Alma-Ata in the 1930s: The Soviet Capital of National Autonomy and a Regime City

The article examines the evolving status of Alma-Ata in the political and geographical landscape of the USSR and Kazakh autonomy during the 1930s. It presents a comparative analysis of the city’s roles as both a capital and are gimecity, particularly in light of Alma-Ata’s designation as the capital of autonomy and the initial phase of implementing the passport system in the USSR. In addition, the article offers data on the city’s growth and population increase, largely attributed to migration. It argues that the introduction of the passport system in 1933 and the establishment of Alma-Ata as a regime city in 1938 facilitated the enforcement of a passport regime. This enabled various campaigns to evict specific groups from the city and to relocate individuals living in unauthorized structures along the city’s perimeter. Ultimately, the conclusion underscores that, despite its designation as an autonomous capital, Alma-Ata – Central Asia’s largest city – remained peripheral to the central authority. This is evident in the gradual rollout of the passport system, the prolonged absence of a special regime city status, and the discrepancy between Al ma-Ata’s actual standing and its expected prominence as one of the capitals of the Soviet Union’s national republics. Nevertheless, the establishment of regime status in the late 1930s serves as a testament to Alma-Ata’s emerging role as a political center.