KAZAKH FEMALE WRITERS AND THEIR WORKS IN THE CONTEXT OF STALINISTIC IDEALOGY OF WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN THE 1930S (BASED ON MATERIAL FROM "ZHANGA ADEBIET")

Abstract

This academic paper analyzes the works of Kazakh female writers published in the literary journal Zhanga Adebiet during the 1930s. Specifically, it examines how their poetry reflects the Stalinist ideology of women's rights, focusing on poems by Aimankul Tahibayeva, Maira Zhansayeva, and Ziyash Kalauova. These works, published after the 1936 constitution declared women equal to men, often feature the image of working women, who are ready for labor and even war, and the mother's archetype. The study finds that these literary pieces tend to adhere to rigid literary canons and state propaganda, consistently featuring the pervasive theme of Stalin's cult of personality. The poets seem to link their "newfound" equality to Stalin and his Constitution, despite women's equality movements predating his rule. The paper concludes that these works were less about genuine female empowerment and more about praising Stalin, suggesting the depiction of women's issues was primarily a part of Soviet propaganda rather than a true modernization of the patriarchal state. The research notes the unique context of Kazakhstan regarding the veil and highlights the analysis of works by these mostly unknown poetesses.