REPRESENTATION OF STEPPE CULTURE IN FRENCH PERIODICALS OF THE LATE 19TH CENTURY (BASED ON "L’ILLUSTRATION" MAGAZINE, 1891)

Abstract

The article presents a source-based analysis of the representation of Kazakh culture in the French magazine L’Illustration (1891). The study focuses on the image of nomadic society as portrayed by the French traveler Henri d’Orléans and evaluates the reliability of ethnographic data regarding Kazakh culture at the end of the 19th century. The methodological framework is based on an interdisciplinary approach, combining classical source criticism with the analysis of orientalist discourse, which allows for the separation of the European observer's subjective assessments from objective historical realities. The empirical basis of the study consisted of written materials and engravings discovered by the staff of the R.B. Suleimenov Institute of Oriental Studies, Professor M.Kh. Abuseitova and Professor G.S. Sultangalieva, during archaeographic expeditions to Switzerland within the framework of the state program "Archive-2025."In his article, Henri d’Orléans provided a detailed account of the large-scale celebrations of Kurban Ait (Eid al-Adha) in Semipalatinsk. Using the example of horse racing (baiga), the study demonstrates how ancient ancestral traditions were preserved by the people despite the global political and socio-cultural shifts occurring in the Steppe during that period. Through an analysis of the prize funds and the scale of the events, the author highlights the high level of prosperity among the nomadic elite. Furthermore, the transition to a sedentary lifestyle is examined as a complex process of the Kazakh people's adaptation to new economic conditions. The research into the late 19th-century events in Semipalatinsk reveals the nuances of interaction between the new imperial infrastructure and traditional Kazakh social life. Descriptions of daily life, guests, and hospitality found in L’Illustration underscore that Kazakh society was not isolated but actively participated in international relations. Particular attention is given to the original engravings presented in the work, which allow for a visual reconstruction of Kazakh material culture, ranging from the appearance of participants to specific horse breeds. The introduction of these records into scientific discourse enables a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of Kazakh political, economic, social, and cultural life, and the people's ability to preserve their identity through the transformation of traditional institutions amidst the global changes of the late 19th century.