The revival of traditional culture as an element of the national security policy of the Central Asian countries in the 1991-2010's.

Katagoshchina Mariya Vsevolodovna PhD in History Leading analyst of the Russian Academy of Education, Senior researcher at the Institute of Eurasian and Interregional Studies of the Russian State University for the Humanities 119121, Russia, Moscow region, Moscow, Pogodinskaya str., 8 marya.katagoshina.@yandex.ru

Panaev Nikita Sergeevich Graduate student at the Institute of Eurasian and Interregional Studies of the Russian State University for the Humanities 125047, Russia, Moscow region, Moscow, Miusskaya square, 6, building 5 nicksivan@icloud.com

The idea of the interconnectedness of the tasks of ensuring national security not only with the economy, scientific and technological development and other strategic conditions of existence of any independent state, but also with the sphere of culture, has been substantiated in international political science and philosophical literature and has firmly entered practical politics all over the world. This topic became particularly relevant in the second half of the 2010s in the context of hybrid wars developing, including in the cultural and information space ^{[1, p.95]}.

The relevance of the work is also due to the increasing role of cultural and civilizational values in state policy and public life of the Eurasian countries at the turn of the XX–XXI century. At the same time, the topic of the revival of traditional cultures in the context of building national security systems in Central Asian countries has hardly been studied until now. The concepts of national security of all modern states "certainly take into account the security of culture, which acts as the main social reality determining the development of the economy, politics, finance, and military spheres" ^{[2, p.16]}. V.A. Saprykin, R.P. Koshkin, A.V. Kostina ^{[3; 4; 5]} and other authors wrote about the problems of erosion of national culture in the context of the factor of national security of Russia in different years. At the same time, the perception and preservation of traditional cultural values by the Russian society is considered as a guarantee of preserving the Russian civilizational identity.  This approach was formulated, in particular, by Russian President Vladimir Putin during the plenary session of the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Journey on November 24, 2023.

Considerable attention in modern scientific literature is paid to the issues of preservation and interaction of ethnic cultures and languages of the peoples of Russia, peaceful coexistence of religions and other aspects of the phenomenon of multinational Russian culture, problems of international dialogue of cultures in modern conditions ^{[6; 7]}. We can also talk about such independent thematic perspectives as the study of models for preserving the national identity of Eurasian countries ^{[8; 9]} and the search for the foundations of Eurasian civilizational identity, including in relation to the practical policy of Eurasian integration ^{[10; 11]}.  There is also a discourse related to the problems of cultural and civilizational identity of Russians in historical retrospect ^{[12; 13; 14]}. Thus, the importance of the historical experience of common statehood, including the development of culture and education of the peoples of the former USSR, in the formation of integration institutions in the post-Soviet space is noted in the works of E.I. Pivovar, A.V. Gushchin, A.S. Levchenkov and other specialists of the Institute of Eurasian and Interregional Studies of the Russian State University ^{[15; 16]}. One of the little-studied aspects of this topic is the inclusion of ideas about the values of traditional culture and traditions in the concept of national security in Central Asian countries.

The purpose of this article is to study the peculiarities of the formation and practice of the implementation of the cultural component of the national security policy of the Central Asian countries in the 1991-2010's, i.e. in the period from the construction of their independent statehood to the modern stage of socio-political, economic and cultural development.

It should be noted that throughout the post-Soviet space, the 1990s were, on the one hand, a period of crisis in the socio-cultural sphere, and the extremely difficult financial situation of most cultural institutions. On the other hand, the large-scale transformations of society and the state, the beginning of a new historical era acted as a powerful incentive for the development of the cultural life of young independent states.  In the countries of Central Asia, the appeal to the origins of national cultures and traditions was initially considered as one of the most important components of state ideology and social development. The positioning of the independent cultural policy of the CAR countries was carried out at the international level, including at UNESCO sites, where during the 1990s all the states of the region joined, seeking to use their ancient historical and cultural heritage to promote on the world stage, establish ties with foreign partners and sponsors. At the same time, through UNESCO representative offices and various foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries, along with programs for the protection of historical and cultural monuments, support for traditional arts and crafts, liberal Western philosophy and aesthetics were also promoted, which are far from fully consonant with the worldview of the local population. Other vectors of the spiritual and cultural development of the CAR countries were the revival of Islam and the introduction into the fields of education and culture of the idea of ethnocultural unity of the Turkic peoples, which, with the active support of Turkey, gained popularity in Central Asian countries (with the exception of Tajikistan) and Azerbaijan. All these components of the socio-cultural development of the CAR created a rather complex and contradictory picture. The activities of American and European humanitarian NGOs in the region, which in the 1990s received the support of authorities throughout the post-Soviet space interested in strengthening financial, economic and technological ties with leading Western countries, at the same time, often conflicted with conservative values that dominated the societies of the CAR, as well as fueled political opposition ^[17]. (It is no coincidence that in the 2010s a number of post-Soviet countries restricted the work of the Soros Foundation and other Western NGOs on their territory ^[18]). At the same time, state and public institutions of the CAR countries continue to actively use the resources of the Eurasia Foundation, which has been operating in the region since 2005 under the auspices of the notorious US Agency for International Development (USAID) and other foreign humanitarian organizations due to a lack of budget funds for the development of culture and the preservation of national traditions ^{[19, p.132]}. This practice is especially widespread in Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan (despite its closeness and strict control over the third sector) ^{[18, pp.7-8]}. The planting of anti-Russian sentiments under the guise of various socio-humanitarian programs, work to support folk arts and crafts, etc. (as repeatedly pointed out by statesmen, diplomats, scientists of Russia and other countries ^[19]), of course, contradicts the interests of the national security of the Central Asian states and Eurasia as a whole, given the role of Russia, the CIS and the SCO as guarantors of international stability in the Eurasian region.

Islamic and pan-Turkic movements, due to the presence of radical and extremist elements in their composition, also created certain risks in the field of state security. Awareness of these threats has determined the attention of the political leadership and most representatives of the intellectual elites of the Central Asian countries to the need to preserve the secular nature of education and culture with the support of traditional Islam. The article by E. Berikbayev, a lecturer at the Kazakh National University named after him, is indicative in this regard. El Farabi "Spiritual sovereignty is the basis of national independence and security of Kazakhstan", published in "Kazakhstanskaya Pravda" on March 20, 2024. In the field of mass folk culture, a common trend for Central Asian countries has been the revival of traditional musical and applied arts, as well as the creation of new forms of its international promotion, such as the World Nomad Games. In the countries of the CAR, a policy of state support for the celebration of Navruz and other ancient folk traditions dating back to the pre-Islamic era is being implemented.

In Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the search for the historical roots of the national idea actualized the theme of the nomadic civilization of the Great Steppe, which was popularized, among other things, in the writings and speeches of the first President of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev ^{[20; 21]}. The concept of the Great Steppe as the historical cradle of the Kazakh people and the rethinking of the role of the Golden Horde in the history of Eurasia, established in the information space of independent Kazakhstan, were largely inspired by the works of L.N. Gumilev, which gained popularity in academic and literary circles of Central Asian countries back in the Soviet years. Some of his works and reviews of them in the 1970s and 1980s were published in the capitals of the Kazakh and Kyrgyz SSR – Alma-Ata, including in the Kazakh language ^{[22; 23]}, and in Frunze ^[24].  Later, L.N. Gumilev's ideas became the basis for the formation of their own versions of the Eurasian theory. The President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev has repeatedly mentioned his special attitude to the works of L.N. Gumilev. The preservation of civilizational identity and national and cultural diversity was designated by Nazarbayev as one of the strategic objectives of the country's development in the 1993 work "Ideological consolidation of society as a condition for the progress of Kazakhstan" ^[25]. In 1995, the Concept of the formation of historical consciousness was adopted in the Republic of Kazakhstan, later state programs were developed aimed at introducing the values of national culture into the public consciousness as the basis for forming the unity of the nation, "Madeni Mura – Cultural Heritage" (2004-2011), "Rukhani Zhangyru – Spiritual Revival" (since 2017), etc. The same tasks are reflected in the mottos of the years that were announced in Kazakhstan: 1998 - the Year of National Accord and History, 1999 – the Year of Unity and Continuity of Generations, 2000 – the Year of Culture, the World of Thanksgiving. Nursultan Nazarbayev's statement "Traditions and culture are the genetic code of the nation" became an epigraph to the Concept of Cultural Policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2014-2023). It should be noted that Kazakhstan's cultural policy is aimed primarily at the development of modern, competitive culture in the global information space, rooted at the same time in the historical and cultural tradition. At the same time, the state of protection of spiritual and moral values, according to the Law on National Security of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Article 4), is a component of the country's public security. This approach is reflected in the modern state policy of Kazakhstan. Thus, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in his speech at the meeting of the National Kurultai on March 15, 2024, called for realizing the full scale of the national history of Kazakhstan, protecting and promoting the cultural heritage of the country. The Kazakh leader also noted that the state's religious policy should be guided by the support of Hanafi Sunnism, traditional for the majority of Turkic peoples, which is characterized by an intellectual perception of the world and freedom of thought.  Reliance on Hanafism is considered an important factor of national security in other CAR countries as well. Thus, the Uzbek political scientist Sh. writes about the "introduction of discord into the doctrinal foundations of Hanafi Islam" by Islamic movements alien to the majority of Muslims in Central Asia as a threat to national security. Akmalov ^{[26, pp.2-3]}.

In Kyrgyzstan, the issues of preserving and developing traditional culture in the context of national security have not been reflected as widely in legislative and policy documents as in Kazakhstan.  The high degree of socio-political and ethnic instability, border conflicts with neighbors brought to the fore the tasks of strengthening law and order and defense. The priority of Kyrgyzstan's humanitarian policy throughout the post-Soviet period remains the restoration and modernization of education. At the same time, in the first edition of 1993 and later versions of the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic, it was said about Kyrgyzstan's commitment to the idea of national statehood and the moral values of national traditions. "We must not forget about the lessons of our History! Let the path of the Kyrgyz Nomadism be true and unshakable!" – Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva called in 2010 ^{[27, p.63]}. In the Concept of National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic in 2012, such phenomena as "deterioration of the educational, moral and cultural potential of the population, increased influence of non-traditional religious movements in the life of society" were included in the list of existing threats. In the same document, among the main directions for preventing and neutralizing external and internal threats to the security of Kyrgyzstan was named "recognition of the primary role of culture in reviving and preserving the traditions of the people, their cultural and moral unity of multinational Kyrgyzstan." Kyrgyz authors see an important component of ensuring national security as state support for traditional religions and historical spiritual and cultural values ^[28].

The role of historical and cultural tradition in the system of public-state relations in Kyrgyzstan reached a new level after the presidential decree "On National Tradition" dated May 20, 2022 and the approval of the National Program on the Preservation and Development of National Traditions for 2022-2027. In these documents, national traditions, as "the great law of the nomad warrior, which, despite globalization, digitalization, remained the bearer of dignity and honor, generosity and justice, conscience, kindness and tireless work," and were considered as a counterweight to influences alien to the people of Kyrgyzstan. It should be noted that the idea put forward by the leadership of Kyrgyzstan in the "National Program" of prioritizing Kyrgyz national traditions over the regional, material and ethnic interests of Kyrgyzstanis has provoked sharp criticism from liberal journalists, as well as a number of political scientists and jurists ^[27].

In the Republic of Tajikistan, the long–term civil war (1992-1997) and the social instability that persisted in the subsequent period pushed cultural policy issues into the background. Countering threats from religious extremism in Tajikistan is aimed primarily against the physical penetration of representatives of radical religious movements into the country through Afghanistan and other neighboring regions ^{[29, pp.108-109]}. At the same time, in the 2000s, the leadership of Tajikistan began to take measures against the trend of displacement of national customs and costume, especially women's, by the influence of radical Islam. In 2007, the Law "On the regulation of folk traditions, celebrations and rituals in the Republic of Tajikistan" was adopted, one of the goals of which was "the revival and respect for forgotten customs and mores, a worthy representation of the highest cultural values of the Tajik nation to the whole world." Criticism of black clothes and hijabs, which are alien to Tajik culture, was voiced in 2017 in a speech by President Emomali Rahmon in connection with the 10th anniversary of the adoption of this Law. The leader of Tajikistan has repeatedly called for the preservation of the ancient history and culture of the Tajiks.

The leaders of independent Turkmenistan initially paid great attention to the formation of an ideology based on the apologetics of ancient history, epic and traditions of the Turkmen, which, in particular, was reflected in the famous treatise on morality "Rukhnam" (2002-2006) by the first president of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov. The second president of Turkmenistan, who headed the country in 2006-2022, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, published a large number of books on the history and culture of the Turkmen people, including "The Source of Wisdom" (2016), "The Spiritual World of Turkmen" (2020), etc. Turkmenistan's domestic policy includes the introduction of historical traditions into everyday life, which is manifested, in particular, in the approval of women's national costume as a de facto mandatory norm, as well as a number of restrictions on the appearance and social behavior of women. These actions of the authorities, which are criticized and ridiculed in foreign media, are presented in Turkmenistan itself as concern for the spiritual and moral image of the population.

The correlation of traditional values with national interests and security is present in legal acts, including the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan as amended in 2023, according to which the country's development is based on "more than three thousand years of historical experience in the development of our statehood, as well as the scientific, cultural and spiritual heritage of great ancestors who made an invaluable contribution to world civilization." Speeches and articles by the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov from different years were devoted to the theme of spirituality, which underlies the national existence and development of the country ^{[30; 31]}. The policy of forming the historical consciousness of the citizens of Uzbekistan is based on an appeal to the spiritual and cultural heritage of the Central Asian Renaissance era of the IX–XII centuries, the works of Sufi thinkers and poets, to the names of Amir Temur, Mirzo Ulugbek and other prominent rulers of the medieval East.  In the period from 1991 to the early 2000s, various events were actively held in the country aimed at perpetuating the memory of statesmen, scientists, poets who embodied Uzbekistan's contribution to world history and culture. In subsequent years, the program for the revival of Uzbekistan's civilizational heritage was curtailed and resumed only in the second half of the 2010s. Largely on the initiative of the country's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev as part of the Action Strategy for the five priority areas of development of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In the journalistic and scientific literature of Uzbekistan, the concept of spiritual security is also put forward, which is considered as "one of the types of national security, protection of spiritual values, ensuring the formation of a national security system of the spiritual sphere of modern national society" ^{[32, p.251]}, as "energy of independence" ^[33].

Thus, in the countries of Central Asia, the topic of preserving and promoting traditional culture has always been and is in the orbit of the interests of the country's top leaders, which attracts the attention of the scientific community and the media, including from the perspective of national security issues. In the Republic of Kazakhstan, as in modern Russia, there is a policy of direct integration of cultural and historical policy and national security policy in order to counteract the displacement of their own cultural, and in a broader sense, civilizational values introduced from the outside.  Similar trends have apparently emerged in Kyrgyzstan.

In general, it can be said that at all stages of the history of independent statehood of the Central Asian countries, there is a tendency to include traditional customs, cultural and spiritual values for the peoples of this region in the tools of state policy in the field of formation of national ideology and social unity. This trend is noticeably increasing in the 2010s and early 2020s, coinciding with the search by the CAR states for their place in the unstable geopolitical architecture of the XXI century.