PILGRIMAGE SITES IN UZBEKISTAN DURING THE SOVIET ERA

The status of sacred sites and changes in pilgrimage practices under Soviet religious policy have not been sufficiently explained through a unified periodization in historical scholarship. This thesis examines religious places of memory from 1920 to 1991 through historical-comparative analysis, source criticism, and hermeneutic interpretation of archival materials. The findings distinguish three stages: the 1920s–1930s brought the re-registration and administrative supervision of religious institutions; the 1930s–1980s saw intensified closure of shrines and restrictions on ritual activity; and the 1980s–1991 witnessed partial revival of pilgrimage practices as official control weakened. This periodization reveals both the continuity of state policy and the persistence of local memory. Comparative analysis demonstrates that sacred sites functioned not only as religious objects but also as spaces preserving communal historical memory. The thesis contributes a three-stage model that interprets Soviet shrine history through the interaction of administrative restrictions, unofficial continuity, and memory mechanisms. Further research should combine epigraphic evidence with numismatic materials.