DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2021.1.34811

Abstract: The object of the study was the evolution of the Soviet historical paradigm. The subject is the achievements of post–war Soviet historical science in the field of studying collectivization in the western regions of the BSSR. The article will present the results of the study of collectivization in the western regions of Belarus. The author pays special attention to the political factors of the development of historical science, the most important of which are the Stalinist course, the "thaw", Brezhnev's Restalinization of the 1970s and 1980s, as well as perestroika. The author of the article traces in detail the evolution of topics and assessments in the works of Soviet scientists who studied post-war collectivization in the western regions and republics of the USSR under the influence of political factors. To study the topic, first of all, general scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, induction, typologization and idealization were used. Historiographical research methods were also used, in particular, comparative-historical, historical-genetic, historical-systemic, periodization method. When systematizing the material, the principle of historicism and the problem-chronological method of presentation were observed.        As a result of the research, the author concludes that the agrarian historiography of collectivization in the western regions of the BSSR is often subjective and interprets published archival documents and statistical information in the spirit of official ideological attitudes. Topics related to violations during collectivization, "dekulakization" remained taboo until perestroika, when a change in the political situation made it possible for historians to begin studying previously forbidden topics. This was the beginning of the destruction of the Soviet historical paradigm. The author managed to establish that there is a discrepancy between the published official statistics and conclusions about the nature of collectivization and "dekulakization" in the western regions of the BSSR. The novelty of the presented research is due to the fact that the analysis of Soviet historical research is based on the modern historical paradigm and the concept of the scientific school of V. P. Danilov, which developed in post-Soviet historical science in the study of collectivization and "dispossession" of the 1930s.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2019.6.31612

Abstract: The object of this research is the evolution of Soviet historical paradigm, while the subject is the development of the Soviet historical science in the context of studying postwar collectivization in the Baltic countries in1 970’s – 1980’s under the conditions of re-Stalinization. The author examines the political factors of the development of historiography of collectivization in the Baltic republics, a special place among which belongs to the end of “Thaw” and termination of the revision of Stalinism in 1970’s – 1980’s. Particular attention is paid to the evolution of the topic and assessments in the works of Soviet scholars. The conclusion was made that the agrarian historiography of collectivization in Baltic countries is characterized with unilateral interpretation of the official documents, subjectivism, and limited inquiry of archival data. Within the framework of Soviet paradigm has formed a circle of the forbidden topics, which studying was a threat to its destruction. The author’s special contribution consists in determination of contradiction between the similar statistical records and ideologized conclusions on the nature of collectivization and “dekulakization” in the Baltic republics. The novelty is defined by the fact that the author is first to conduct the analysis of the Soviet historical writings in terms of the modern paradigm, leaning on the experience of studying collectivization of the 1930’s by the historians of V. P. Danilov School of Science.