The impact of Central Asia's accession to Russia on the historical destiny of the peoples of the region

The study considered the impact of joining Central Asia to the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries on the fate of the region’s population. Significant progress had been made during the imperial rule. Indigenous peoples had the opportunity to live and work in peace, and the land was given to them. Cruel punishment and slavery were abolished. Medical care had been introduced to cope with epidemics. The secular educational institutions, culture and science in the modern sense, entering into the Russian political space, tolerance towards ethnic and religious traditions contributed to the emergence of national intellectuals, the growing involvement of the population in the public and social affairs. Russia had modernized the region’s economy which helped bring the region to the global market. The author considers that the creation of the favorable environment for the consolidation of ethnic groups is one of the main achievements of Russian policy in the region as it has developed a culture of interethnic and interreligious communication, a kind of Turkestan multi-national phenomenon.