Abstract
This article traces the transformation of education in Russian Turkestan from a system of colonial schooling under imperial rule to its long-term legacies in national education systems in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Designed to advance imperial interests and safeguard Russian settlers, the schooling system often marginalised the educational needs of indigenous communities. Nevertheless, graduates of Russian-Tuzem schools emerged as key activists, playing a decisive role in the Alash movement’s struggle for regional autonomy and independence. The study thus demonstrates the dual role of colonial education: both an instrument of domination and a catalyst for unintended social and political transformation. By exploring these dynamics, the article offers fresh insight into how imperial power shaped knowledge, governance and identity in Turkestan, and how educational reforms produced unintended consequences beyond their original aims.