On the Nomadic Influence on the Artistic Culture of the Cities of Semirechye and South Kazakhstan in the 6th – Early 13th Centuries

The study, the results of which form the basis of this article, is aimed at determining the role of nomadic Turkic peoples in the formation of the urban culture of Semirechye and South Kazakhstan during the Middle Ages. Semirechye from 6th to 8th century, in political terms, was under the rule of the nomadic Turks, who formed their state here (Khaganate). The main role in the emergence of the first urban centers belongs, to a greater extent, to the Sogdians who came from the south. At the same time, the significance of the nomadic peoples in the development of urban culture of the region remains unclear. Some researchers are ambiguous about the influence of the policy of Turkic rulers on the urbanization of Semirechye, and also note the difficulty of identifying the nomadic artistic tradition in the material and spiritual culture of the peoples of southeastern and southern parts of Kazakhstan. All this makes research in this area relevant. The article is based on the results of comparing the pictorial monuments left by the inhabitants of the medieval cities of Semirechye and South Kazakhstan (6th – early 13th centuries), with the epic works of nomadic Turks. The methodological basis of the study is a comparative typological analysis, with the help of which the presence of commonly used motives and plots in different types of art is determined. Methods of description and analogy were used in the analysis of archaeological material. The comparative historical method is necessary to confirm the existence of an epic motive or plot in a certain period using written data. In the course of the work, samples of figured ceramics and fragments of a carved stucco (carving on raw unbaked clay) are considered. General pictorial motives, images, and plots in both types of decorative and applied art, as well as their correspondence in ancient Turkic folklore and written sources are identified. On the basis of a comparative analysis, an interpretation of some images is given, which, in turn, define the ancient Turkic artistic tradition. It is concluded that many motives and images in both types of arts indicate the special role of the nomadic Turks in the formation of a peculiar artistic style in the urban culture of Semirechye and South Kazakhstan during the Middle Ages.