The talk examines Soviet historical novels about Genghis Khan by Vasily Yan and Aleksei Kalashnikov as a site of ideological struggle over the meaning of the Mongol conquest and its place in Central Asian history. Focusing on literary representations of the conquest of Bukhara and Samarkand, it argues that the intensity of Soviet debates surrounding Genghis Khan reflects sustained efforts to control, reinterpret, or suppress his powerful symbolic legacy. Situating these novels within broader Soviet historiographical debates — where Genghis Khan was alternately condemned as a feudal aggressor or cautiously reassessed as an agent of historical transformation — reveals how literary form mediated ideological constraints.
Sponsorship
This event is co-sponsored by the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and Inner Asian and Altaic Studies (IAAS) at Harvard University.
Accessibility
The Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact us at 617-495-4037 or daviscenter@fas.harvard.edu in advance of your participation or visit. Requests for Sign Language interpreters and/or CART providers should be made at least two weeks in advance if possible. Please note that the Davis Center will make every effort to secure services but that services are subject to availability.
