The Evolution of Oriental Studies in Azerbaijan during the Soviet Era

Abstract

This study examines the formation and development of Soviet Oriental studies during the 1920s, emphasizing the process of its institutionalization and ideological orientation. Drawing on historical evidence, the article analyzes Lenin’s support for the establishment of specialized educational and research institutions, including the Moscow Institute of Oriental Studies, the Leningrad Institute of Living Oriental Languages, and the All-Russian Scientific Association of Oriental Studies. Particular attention is paid to the contribution of prominent scholars and public figures, especially M. P. Pavlovich and N. Narimanov, in shaping the Soviet school of Oriental studies. The article argues that Soviet Oriental studies evolved as both a scientific discipline and an ideological instrument closely linked to Soviet nationalities policy, socialist construction, and international revolutionary objectives.