VLADIMIR PETROVICH NALIVKIN (1852–1918) IN RUSSIAN TURKESTAN: CAREER, TRANSFORMATION, AND SOCIOPOLITICAL INFLUENCE AT THE TURN OF THE 19TH–20TH CENTURY

Authors : Hatice Sarıcı Hocayev

Pages : 355-372

Doi:10.5281/zenodo.18056333

View : 37 | Download : 77

Publication Date : 2025-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :In the 19th century, Tsarist Russia pursued an expansionist policy targeting the region of Turkestan within Central Asia. During this period, the Khanates of Khiva, Bukhara, and Kokand became focal points of Russian occupation. Initially, the occupied territories were opened to military and administrative personnel; over time, the families of these officials were also settled in the region. Through this settlement policy, the demographic structure of Turkestan was deliberately altered in an attempt to Russify the area and facilitate more effective governance over the local population. Within this context, Vladimir Petrovich Nalivkin served in the Fergana Valley between 1873 and 1918, in line with the military, political, and socio-cultural objectives of the Tsarist regime. In 1875, the year he began his military service in the region, Nalivkin relocated to Fergana together with his wife, Maria Vladimirovna Sartori Nalivkina, whom he married the same year. The Nalivkin family settled in this unfamiliar territory, continued their lives there for many years, and ultimately passed away in the region. This example illustrates that Tsarist Russia implemented not only military but also settlement-based colonial policies in Turkestan. This study aims to analyze the military and civil career of Vladimir Petrovich Nalivkin, who served in Turkestan in the late 19th century, focusing on his interactions with the local population and the intellectual transformation he underwent. Utilizing a historical analysis method, the research draws upon archival documents, official reports, personal letters and writings, as well as secondary literature. The findings reveal that while Nalivkin endeavored to empathize with the indigenous peoples of the regions where he served, he simultaneously remained committed to the Russification policies of the time. This duality highlights the moral and intellectual dilemmas he faced. Nalivkin’s life story offers a complex portrait of an individual caught between conscience, responsibility, and societal pressure within the context of Russian colonial administration.
Keywords : Vladimir Petroviç Nalivkin, Türkistan, Çarlık Rusyası, Ruslaştırma, Kolonyal Yönetim

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