ON THE ROLE OF THE SOVIET UNION IN SOLVING THE ISSUE OF INTER-ETHNIC RELATIONS IN XINJIANG IN 1933-1941

Abstract

Up to the 1950s the history of the Xinjiang-Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, known for almost two centuries under the name of Xinjiang Province, is characterized by the constant struggle of numerous indigenous peoples living here with the Chinese administration for their national independence and the creation of their own statehood. It was the issue of inter-ethnic relations that stood in the focus of the greatest rebel movements of these peoples against the Chinese administration in modern times (1931-1934 and 1944-1949). The Soviet Union took an active part in these events. In addition to solving other problems, the USSR government tried to help resolve the nationalities question in the province and thereby relieve tension in relations between the indigenous peoples of Xinjiang and the Chinese authorities in the region. In this article, the author shows the forms and methods of activity of the Soviet state aimed at promoting the solution of the issue of inter-ethnic relations in Xinjiang in 1933-1941.