The Role of Russian Researchers in the Scientific Study of Kazakhstan in the2nd Half of the 18th - 19th Centuries (Based on Historiographic Review and Archival Sources)

In the article, the authors reveal the role of Russian researchers of the 18th - 19th centuries in the scientific study of Kazakhstan on the basis of rich historiographic and source study reviews. Since Kazakhstan was of interest as adjacent territories with a rich history and natural resources, as well as a powerful military base for access to other Asian countries, the first researchers were representatives of diplomatic and military missions, as well as entire scientific teams composed of both military and and civilians. The scientific work was based on personal observations, as well as materials from the rich Kazakh folklore collected during the expeditions. The article analyzes the reliability of information on the political and socio-economic history, ethnography and geography of Kazakhstan, cited in the scientific works of famous Russian researchers of Kazakhstan in modern times, which are compared with identified archival materials. Russian scientists were interested in the features of the socio-political and socio-economic life of the steppes, their relationship with neighboring peoples, including the regional tsarist authorities of the Russian Empire, issues of confessional relations and commercial and economic activity.