THE EPOS “DEDE KORKUD” AND THE PROBLEM OF MODERN AZERBAIJANI LITERATURE IN THE CONTEXT OF STALINIST REPRESSIONS

Abstract

The ar­tic­le de­als with the study of the most fa­mo­us an­ci­ent Tur­kic epos “Ki­ta­bi -De­de Kor­kud” in the con­text of Sta­li­nist rep­res­si­ons, Bols­he­vik po­si­ti­on and So­vi­et ideo­logy. The re­se­arch is car­ri­ed out on the ba­sis of the conc­re­te facts from the dif­fe­rent sci­en­ti­fic works, party and arc­hi­val ma­te­ri­als. His­tory of ap­pea­ran­ce, pub­li­ca­ti­on and study of the epos in Azer­bai­jan, its two known ma­nusc­ripts (Dres­den and Va­ti­can) is tra­ced. The rea­sons of rep­res­si­on, per­se­cu­ti­on ost­ra­cism aga­inst the epos and its re­se­arc­hers are exp­lai­ned. It is emp­ha­si­zed that this he­ro­ic Og­huz epos al­ways pla­yed and plays an im­por­tant ro­le in Azer­bai­ja­ni and Tur­kic li­te­ra­tu­re on the who­le.

Azer­bai­ja­ni wri­ters, po­ets, playw­rights use its plot, the­mes, mo­ti­ves, cha­rac­ters in the­ir works. Azer­bai­ja­ni in­tel­lec­tu­als to­ok a bold step du­ring rep­res­si­ons and ma­de a va­lu­ab­le cont­ri­bu­ti­on to  study and po­pu­la­ri­za­ti­on of this epos that is the prin­ci­pal re­po­si­tory of eth­nic iden­tity, his­tory, cus­toms and the va­lue systems of the Tur­kic pe­op­les thro­ug­ho­ut his­tory.

Key­words: epos, “Ki­ta­bi -De­de Kor­kud”, ma­nusc­ript, Azer­bai­ja­ni li­te­ra­tu­re, his­tory, So­vi­et ideo­logy, Sta­li­nist rep­res­si­ons, Bols­he­vik, in­tel­lec­tu­als, study