“It was an error for Timur not to conquer Moscow,” replied Kadyrov to Smolin's accusation

Alisher Kadyrov, the deputy speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and the leader of the "National Revival" democratic party, responded to Russian historian Mikhail Smolin's assertion that Central Asian peoples, especially Uzbeks and Kazakhs, did not exist before the 1917 revolution. Kadyrov addressed this on his social media platforms.

While acknowledging that an average person might not be aware of the 3,000-year-old statehood of the ancient Turkish nations, including the Uzbeks, Kadyrov dismissed Smolin's claim, stating, "If a historian is unaware, such ignorance should be disregarded."

Kadyrov emphasized the historical significance of the ancient Turkish nations and criticized a major mistake, stating, "During the height of his power, Timur passed by Moscow instead of conquering it. If he had conquered it, discussions about our origins would not be so misguided."

Encouraging unity, Kadyrov concluded, "Our statehood experience underscores that internal disputes make us susceptible to oppression."

It's worth noting that Russian MFA spokesperson Maria Zakharova previously called Smolin's words "strange," and Rasul Kusherboyev, adviser to the Minister of Natural Resources of Uzbekistan, suggested that Russian intellectuals might be preparing their society for Kremlin-ordered conquests in Central Asia. Such scenarios were likened to those preceding the invasion of Ukraine.