RELIGIOUS ASSOCIATIONS OF PROTESTANT CHRISTIANS IN WESTERN KAZAKHSTAN IN THE 1980S AND 1990S

Abstract

This article analyzes the activities of Protestant Christian religious associations in Western Kazakhstan in the 1980s and 1990s amid the transformation of state-confessional relations in the late Soviet and early post-Soviet periods. It examines the regional characteristics of the development of Protestantism, which were influenced by the religious policy of the USSR and ethno-demographic processes. The aim of the study is to provide a comprehensive historical and religious analysis of the formation, functioning, and transformation of Protestant religious associations in Western Kazakhstan. The main focus is on the confessional composition, size, geography of communities, their legal status, as well as the confrontation between registered and unregistered associations, primarily among Evangelical Christians-Baptists. The scientific significance of the work lies in filling a historiographical gap related to the insufficient study of the regional history of Protestantism in Kazakhstan. The methodological basis of the research is the principles of historicism and systematicity. Historical-genetic, historical-comparative, historical-typological, and source-based methods were used. The empirical basis consists of archival materials from central and regional archives, as well as documents from religious associations. The significant role of the ethnic factor, primarily the German population, in shaping the confessional landscape of the region is demonstrated. The practical significance is determined by the possibility of using the research materials in scientific, educational, and expert-analytical activities.