TÜRKİSTAN’IN KEŞFİ: RUS İŞGALİ SONRASI TÜRKİSTAN’DA TARİH VE ARKEOLOJİ
THE EXPLORATION OF TURKESTAN: HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY IN TURKESTAN AFTER THE RUSSIAN OCCUPATION

Summary/Abstract: The historical and archaeological activities initiated by Russia in Turkestan immediately following its occupation represent a noteworthy formative phase, both in terms of disciplinary diversity and the application of a modern scientific approach. Between 1895 and 1917, the Turkestan Society of Archaeology Enthusiasts (Turkestanskiy Krujok Lyubiteley Arheologii) hosted prominent Orientalists such as V.V. Barthold and N.P. Ostroumov, alongside archaeologists, historians, ethnographers, and geographers. These studies are significant as they constitute the first systematic and institutional attempts to examine the historical and social structure of Central Asia. Even during the years of the First World War, these research activities continued without interruption but came to an end with the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Nonetheless, they left behind a rich legacy of written and visual material. In both the Soviet and post-Soviet periods, these early efforts provided a methodological foundation and point of reference for Turkestan studies. Despite the occasionally superficial nature of certain findings and interpretations, many of the works produced during this era have retained their value as primary sources. The first comprehensive study on the structure and activities of the Turkestan Society of Archaeology Enthusiasts was conducted during the Soviet period by Boris Vladimirovich Lunin. Drawing on Lunin’s evaluations, the present study offers a general overview of the intellectual engagement of Tsarist Russia with the fields of history and archaeology in Turkestan.

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