstan in 1943–1944. It focuses on the transgenerational transmission of trauma, the role of family narratives, religious practices, and the custom of adat. The study demonstrates that the identity of the third and fourth generations has a binary character: the Caucasus remains a sacred ancestral homeland, while Kazakhstan is perceived as the actual Fatherland. Archival documents reveal how these communities resisted Soviet assimilation, with the older generation playing a crucial role in preserving their heritage. The empirical focus is on the deportation of Chechens, Ingush, Karachays, and Balkars, who were forcibly resettled to Kazakhstan in 1943–1944. While deportation processes in the 20th-century USSR are well-studied, domestic scholarship has paid less attention to the formation of cultural identity among the deported. This article posits that the deportation was not merely a historical event of Soviet nationality policy, but a prolonged sociocultural process. In this context, the collective memory of the tragedy became a vital resource for identity transformation and consolidation. Forced migration did not destroy the national identity of North Caucasian peoples; on the contrary, it catalyzed its strengthening. Stripped of their territory, these communities relied on collective memory, language, and traditional institutions to survive. Faced with the challenges of physical adaptation and the pressure to assimilate, they successfully reproduced themselves as independent ethnic and cultural entities. By maintaining their religious practices and cultural heritage, they transformed the space of their exile into a «site of memory,» ensuring their survival as distinct communities. This research highlights the resilience of the North Caucasian people and the duality of their post-deportation identity. Through a synthesis of historical documents and sociological analysis, the article provides insight into how forced resettlement shaped the cultural landscape of modern Kazakhstan. It underscores the importance of memory as a mechanism for cultural endurance under systemic pressure, offering a deeper  nderstanding of how displaced groups reconstruct their sense of self in a new, often hostile environment.