Oral history of the “silent majority”. From the experience of field research in Uzbekistan

This article examines the experience of Uzbek historians in conducting oral history research. According to the author, the experience of oral history in Uzbekistan is still insufficient, but it has good prospects, since a community of scientists and representatives of related sciences in oral history has already been formed. This direction is developing both in social and academic aspects. At the same time, a number of problems in the development of the new method were noted, such as the fragmentation of research, weak methodological base, lack of interaction between researchers. The process of institutionalizing the collection and analysis of oral recollections on the basis of specific projects and international cooperation is shown in stages. Methods of research, which were accompanied by field and research practice, are described in detail. The article discusses specific methods of field research of local communities (mahalla) and small towns of Uzbekistan. The author notes specific problems of conducting oral-historical research, such as the official discourse in the memoirs of veterans, the observance of ethics in relation to the researcher and the respondent, the problem of language and others.