Abstract
The core focus of this study is the dialectic between the anti-religious policies enforced by the Soviet totalitarian regime in Central Asia and Kazakhstan and the resilience of Muslim communities in preserving their spiritual and cultural identity. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the daily religious lives of Muslims under Soviet rule, examining the constraints placed on religious obligations and the functions of state-controlled religious institutions. The research investigates the mechanisms of the state apparatus, including atheist propaganda techniques, educational campaigns targeting the youth, and the role of official religious directorates. Furthermore, the study identifies the significance of underground Sufi orders and the "parallel mullahs" institution—which operated outside the state-sanctioned system—in safeguarding Muslim identity. Drawing on archival records, historical- comparative methods, and both international and domestic scholarship, the paper provides a scholarly synthesis of the complex contradictions and the system of compromises that characterized the relationship between Soviet authorities and Islam.
Recommended Citation
Kairken, Adiyet and Aubakirova, Kuralay
(2026)
"Daily Religious Life of Muslims in Kazakhstan and Central Asia During the Soviet Period: Controlled Institutions, Unofficial Islam, and Atheist Policy,"
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe: Vol. 46
:
Iss.
10
, Article 11.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55221/2693-2229.2942
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ree/vol46/iss10/11
Included in
Asian History Commons, History of Religion Commons, History of Religions of Eastern Origins Commons, Islamic Studies Commons, Islamic World and Near East History Commons, Religious Education Commons, Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies Commons