Connecting the two Easts: Central Asian cultural diplomats and Soviet Internationalism of the late Stalinist era, 1947–1950

This paper examines Central Asia's largely overlooked role in Soviet cultural diplomacy during the late Stalinist era (1947-1950). It focuses on the Soviet Union's participation in the 1947 Asian Relations Conference in Delhi, where Central Asian delegates presented their republics as successful post-colonial models. The paper analyzes the travel accounts of two prominent Central Asian writers, Mirzo Tursun-zade and Oybek, who visited India and Pakistan as cultural diplomats. Their writings utilized historical, cultural, and religious symbolism to connect Moscow with Asia, localizing Soviet internationalism and positioning Central Asia as a mediator between the Soviet Union and South Asia. The study reveals how Central Asian intellectuals shaped post-war cultural and international relations by reinterpreting Soviet internationalism through their Asian experiences.

Boram Shin