ABSTRACT
In theory, the socialist construction of national communities may have been an intellectually interesting and even elegant concept. But in practice, it was very unclear exactly what it entailed in the circumstances of Central Asia, presenting leaders with several questions. The five Soviet socialist republics of Central Asia are identified by their common acronyms: Kazakstan—KaSSR; Kyrgyzstan—KiSSR; Tojikiston—TaSSR; Turkmenistan—TuSSR; and Uzbekiston—UzSSR. Kazakstan statehood dates from 1920, when the territory of Kazakstan was established as an autonomous Soviet socialist republic. The TuSSR had a large and important natural-gas industry. Most of the gas was shipped northward through Uzbekiston, Kazakstan, and then further west for markets in Russia and Ukraine. The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic was the most dynamic of the Central Asian republics during the Soviet period. The UzSSR was the most populous republic of Central Asia and commanded the largest economic resources as well as a position of great status.
