Z.B. BAIDOSOV AND THE HISTORIOGRAPHY OF WESTERN KAZAKHSTAN: SOURCES, PERSONALITIES, REGIONAL SCHOOL

Abstract

This research article examines the scholarly legacy of historian and professor Zakiratdin Baidossov (1933-2024), who made significant contributions to the study of the history of Western Kazakhstan, particularly the Aktobe region.

The purpose of this study is to determine the place and significance of the scholar's works in domestic historiography by analyzing his works on historical figures of the 18th-20th centuries, socio-political figures, national heroes, and other key issues in the history of the Younger Zhuz. The study's methodological framework utilizes biographical, historiographical, historical source study, and systemic approaches, allowing us to examine the scholar's personality within the context of the development of historical scholarship in Kazakhstan and evaluate the specifics of his research concepts, source materials, and methods.

This study analyzes the works of Z. B. Baidosov, based on archival documents from Kazakhstan and Russia, as well as criminal case files and archival documents from the Aktobe Region Department of the National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan, covering the political repressions of the Soviet period and the rehabilitation of their victims. It was established that the scholar's scholarly legacy significantly expanded the source base for research on the history of Western Kazakhstan, contributed to the introduction of new archival materials, the development of regional historiography, and the rethinking of a number of issues in national history. The results allow us to determine Z.B. Baidosov's place in the development of domestic historical scholarship and assess the significance of his scholarly legacy for modern historical research.