Activity A. Z. Validi in Central Asia in the early 20s of the twentieth century

The article is devoted to the analysis of the political role of Ahmet–Zaki Validi in the development of the national liberation movement in Turkestan in the early 20s. XX century. In the article it is shown that, being a prominent Oriental scholar, during the period of revolutionary events Z. Validi actively joins the national movement in Bashkiria, occupying leading posts in the Bashkir government. The authors emphasize his contribution to the formation of the ideology of Russian federalism, his steady political conviction of the need to create autonomy for Bashkortostan within the Russia. Nevertheless, Z. Validi’s views on the autonomy of Bashkiria were not supported by the Bolsheviks, which was the reason for his move to Turkestan. The authors reviewed the evolution of Z. Validi’s political views on issues of the national movement in Bashkiria and Turkestan. So while his move to Turkestan is considered initially as a stage of possible cooperation with the Bolsheviks. Convinced of the impossibility of a peaceful settlement of relations with the Bolsheviks, Z. Validi proceeds to organize the Basmachi movement, and after military failures and the liquidation of the Basmachi must emigrate.