Abstract:
The purpose of the study is to analyse the activities of religious educators during the Soviet
period in Kazakhstan in the context of the development of religious thought against the
background of secularisation and state atheistic policy. The article examines the processes of
reviewing religious thought, adapting religion to social and political conditions, and the role of
religious leaders in preserving spiritual traditions. The study investigates the activities of key
religious figures in Kazakhstan, such as Akhmet Baitursynov, Alikhan Bukeikhanov, Ybray
Altynsarin, and Duissenbek Kabylanbayuly, well as the influence of international religious
models on local education. Historical materials on religious education in Kazakhstan and other
Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan are analysed, and the
relationship between secularisation, religious revival, and government policy in the Soviet
Union is considered. Secularisation processes and atheism policies in the Soviet Union put
serious pressure on religious institutions, reducing official religious activities through
repression and closure of churches. However, religious leaders adapted, using family
connections to pass on spiritual knowledge and creating underground communities for secret
rituals. Sufi orders such as Naqshbandiya and Yasawi played an important role in preserving
religious and cultural traditions and maintaining spiritual unity and identity. In the post-Soviet
period, religious education was revived, which led to the creation of new madrassas and
educational programmes that contributed to the strengthening of religious life and social
harmony and the restoration of spiritual traditions lost during the Soviet era. These
programmes not only supported Islamic teachings but also contributed to the development of
interreligious dialogue and tolerance in modern society, which strengthened cultural identity
and cohesion.
