I. D. ZVYAGELSKAYA. THE FORMATION OF THE CENTRAL ASIAN STATES POLITICAL PROCESSES. M.: Aspect Press, 2009. 208 p. The post-Soviet republics of Central Asia, which faced enormous and seemingly insurmountable difficulties after their unexpected independence, have been able to create viable States, restore economic growth, and take their rightful place in the global economy and politics over the past 20 years. The reviewed book by I. D. Zvyagelsky, known for her informative publications on Middle Eastern issues, was the result not only of working with sources and works of Orientalists and historians on Central Asia, but also of the author's personal, rather long acquaintance with the region and participation in the events that took place there. Starting from the results of the region's century-long stay in tsarist Russia and then the USSR, I. D. Zvyagelskaya used modern political science tools to analyze the processes unfolding in Central Asia, and revealed their nature and trends. In the first sections of the book, the main milestones of the conquest of Russia in the second half of the XIX century are considered. Central Asia and its subsequent colonization, the main directions and features of the policy pursued there are described. The tsarist governors-general preferred not to interfere in the actions of the local administration, not to make too drastic changes in the usual way of life of the Muslim population, and adhered to careful treatment of Islam and its institutions. Nor was the Russification of the region radical, nor was a culture alien to its population imposed. The main focus was on the economic development of the Turkestan region - the expansion of cotton plantations and the production of cotton, which Russian factories needed. The construction of irrigation facilities, regulation of the migration movement from Central Russia, land redistribution, etc. were also subordinated to these goals. The development and colonization of the region was significantly ... Read more