Memories from the Detached Lands. Soviet Forceful Resettlement Policy in the Eyes of the Chechens, Ingush and Khevsurs (1940–50s)
Memories from the Detached Lands. Soviet Forceful Resettlement Policy in the Eyes of the Chechens, Ingush and Khevsurs (1940–50s)
Author(s): Anna TchintcharauliSubject(s): Oral history, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Studies in violence and power, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), Cold-War History, Migration Studies, Ethnic Minorities Studies, Identity of Collectives
Published by: De Gruyter Oldenbourg
Keywords: Soviet time; Soviet forceful resettlement; resettlement trauma; resettlement history; Soviet history;
Summary/Abstract: The history of the Soviet Union, its national policy towards different ethnicities, and especially forceful resettlements are generally attractive and popular topics for research. This paper, however, focuses on the lesser-known cases within the broader contexts of the exiles, examining specifically the forceful resettlement experiences of the Khevsurs, Georgian mountaineers, to the lowlands of Georgia, and the Chechen-Ingush peoples, who were deported to the Central Asian republics of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. While the official Soviet discourse on resettlement was predominantly propagandistic, this research aims to shed light on the unofficial histories and untold stories from different generations of the Khevsurs and Chechen-Ingushs. By analysing oral histories, this research presents experiences of exile of these groups, unveiling their complex generational memories of trauma and changes in life.
Journal: Journal für Kultur und Geschichte der Deutschen im östlichen Europa
- Issue Year: 5/2024
- Issue No: 1
- Page Range: 129-146
- Page Count: 18
- Language: English
