History magazine - researches - rubric HISTORIOGRAPHY AND SOURCE STUDIES

Abstract: The subject of this study is the Russian memoirs on the defense of Sevastopol in 1854-1855. This complex of sources is considered by the author as a single, historically developed body of work. The study serves to raise the question of the overall chronological parameters of the examined source complex. The article is focused on published memoirs, which the author discovered to be about 200 units. The given formulation of this problem requires special attention towards the socio-historiographic context on the background of which the memoir tradition developed, which the author carried out by analyzing how the historical memory concerning the defense of Sevastopol was formed. The methodological basis of this work is grounded on the principles of historicism and scientific objectivity, and the special methods: historical-typological, problem-chronological, and source-study analyses. The novelty of this study consists in it raising the question of conducting a source-study examination of memoirs on the defense of Sevastopol in 1854-1855. Considering these memoirs from the point of view of their own history as a single complex has allowed the author to write the development process of the memoir genre on this topic into the context of the evolution of the memoir genre in Russia in general. The conducted source-study analysis is the principal foundation for a deeper and more effective uncovering of the factual information embedded in memoires. This study outlines the promising vectors for further searches of memoir works.

Keywords: commemoration work, controversy, historical memory, social conscience, historical source, memoirs, Crimean war, the Siege of Sevastopol, the Russian Empire, source studies

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2019.5.30270

Abstract: The article's research subject is the scientific work of the outstanding Soviet scholar, representative of the "Russian school" scholars of English history, Sergei Ivanovich Arkhangelsky (1882-1958). As the object of research, the author chose the scholar's work focused on the study of the history of England's foreign policy in the 17th century within the system of international relations. In studying this topic, the author conducted a comprehensive examination of his published works and of the materials stored in his personal funds (the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Central Archive of the Nizhnegorskaya Oblast, the Science Museum of Nizhni Novgorod State University). The author also separately examined the scholar's popular works on various aspects of the USSR foreign policy and the history of international relations, which were not related to his scientific work. Additionally, the author considers "The History of England's Foreign Policy in the 17th Century," which was one field of scientific interest of S. I. Arkhangelsky, in the context of the Soviet stage in the development of the "Russian school" of English history. This approach includes the study of the topic's aspects from the general (the Soviet stage of the “Russian school” of English history) to the particular (the scientific work of S. I. Arkhangelsky). The leading research method for this study of the scientific work of S. I. Arkhangelsky is the biographical method. The novelty of this research lies in the author's proof of a previously unknown fact from the scientific biography of S. I. Arkhangelsky: from the late 1930s to the middle of the 1950s., he worked on a monograph on the history of England's foreign policy in the 17th century. Consequently, the scholar's scientific work on the history of England’s foreign policy should be viewed as part of a monograph he had envisioned.

Keywords: historiography, history of international relations, England, Evgeny Alekseevich Kosminsky, Anatoly Stepanovich Kaplin, Sergey Ivanovich Arhangelsky, source studies, XVII century, public diplomacy, science

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2019.6.31150

Abstract: The research subject of this study is the foreign historiography dealing with the heritage of Charles Davenant (1656-1714) - an English politician, philosopher, historian, and publicist. The research object of this study is the change in the direction of examining the views and work of this English thinker in foreign historiography. The aim of this article is to identify the features in the study of the views and work of C. Devenant which were characteristic of various periods in the development of historiography. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to consider the history of studying the writings of the thinker, to identify the particularities in covering the political activity and the views of the publicist in foreign (mainly British) historiography. The article's research methodology is based on a systematic approach to the analysis of foreign historical science. The examination of other scholars' study of the English thinker's views required the application of the historical-genetic and historical-comparative methods. The novelty of this research lies in the fact that neither in Russian nor in foreign historiography have the views and work of C. Davenant been made the subject of a separate study The author identifies three main trends in the history of studying the views and work of C. Devenant.Thus, some scholars focused on reconstructing the political biography of Davenant and assessing his role in the party struggle at the turn of the 17th - 18th centuries. This approach can be called "political." At the same time, another direction was developed, which studied the economic views of the publicist and his role in the formation of economic science within its framework. In the last decades of the 20th century, up to today, a third direction has dominated, where Davenant is considered as a thinker and philosopher, and scholars focus their attention primarily on his political ideas and “political language”.

Keywords: Mark Blaug, intellectual history, historiography of political thought, Cambridge school, foreign historiography, British history, John Pocock, Miles Ogborn, political arithmetic, marxist historiography

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2021.4.36135

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the peculiarities of the use of archival documents in studying the history of Soviet industrial enterprises based on the large, city-planning enterprise of the local traditional industry – Sevastopol plant of shipboard lighting engineering “Mayak”. The authors meticulously examine different types of archival documents and their informational potential for studying operation of the enterprise. The focus of attention is the acts of acceptance and transfer report, annual reports on the workforce, salaries and regulation, as well as the materials of the trade union, and other documents. The article is based on previously unpublished archival documents on the history of Sevastopol industry that have not been previously introduced into the scientific discourse. The author explore separate episodes of the history of the plant, its establishment, evolution, and key results. The main conclusions lies in determination of the types of archival documents, which were most informative in studying the history of the enterprise. The authors indicate that archival funds, and annual reports in particular, are well preserved and contribute to examination of operation of the enterprise. It is underlined that Sevastopol plant of shipboard lighting engineering “Mayak”, which virtually ceased to operate after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, was one of the most significant and dynamically developing industrial enterprises of the city in the 1960s – 1970s. It is worth noting that currently there are projects aimed at the revival of industrial potential of Sevastopol, one of which is the technology part on the territory of the former plant “Mayak”.

Keywords: socio-economic history, history of industrial enterprises, instrumentation, XX century, source research, factory, industry, archival science, Sevastopol, History

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2021.5.36295

Abstract: The subject of this research is the information potential of the source complex of archival documents dedicated to the history of Sevastopol Central Research Institute “Compass” in the Central State Archive of Scientific and Technical Documentation of St. Petersburg. Since Sevastopol was not only an industrial, but also a scientific and technological center, the engineering departments lead unique developments, which were later implemented in various sectors nationwide. Both, enterprises and engineering departments were integrated into a unified all-Union system, which justifies using not only the city archive, but also central archives to find sources on the history of industrial development of Sevastopol during the Soviet period. This article is dedicated to determination and detailed analysis of the documents related to the history of Sevastopol Central Research Institute “Compass”. The authors dwell on the types of the preserved departmental documents, provide explicit examples, and analyze the peculiarities of documentation. The work is based on the range previously unpublished archival documents. The conclusion is made that materials from the fund of the Central Research Institute “Compass” of the Central State Archive of Scientific and Technical Documentation of St. Petersburg demonstrates the place and role of Sevastopol branch within the system of this organization, unlike the local documents stored the city archive of Sevastopol, which are focused on the local tasks and problems, and do not fully reflect the structural issues of the entire Scientific Production Association. Analyzing the extracted archival information on the Scientific Production Association “Compass”, the authors conclude that both the association itself and the Ministry of Shipbuilding Industry of the Soviet Union were focused on strengthening integration and interrelation of enterprises both within the Central Research Institute “Compass “ and industry as a whole, which manifested in establishment of the Council of the Scientific Production Association “Compass”; its documents are also stored in the fund.

Keywords: history of industrial enterprises, instrumentation, business history, source research, design department, industry, Sevastopol, History, archival science, socio-economic history

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2013.3.7925

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2022.6.39032

Abstract: The article is devoted to the main historical and historiographic researches of Professor P.A. Kuzminov. It conventionally singles out several main blocks of research by the scientist, including works devoted to the historiographic study of the liberal reforms of the 1860s–1870s. in the North Caucasus, the processes of implementing reforms in the region, its socio-economic and political and legal development; works that analyze the methodological and organizational problems of modern Caucasian studies, the scientific and social activities of individual pre-revolutionary, Soviet and modern historians, etc. The article also considers the work of P.A. Kuzminov on the collection and publication of historical sources on the history of the development of the North Caucasus at the end of the 18th - 19th centuries. The novelty of the article lies in the fact that in modern Caucasian studies there are no works devoted to the scientific biographies of individual scientists who, in their works, determine the course of development of research on certain problems of historical science. According to the authors, in the course of studying the biography of a scientist, it is possible only not to find interesting information about the life of an individual, but also to better understand the course of the organizational, institutional and methodological development of all science. The authors come to the conclusion that P.A. Kuzminov, on the basis of modern theoretical and methodological approaches, conducted a comprehensive historical and historiographical analysis of various problems of modern Caucasian studies. Most of the scientists works are devoted to the history and historiography of the liberal reforms of the 1860s-1870s. in the North Caucasus, various socio-political and agrarian issues of the development of the region during its integration into the Russian Empire.

Keywords: modernization, sources, agrarian relations, liberal reforms, North Caucasus, Russia, Kuzminov Petr Abramovich, Caucasian studies, historiography, control system

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2020.2.32412

Abstract: This paper consists of an introductory article and an original source text with the author's commentary. It introduces into scientific circulation S. I. Archangelsky's report "T. N. Granovsky as a Scholar of History", prepared for public reading in 1955. The research object of the introductory article is the scientific work of Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor and Associate Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences S. I. Arkhangelsky (1882-1958). The research subject is his work focused on the history of historical sciences and the place that he assigned to himself in the framework of the Moscow school of scholars at that time. The author also attempts to delimit S.I. Arkhangelsky's texts, conducted within the framework of cooperation with Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow scientific organizations. The work of S.I. Arkhangelsky is considered through the prism of an analysis of the scientific schools and corporations of scholars. The author applied the comparative-historical and biographical methods, as well as the general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis. The novelty of the presented research lies in the fact that, in the first place, it introduces into scientific circulation the previously unknown text of S.I. Arkhangelsky, dedicated to the work of T.N. Granovsky, which is important both for the further development of the history of Russian historical sciences and for the reconstruction of the scientific biography of S.I. Arkhangelsky; secondly, the author significantly enhances the picture of the initial formation of S.I. Arkhangelsky as a specialist in world history, differentiating between his research on domestic and foreign history; the author also reveals the role and place of the scientist within the corporation of scholars.

Keywords: medieval studies, source study, historiography, E.A. Kosminsky, S.A. Asinovskaya, S.V. Yeshevsky, T.N. Granovsky, S.I. Arhangelsky, Moscow University, science school

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2017.5.23290

Abstract: The subject of this research is the article of Academician B. A. Rybakov dedicated to the problems in studying the culture of the Russian peasantry in the 19th century. The scholar outlined the key difficulties in studying folk culture - the ignorance of it by modern researchers. The academician draws attention to those informational layers that can be found in such sources as Russian language, folklore, craft artifacts and others. The aim of this article is to conduct an examination of the issue highlighted by B. A. Rybakov through the application of the historiographical approach. The historiographical approach allows the uncovering of the formation principles of certain knowledge on the history of the Russian peasantry. The undertaking of this research led to the solution of the problem. In the article, the author points to the existence in society for many decades of a negative position with regards to the history of the Russian peasantry which prevents the formation of knowledge about real historical phenomena and processes. For this reason, the author pays particular attention to the manifestations of a positive assessment of the peasant world. The article uses a creative approach to the disclosure of the stances expressed by B. A. Rybakov. In reviewing each specific question the author turns to the works of outstanding figures of science and art: S. A. Esenin, V. V. Selivanov, S. T. Konenkov, G. V. Sviridov. Thus, the study reveals the intersection of thoughts, ideas and views on the peasantry, expressed by different people. At the end of the article, the author concludes that only empirical filling of the issues will provide an opportunity to investigate the history of the peasantry and the real processes taking place in society, which undoubtedly points to the prospects of further examination of this topic.

Keywords: tradition, personal files, succession, source studies, discussions, spiritual experience, interdisciplinary approach, methodology, historiography, Russian peasant culture

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2021.2.34764

Abstract: The object of this research is the analysis of the personal archives of Russian historians. The subject of this research is the examination of the personal archive of Professor Valery Ivanovich Bovykin, preserved in the Department of Manuscripts of the Russian State Library since 1998. Leaning on the aforementioned sources, the article explores the history of the project “The Fate of Russia's Debt”, which was among unaccomplished plans of the scholar. The author attempted to assess the role of V. I. Bovykin in project organization on studying Russia's debts in the early XX century. The article touches upon the topic of discovery of the scholar’s laboratory, his archive for finding new scientific historical knowledge. The author analyzes how the Professor's personal archive allows following the process of creating the project infrastructure, since all the materials on the project were accumulated by the scholar, which defines the novelty of this work. It is revealed that the project of V. I. Bovykin was against the foreign policy conducted by the Russian Federation in the 1990s. The conclusion is made that the key components of the scientific method, followed by Valery Ivanovich Bovykin in his research, imply a solid empirical base, as well as advancing the topic to the international level.

Keywords: scientist's laboratory, scientist, international project, indebtedness, personal fund, archive of the historian, empirical base, agreement, collection of documents, negotiation

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2013.3.7628

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2014.1.12259

Abstract: The article covers the views of British historians on the development of the protecting and offensive weapons in England and Scotland during the reign of the King Henry VIII.

Keywords: history, historiography, dating, the Middle Ages, knights, armor, knights armament, the “ram’s helmet”, a suit of armor, era of Henry VIII

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2014.1.65013

Abstract: One of the many aspects in the comprehensive scientific-historical study of the Moscow Kremlin is the history of its establishment and functioning as the Russian government’s residence. The article examines the several lines of study of the Kremlin residence in the XIX–XXth centuries. Many documental sources and historical descriptions of the Kremlin from previous centuries were published and became available to researchers during the XIXth century and created a base for the systematic research of the Kremlin history. The most significant contributions in the XIXth century to the study of the Kremlin and to the publication of its sources was made by those researchers, who by their professional positions had access to the Kremlin archives as, for example, the historian I. E. Zabelin. The Soviet period in the study of the Moscow Kremlin had its own specific particularities, most significantly, the closure to scholars of practically all archives, which is consequently reflected in the quality of the period’s scientific studies dedicated to various aspects of the history of the Moscow Kremlin. Up to today many documents of the Kremlin’s Soviet period not only are not described, but are not even registered in the archival repositories. In the conditions of the extremely difficult process of source elicitation, even incomplete and fragmentary memoir materials become the object of historiographical research. At the turn of the XXth century the process of introducing new documents on the history of the Moscow Kremlin began, which thus placed the study of the Kremlin residence on a new level.

Keywords: the Moscow Kremlin, state power, residence, historiography, documental sources, archives, censure, V. I. Lenin, N. I. Sedova-Trotsky, memoirs of the soviet period.

Abstract: the paper discusses the value of reliability and specificity of non-fiction films as a source for historical research. The author’s filed of view includes problems of the relations of visual and verbal sequences of the film, as well as defined by this relation specifics of the source study of the on-screen show. The problem of reconstructing the events of the past with the later staging is brought up. According to the author, staging may be akin to such written sources as memoirs.

Keywords: history, film-source, reliability, non-feature films, mystification, space in front of the camera, verbal attribution, filmed frame, lettering, a hoax, film language, cross-cutting, film, documentary films, memoirs.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2022.3.38242

Abstract: The article examines the degree of completeness of the source base for the study of the personal composition of elected and electors of city government bodies in European Russia in the 1700s – 1760s. The study of almost the main "actors" of elected city government - ministers and electors who nominated them to these positions – will reveal from a new perspective the principle of the formation of these institutions and their relations with the authorities, the nature of formal and informal ties within the posad, strategies of behavior of the inhabitants of the posad. The use of the prosopographic method makes it possible to identify and personalize each individual elected or elector. However, for the compilation of such "dossiers" a specific range of sources is required: clerical documentation of the Chief Magistrate, zemstvo huts, magistrates and town halls, as well as materials of 1-3 audits. Analyzing how numerous these sources are and what range of issues they can cover, the author comes to the conclusion that archival materials allow conducting a study of such a plan on the example of a large number of cities of different administrative significance. However, the degree of completeness of the source base is extremely uneven: the composition of elected and electors of city magistrates was reflected in the documents most fully, although not evenly across different cities and over different periods of time, while the composition of zemstvo huts and town halls can be found out only by indirect signs.

Keywords: a new social history, elections, elected city government, zemstvo huts, city halls, city magistrates, urban reform, historical sources, history of Russia, posad community

Abstract: The “Noviy Grad” journal was published in Paris from 1931 to 1939, and it was a publication that reflected the views of Fedotov G.P. (1886-1951), Berdyaev N.A. (1874-1948), Stepun F.A. (1884-1965) and many other leading thinkers of the emigration. The journal was financed by the American protestant organization YMCA (Young Men Christian Association). Many authors of the journal were members of the Order of the Russian intelligentsia, they believed in fate of Russia. In an effort to reestablish the Order, the “Noviy Grad” members dreamed of a victory over the Bolsheviks, relying on the Soviet intelligentsia, who, joining the culture of the Order, eventually had to gain self-awareness of the elite and take the path of fighting against the Bolsheviks, undermining the spiritual foundations of the Soviet system with various ideological currents of emigration.

Keywords: history, Russian, emigration, Order of the Russian Intelligentsia, “New Town”, YMCA, Fedotov, Berdyaev, Stepun, consciousness.

Abstract: the article makes an attempt to answer the question of whether science can give an objective historical knowledge of past to the human societies from the positions of source studies. The author believes that while answering to this question three things must be kept in mind: not all information was recorded on the validity of the contemporaries, and even the information that was recorded, is not fully preserved, and for various reasons only partly available to scientists; historian forming the source base for the work in his own turn selects the study material that the most relevant to the goals and objectives of the study; the terms of the interests of the creators of the sources are always selective, so that historians use a subjective reference picture of the past left by his contemporaries as a research base. Overcoming this is possible on the basis of the totality of information on the events contained in the documents from the creators and publishers with different goals. Chances to recreate a more objective picture of real past increases with the use an interdisciplinary approach in the historical research and by inclusion to the source base both written and graphic materials. The task of the scientists in the search of historical objectivity is to minimize their own subjectivity.

Keywords: history, historical studies, objective and subjective, historical sources, the subjective picture of the past, the repository of sources, an interdisciplinary approach, specifically, the concrete-problem method, “colored books”, satirical graphics.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2022.4.38629

Abstract: The article analyzes domestic and Indian scientific publications covering the splits of India's oldest political party, the Indian National Congress, in the first decades after the independence of India. The subject of the study is to highlight the role of the Nehru-Gandhi family of these splits in Russian and Indian historiography. The purpose of the study is to identify the level of scientific coverage of the problem of consolidation of the Indian National Congress Party around Nehru-Gandhi during the splits of the 1940s-1960s. The main method of research has become cultural-anthropological, which involves the study of the positions of the authors of scientific publications in the formulation of the problem and the selection of arguments in defense of their point of view; the relationship of domestic and Indian scientists to the object of research. Despite the fact that the historiography devoted to the activities of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty consists of a huge number of monographs and articles in scientific journals, the degree of elaboration of the topic can be defined as low. To date, most of these works and author's assessments have not been analyzed and generalized. This is the scientific novelty of the work. In addition, it is relevant because the Nehru-Gandhi family and currently holds leading positions in the Indian National Congress. The main conclusion is that, according to experts, the splits of the party are associated with personal qualities and the unified social and political doctrine of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Keywords: Chakravarti Rajagopalacharya, Vallabhbhai Patel, socialists, split, Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, historiography, India, Indian National Congress, Syndicate

Abstract: the article focuses on the initial period of the history of the newspaper “Moscow Vedomosti”. It raises the question of what was the role of the founders of the Moscow State University Ivan Shuvalov and Mikhail Lomonosov in the organization of this university press. This article reviews opinions on this issue that exist in historiography. Analysis is based on both long-known material and new documents issued in connection with the 200th anniversary of the death of Igor Shuvalov (1998) and the 250th anniversary of Moscow State University (2005).

Keywords: history, the Moscow State University, the decree of the Senate, Igor Shuvalov, Mikhail Lomonosov, the newspaper “Moscow Vedomosti”, the founder of the newspaper, typography, the Academy of Sciences, university magazines.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2022.1.37597

Abstract: The article is devoted to the identification of the content of the representation of the personality of the Moscow tsar Ivan IV in the concept of "sociological history" by V.O. Klyuchevsky. The object of the work is the historiographical discourse of the personality of Ivan the Terrible in the works of professional historians of the nineteenth century. The subject of the study is the representation of the personality of the Moscow autocrat in the historical concept of V.O. Klyuchevsky. The purpose of the work is to reveal the content of V.O. Klyuchevsky's historical ideas about the personality of Ivan the Terrible in the context of the concept of tsarist power in the Moscow centralized state of the XVI century. The methodological basis of the article is the approaches of the new cultural and intellectual history as the history of ideas functioning in a certain socio-cultural context, covering discursive practices and historiographical creativity. The socio-cultural approach allows us to objectively reflect on the historical circumstances that influenced the formation of views and evaluative judgments of the researcher. The author's conclusions are based on the analysis of a fragment of a lecture course devoted to the characteristics of the personality of Ivan the Terrible, positioned as a historiographical source вЂ“ the work of a historian who implements the function of presenting historical knowledge as scientific and socially oriented. The article concludes that the autocratic model of the state structure of the Moscow centralized state, in many respects, became a product of the patrimonial system that developed in the era preceding the reign of Ivan the Terrible and, from the point of view of V.O. Klyuchevsky, contained a distinct tendency of the predominance of the state over society. Ivan IV, in the concept of V.O. Klyuchevsky, acted as a kind of hostage of a situation when systemic problems were combined with the peculiarities of his upbringing and attitude to the future sovereign during his childhood.

Keywords: public schools, oprichnina, patrimonial system, historiographical discourse, historiographical source, The chosen Rada, historical concept, Moscow Centralized State, autocracy, the personality of Ivan the Terrible

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2020.1.31750

Abstract: The research subject of this study is the educational work of the Moscow printery in 1615-1700, the effectiveness of which is assessed through the prism of its preparation and publication of educational books. Upon writing this article, the author applied the historical-comparative and historical-typological methods, as well as undertook a cliometric analysis of archive data. The paper presents the results of a study conducted over the course of many years and based on the material from the Office of Book Printing (Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts, collection 1182) concerning textbook printing in Moscow in the 17th century, including Alphabet books, Horologions and Training Psalters. Based on the discovered documents, it was possible to compile the first, and at the moment most complete and reliable, repertoire of publications made by the Moscow printery in 1615-1700, which includes 631 titles. The author documented 60 editions of Alphabet books, 72 - Horologions and 58 - Training Psalters. Together they make up about a third of all publications by the Moscow printery in the studied period. Their total print number amounted to 640,366 copies, which were sold at affordable prices to a wide range of people. This has allowed the author to uncover the real aims and methods of Moscow book printing, which fully furbished Russian society with books for literacy and education. The article also analyzes the “Directions for the Teacher”, which is a methodological tool for teaching children the Russian language, and the Grammar Book of Meletius Smotrytsky, both published by the Moscow printery in the middle of the 17th century. These publications laid the foundation for the study and teaching of the Church Slavonic language in the indicated period of Russian history.

Keywords: educational activity, cost price, price, print runs, Handbook for teachers, Grammar, School books of Psalms, books for teaching, ABC, Archive of the Moscow Typography

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2015.1.15648

Abstract: The article exposes the particularities of using material from private papers and oral history in filling the gaps of the sources on the history of industrial enterprises in Sevastopol, based on the example of food industry production enterprises. The article presents the results from interviews conducted by the author with employees, veterans, and enterprise managers; analyses the possibilities in using private archives for the restoration of the losses in the source base for the history of the Soviet industry in Sevastopol; reviews the methodology of searching for interviewees, working with materials from personal possession and oral history; assesses the significance of such data for the studied period. The author affirms that only a comprehensive review of all the source groups – archival data and record documentation, representative material, sources in private possession – permits to reconstruct the picture of an enterprise’s functioning. A scholar studying the Soviet industry in Sevastopol often faces the problem of the enormous losses in the source base, of fragmentary, badly preserved archival funds. In such cases, resorting to the material from oral history, private collections, and individuals–eyewitnesses of events becomes indispensable. The period in question provides a unique possibility not only to study, but also to actually create new historical sources for future generations of researchers, to preserve the memory of the industrial tradition and of the at times difficult, heroic pages in the city’s history.

Keywords: Crimean industry, oral history, methodology for the study of industry, problems of source study, Sevastopol winery, personal archives, Soviet industry, Sevastopol, history of entrepreneurship, Crimean wine-making

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2021.6.36912

Abstract: This article provides an overview of the major works of the Soviet researchers of prewar period, who covered the emergence of the Eastern Han Empire (25 – 220). The period of its existence that falls on the I – II centuries AD is one of the poorly studied periods of the Ancient Chinese history. The representations on the establishment of this empire within Soviet historiography developed in the prewar period are important for further study of this state, since they have not undergone significant changes. The article employs the chronological principle with determination of the key peculiarities of historiography of 1920s – 1930s, as well as comparative-historical and typological methods. Soviet researchers of the prewar period who dealt with this topic relied on the concept of the existence of feudalism in Ancient China, and thus, the struggle between the class of feudal lords and serf peasants. The Red Eyebrows rebellion movement drew heightened attention of the scholars. The Russian researchers of prewar period, other than K. A. Harnsky (1884 – 1938), views the Red Eyebrows movement as a peasant rebellion relying on rather ideological reasons than the analysis of historical sources. The author of this article believes that the example of this rebellion movement could tell about the class struggle in Ancient China, which explains the interest of the researchers. However, the focus of researchers on the Red Eyebrows movement, which covers just the first years of the existence of Eastern Han Empire, is also the reason why the establishment of the empire is poorly studied. They also interpreted the topic from ideological perspective, omitting the inconvenient facts.

Keywords: Ivin, Kolokolov, Eastern Han, Ancient China, Ancient World, soviet historiography, Kharnskiy, Gorbacheva, Grinevich, Duman

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2015.1.66602

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2023.1.39759

Abstract: This article is a study of the activities of the statesman of the first half of the XVII century, Baim Fedorovich Boltin, reflected in the Stolyarov chronograph and the private service book of Nikita and Grigory Zyuzin. The purpose of the work is to identify exaggerations of merit, inconsistencies of the studied information with other sources and other features of the narrative in the above sources. Setting such a goal is due to the particular origin of these sources, and as a consequence of their subjective nature. Moreover, the reason for the origin of such sources is obvious - the provision of official position in case of parochial disputes and other situations arising during promotion or accession to the throne of a new sovereign, which indicates the biased nature of the sources. The scientific novelty of the work is due to the insufficient study of such a source as the Stolyarov chronograph and the role of "heroes of the second plan" in the history of Russia. Baim Boltin is a bright representative of his time, who went from an Arzamas nobleman to a governor of large cities, a nursery and an ambassador. Not having a noble origin and a high service status, he compiled a unique private service book (Stolyarov chronograph), in which he reflected several important, in his opinion, his own achievements. The analysis of the chronograph and fragments of a private service book of his maternal relatives - brothers Nikita and Grigory Zyuzin, in comparison with more objective data, allowed us to find out certain features of the subjective reflection of information in sources of this kind. We attributed to them: minor distortions and exaggerations; shifting the emphasis of the narrative; the desire to put oneself closer to prominent statesmen when describing events; the obvious complementary nature of the description of one's own merits.

Keywords: Ivan Zarutsky, parochial disputes, palace ranks, private bit books, Grigory Zyuzin, Nikita Zyuzin, Baim Boltin, stolyarov chronograph, capture of Novgorod-Seversky, embassy

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2022.2.38071

Abstract: The article examines in detail the specifics of the historian's work with historical sources within the framework of virtual reconstruction projects of historical and cultural heritage objects. The author of the research reflects the basic classification of 3D reconstruction projects carried out by employees and students of the Department of Historical Informatics of the Faculty of History of Lomonosov Moscow State University. The paper highlights the main problems of using scientific and technical documentation and graphic sources, as well as ways to solve these problems. The main example of such projects were virtual reconstructions of estate complexes near Moscow, carried out by students of the department in cooperation with the Central State Archive of the Moscow Region (TSAMO). The author of this work, as a participant in one of the "manor" projects of virtual reconstructions, took part in the discussion and solving problems of working with historical sources selected for research. In 2020, the project participants created five virtual reconstructions of suburban estate complexes, work continues on other objects. The heterogeneous information obtained by researchers from sources was supplemented with photographic materials taken during visits to the facilities. The article notes the verifiability of these projects due to the synthesis of historical sources of different taxonomies. In the end of the research, the author draws conclusions about the prospects of virtual reconstruction project and its role in the study of the phenomenon of the noble estate of the Moscow region.

Keywords: Moscow oblast, Three-dimensional modeling, History, Historical informatics, Graphic sources, Suburban estates, Scientific and technical documentation, Cultural heritage, Virtual reconstructions, Source studies

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2017.4.22351

Abstract: The article analyses the political reasons that motivated the great Roman orator M. Tullius Cicero to pronounce one of his most famous speeches – "For Archias". This brilliant panegyric to science and education to a great extent hides the aims that Cicero pursued, who was then at a crossroad. The article's author examines the political situation in 62 B.C.E. (after the suppression of the Catilinarian conspiracy and on the eve of Pompey's return), as well as attempts to reconstruct the logic behind the orator's decisions. In addition to the text of the speech "For Archais" itself, the study uses numerous testimonies of other Ancient authors and later Scholasticism. This article is the first work in Russian language to study in any detail the trial of the Greek poet – the defendant of M. Tullius. On the basis of collected detailed information regarding the work of Archias, the author deduces Cicero's bigger plans of collaborating with him. The author of the article proves that in the resulting situation the defendant's acquittal was predetermined; but what was more important to the great orator was the aim to strengthen his relation with the senate-controlling group, while not entering in direct conflict with G. Pompey.

Keywords: Cicero, Archias, Lucullus, Late Roman Republic, nobility, Ancient literature, Ancient poetry, oratory, political struggle, judicial trial

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2018.5.26178

Abstract: The subject of this research is the ideas and sayings of V. I. Ulyanov (Lenin) on the revision of Marxism proposed by E. Bernstein and his colleagues. The aim of this article is to both identify the misconceptions, inaccuracies and contradictions, as well as the actual ideas in the texts of V. I. Ulyanov (Lenin), and to reveal their essence, the reasons for their appearance, as well as their influence on the subsequent development of the historiography on the German leftist movement. The article analyzes the sayings of V. I. Ulyanov (Lenin) concerning the economic, philosophical and political issues that were discussed in the debate with the followers of Bernstein. The article is written in line with the modern methodological trends in historical sciences and is consistent with the objectives and goals set by the history of ideas (ideologies) discipline, which is part of the field of intellectual history (ideological and political thought). The novelty of the article's research lies in that the author gives new explanations for the reasons behind the named discussion and presents a new critical interpretation of the behavior of V. I. Ulyanov (Lenin) during a dispute with the followers of Bernstein. The author revisits the traditional views on the ideas of V. I. Ulyanov (Lenin) and the causes of the inner-party struggle and split of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party into the factions of the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks.

Keywords: dictatorship of the proletariat, historical materialism, opportunism, reformism, revisionism, Marxism, Social democracy, Legal marxism, Leninism, communism

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2021.6.36762

Abstract: History marks the events that can be truly called the scientific and technological breakthroughs. One of such achievements is the flight of the first man into space in 1961. However, the flight of the austranot in the spacecraft is just a small part of this event. Behind it are those who developed the spacecraft, launch vehicle, braking system, life support system, lodgment, spacesuit and many other systems. This reviews and systematizes the sources of personal origin, such as diaries, memoirs and correspondence of the scholars, who were the pioneers of the Soviet cosmonautics, as well as works on the history of space exploration. The object of this research is the circle of scholars and engineers, members of the Council of Chief Designers of 1946–1967. The article relies on the materials from the library of the Russian State Archive of Scientific and Technical Documentation, Russian State Historical Library, as well as the collections of the Russian State Archive of Scientific and Technical Documentation, collection of the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics, and archive of the Academician S. P. Korolev Memorial House Museum. The analysis employs the sources of personal origin, such as correspondence, diaries and memoirs of the designers, which contain mentioning of their work, as well as give assessment of the activity and personality of their colleagues.

Keywords: correspondence, sources of personal origin, spaceship, Korolev, designer, Chief Council, cosmonautics, diaries, memories, historiography

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2018.4.25973

Abstract: The subject of this study is the cinematographic art as a phenomenon of spiritual and intellectual culture and its reflection in Russian historiography and cinematography of 1920 - the early 1940s. In this article, the author undertakes an expert-analytical generalization of the existing historiographic background on this topic, establishes the degree of relevance and demand of cinematographic-scientific works of scientific and scientific-popular natures. The aim of the presented research is to determine the over-discursive scientific and theoretical potential of the pre-war Russian historiography of cinematographical art, the particularities of its influence on the direction of post-Soviet research in this topic-thematic field, as well as the ideological and aesthetic face of modern cinematic art in general. The methodological base of this study is constructed on the methods of comparativistics and integral synthesis, which is founded on traditional epistemological landmarks: the principles of historicism, scientific objectivity, dialectical wholeness, and dynamics. The scientific novelty of this study lies in its creation of a survey and complex retrospective picture of a large-scale "historiographic transit", which is tied to successive discursive reconversions. The author comes to the conclusion that the relative freedom of creativity in the "beautiful" and "post-beautiful era" is absorbed by the political bias of the "classical" Soviet historiography, replaced by the short-term surge in epistemological emancipation, which led to a new disease - relativism, postmodernist rationalist experiments which marked the destruction of the traditional intellectual culture.

Keywords: discursiveness, relativism, hyperreality, cinema theory, Cinema Science, intellectual history, historiography, theatrical art, cinematography, postmodernism

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2020.5.34160

Abstract: The subject of this research is scientific activity of the Mexican philologist and historian Ángel María Garibay (1892-1967), who dedicated his life to accumulation, translation and analysis of various types of texts written in the Nahuatl language during the pre-colonial period and Spanish colonization of the Americas. The goal consists in clarification of schoolar’s contribution to the development of Mexican historical science, namely the ancient history of Mexico. The article analyzes the key stages in scientific career of A. M. Garibay, as well as examines his major works. The persona of this scholar and his writings unfortunately did not receive due attention in the Russian Latin American Studies. The conclusion is made that the works of A. M. Garibay predetermined the vector of research in the area of culture of pre-Columbian period of Mexico for decades ahead. His outlook upon the history of pre-Columbian civilizations in a remarkable manner intertwines with the perception of ancient history of the region by Creole historians of the late XVIII century. Garibay alongside Creole historians analogizes the culture of ancient Mexicans with the cultures of European antiquity. This article can be valuable to national researchers dealing with Mexican historiography and Mexican history overall.

Keywords: Contemporary history, historical sourses, Indigenous peoples, nahuatl, Garibay, XX century, historiography, Mexico, nahua, Leon-Portilla

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2024.1.69567

Abstract: It has long been known in historical literature that the III Section conducted secret supervision of the statesman and public figure of the first half of the XIX century, historian, archaeographer and writer Alexander Ivanovich Turgenev (1784-1845), but researchers rarely turned to the surveillance materials themselves. The purpose of the article is to familiarize readers in more detail with the gendarmerie documents, highlighting the characteristic features of the supervision of A. I. Turgenev in Moscow and Simbirsk. This will allow us to raise questions again about the effectiveness of the supervision of the III Section for cultural figures of Pushkin's time and about the overall value of the reports. In the process of research, it is established how much information from the papers of the III Section correlates with real facts from the life of A. I. Turgenev, which is important for studying the biography of the historian and writer. The article uses a comparative method: the reliability of information from the documents of the III Section is checked by comparing them with information from the correspondence of A. I. Turgenev and his friends and from the formulary list of our hero. In addition, in order to better visualize the specifics of the content of supervision materials, the data are systematized, similar plots are grouped. As a result of the study, we come to the conclusion that A. I. Turgenev knew about the supervision of the III Section for himself. The supervision was not effective, did not lead to the adoption of specific measures against our hero, because there were no legitimate grounds for that. When reviewing the gendarmerie materials, the opinion of the different qualifications of the informants of the III Section, which has developed in historiography, is convincingly confirmed: high gendarmerie officials in their reports admit that Turgenev's speeches and actions were monitored by domestic servants. In general, the analyzed documents expand our understanding of the daily life of A. I. Turgenev in Moscow and Simbirsk, however, caution is required when working with them: the information contained in them is not always confirmed by other sources (this applies to a number of dates of the arrival / departure of our hero, his relationship with his brother and future plans for life).

Keywords: power and society, correspondence, everyday life, secret supervision, reports of gendarmes, perlustration, Third Section, Alexander Benkendorf, Nikolay Turgenev, Alexander Turgenev

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2019.3.28833

Abstract: The article presents a source study analysis of the statistical compilation "The Iron Industry of Southern Russia" for the years 1902 - 1915, and the publication "A Collection of Statistical Information on the Mining Industry of Russia" for the years 1901 - 1911, in relation to the number of workers, their allocation in manufactories and employment occupation. The study's research subject is an in-depth study of the quantitative data concerning the workers presented in the named sources. The author examines in detail the quality and accuracy of the information regarding the number of workers in factories, their allocation in workshops, accommodation and marital status in sections of annual and monthly values. In order to determine the relative accuracy of the number and distribution of workers in manufactories, the author applied mathematical methods. In particular, the author compared the data of various Source tables with the aim of identifying possible inaccuracies and errors, with the Source tables also being subjected to cross-checking. The study's main conclusions are the identification of inaccuracies in the sources' calculations and the detection of typographical errors, the elimination of these faults and the use of corrected data which significantly improves the quality of the original historical material. Additionally, the author proves that the existing errors and inconsistencies do not adversely affect the use of the source content, and their total number and proportion is extremely small in reference to the whole volume of quantitative data, which therefore allows the author to recognize that the collections in question are reliable sources of information.

Keywords: Analysis, Factory, Pipes, Period, Structure, Composition, Workers, Source, Early 20th century, Southern Russia

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2018.2.24148

Abstract: In the presented article the subject of research is the source study of notes on books. The object of this research is the notes on old-printed Cyrillic script books that contain references to representatives of the Stroganov family. This article is a continuation of the author's previous article on the Stroganov family which demonstrated the systemic and completeness of information that book notes contain. In this new article, the author shows the contribution by representatives of the Stroganov family not only to the book culture of Russia in general, but also to the education of their peasants, servants, and so on, in particular. The article's research method consists in the search and analysis of notes on books in the old-printed Cyrillic script mentioning the Stroganovs, as well as their inclusion in the necessary socio-cultural context of the era. To a large extent, the attitude of the Stroganovs towards books set an example to others. Not without reason, the servers of the most active contributors (Nikita and Grigory Stroganov) themselves proved to be active contributors. In the 18th century, the Stroganovs withdrew from the practice of active contribution, but the relay was caught by their "people". The fate of the books that were the contributions of both the Stroganovs and their "people" can be truly considered a historical and cultural "cut".

Keywords: notes on books, old-printed Cyrillic, book culture, genealogy, social history, churches, monasteries, source studies, archaeography, Stroganovs

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2021.4.36458

Abstract: The goal of this article is to examine the images of the Sakhalin penal servitude captured in the works of foreigners who visited the island in the late XIX – early XX centuries. The perception of foreigners draw interests due to the fact that not only the Sakhalin penal servitude, but the island itself were the embodiment of the image of “Other”, which found reflection in the narrative sources left by foreign travelers and scholars. The comparative analysis indicates that foreigners had two polar opinions about the Sakhalin penitentiary facilities, a well as the future of the island: optimistic and pessimistic. In many aspects, they neither contradicted nor complemented each other; the polemic that unfolded around the development of Sakhalin Island of that time divided the Russian society into two opposing sides. Some, relying to the positive forecasts of geologists and agronomists, as well as military necessity, offered bright prospects of the Island. Others pointed at mismatch of the official data and the reality, and doubted the positive outcome. The question of detaining criminals on Sakhalin, including state prisoners, aggravated the situation and intensified disputes. The article aims to explain the reason why one or another foreign author took the side of the “optimists” or “pessimists” in the polemics.

Keywords: Charles Henry Hawes, Paul Labbe, source studies, historical memory, image, penal servitude, Sakhalin, Benjamin Howard, Harry de Windt, Washington Baker Vanderlip

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2018.4.26614

Abstract: The article presents a source study analysis of the statistical collection "The Iron Industry of Southern Russia", published by the Statistical Bureau of the Council of the Congress of Mining Industrialists of Southern Russia in 1901-1917. The subject of this work is an in-depth study of the quantitative data presented in the named collection in relation to pipe production. The author examines in detail the quality and reliability of the calculations presented in the historical source regarding the production of iron and metal pipes and their parts, their production and stock in sections of monthly and annual information, as well as of the increasing total. In order to determine the comparative reliability of production and market indicators, the author used mathematical methods. In particular, to identify possible inaccuracies and errors, the author compared the indicators of the source's various tables, which were also subjected to a cross recheck. In addition, the author applied the systematic approach when the examined data were included in a system of other indicators. The study's main findings are the revealed inaccuracies in calculations and the detection of errors, which when eliminated and the corrected data used instead creates the foundation that significantly improves the quality of the historical material. Additionally, the author proved that the existing errors and inconsistencies do not distort the overall structure of the production and market indicators, as their total number and share is extremely small in the total volume of the quantitative data, which thus makes it possible to recognize the statistical collection "The Iron Industry of Southern Russia" as a reliable source.

Keywords: Analysis, Statistics, Source, Early 20th century, Period, Southern Russia, Production, Pipes, Metallurgy, Comparison

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2017.1.19918

Abstract: The object of research is the analysis of the critical interpretations of the chronicle tale about the testament ("ryad") of Yaroslav I (Yaroslav the Wise) in the Tale of Past Years ("Povest vremennyh let") under the year 1054, formulated in the source-study works of N. V. Shlyakov, A. A. Shakhmatov, L.V. Cherepnin, A. A. Gippius, V. Y. Petruhin and others. Particular attention is given to the question of the attribution of the chronicle tale to the year 1054 between the two development stages of the ancient Rus chronicle tradition, conventionally named the Svod of Nikon and the Nachalnyi Svod. By means of a comparative-contrastive analysis of the historiographical sources the author identifies the main and particular features in the formation of the critical perception on the testament of Yaroslav I and corrects the existing historiographical views on interpreting this phenomenon. As a result of the conducted research, it is demonstrated for the first time in historiography that in 20th-century works on history of the Ancient Rus chronicle writing dominated the attribution of the chronicle tale of Yaroslav I's testament to the Svod of Nikon in 1072-1073, as suggested in 1907-1908 by N. V. Shlyakov and A. A. Shakhmatov. In the beginning of the 21st century began a gradual transformation of this historiographical perception that resulted in the dominant attribution of this chronicle tale being made to the Nachalnyi Svod of 1090s, an attribution that traces back to the hypothesis formulated by L. V. Cherepnin in 1948.

Keywords: Shakhmatov, Shlyakov, Cherepnin, Istrin, Priselkov, Likhachev, Nasonov, Gippius, Nikon, Yaroslav I

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2020.6.33804

Abstract: The subject of this research is the documentation of party organization of the Moscow Automobile Factory named after I. A. Likhachev (known fully as the Public Joint-Stock Company – Likhachov Plant ZIL, Moscow Automobile Society AMO ZIL) as a source on history of the enterprise. The goal of this research consists in determination of information capacity and possibilities of using documentary materials accumulated as a result of work of the primary party organizations of industrial enterprises of the Soviet period, namely with regards to the least studied aspects: social conditions, socio-psychological, and socio-cultural. The analysis of sources demonstrates that the materials of factory party organizations, particularly Moscow Automobile Factory named after I. A. Likhachev, represent one of the most valuable groups of sources in studying the history of a single company and industrial enterprise. They feature high information capacity on the key aspects of the company, including social. It is underlined that the party documentation was used by the Soviet researchers fragmentary and at times not objectively for multiple reasons; therefore, one of the tasks for the historians lies in comprehensive reconstruction of reliable scientific history of enterprises overall, and their party organizations in particular.

Keywords: factories and plants, AMO ZIL, PO ZIL, production association, Likhachev, car factory, party organization, documentation, historical source, social aspects

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2017.1.68597

Keywords: Shakhmatov, Shlyakov, Cherepnin, Istrin, Priselkov, Likhachev, Nasonov, Gippius, Nikon, Yaroslav I

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2020.3.32298

Abstract: This research is dedicated to stenographic transcriptions of reminiscences of the executives and employees of the Moscow Automobile Factory named after I. A. Likhachev (AMO ZIL). The goal consists in determination of information capacity of stenographic transcription of reminiscences as a source for studying the socio-psychological aspects of the history of industrial enterprises. The author examines the following aspects: reflection in stenographic transcriptions of the views of company’s executives and technician engineers upon the industrial process; different aspects of economic culture of the company; socio-psychological image of employees and their relation to development of the company, local and nationwide sociopolitical processes, technological difficulties; perception of collective environment by the staff members; working and living conditions. In the course of study, the author applied socio-psychological and illustrative methods based on the comprehensive analysis of sources. As a result, the author determines high informational vale of stenographic transcriptions of reminiscences, demonstrate possibilities its implementation in studying socio-psychological aspects of the history of industrial enterprises, namely economic culture, mentality of technical officers and staff members, atmosphere inside the collective, motivation and incentive system for employees, role of interpersonal relations in establishment and functionality of the company, views of executives and technician engineers on the industrial process, etc. Previously unstudied archival materials were introduced into the scientific discourse.

Keywords: socio-psychological aspects, AMO ZIL, plant, workers, engineers, managers, memories, Verbatim reports, company history, business culture

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2018.5.27150

Abstract: The article presents an analysis of the information from periodical publications of Social Democratic parties and organizations (“Soldier” and “Yuzhnaya Narodnaya Gazeta”) and archival sources in order to identify the parties' means of interacting with the population during the election campaign and to examine the work of the First State Duma. The article's research object is the periodicals of Social Democratic parties and organizations operating in the Taurida governorate during the election campaign for the First State Duma. On the basis of periodical press, it was possible to identify the means of influencing the electorate and attracting new supporters, which is the subject of this research. The author examines in detail the various ways the Social Democrats won over the new electorate and attracted supporters within the framework of local history. The understanding of the views and characteristics given in periodicals makes it possible to trace the particularities in the work of Social Democrats with the local population. The author compares and contrasts the data taken from various types of periodical publications and archival materials. The author's main methods of research are the chronological, historical-comparative and historical-typological methods. The novelty of this research lies in the fact that for the first time in historiography an attempt is made to examine the local periodicals of the Taurida governorate of the early 20th century with the aim of studying the period of the election campaign and the activities of the First State Duma. An important role for the study of this period is the involvement of illegal press. The author's use of periodicals as the study's main source made it possible to recreate the living history of the election period and the work of the first parliament, to reconstruct specific historical details and particularities in the interaction between Social Democratic parties and the population in an important region of Russia, which the scholar could not elucidate from official documentation.

Keywords: political history, periodical press, Taurida governorate, Crimea, elestions, Soldier, Russian Social Democratic Labor Party, State Duma, illegal newspaper, local history

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2020.4.33511

Abstract: The subject of this article is life and research activity of the Soviet geologist, paleontologist, Doctor of Geology and Mineralogy, explorer of the European North-East of Russia, discoverer of the Pechora coal basin – Alexander Chernov (1877-1963). The object of this research is the Russian historiography on his scientific biography. The goal a consists in the analysis of biographical essays, writings, newspaper notes about A. A. Chernov, available information on his scientific biography, as well as insufficiently studied topics. It is determined that the historiography of works dedicated to A. A. Chernov is extensive, and describes life path of the scholar, his academicc, pedagogical, and social activities. The author indicates Chernov’s role in training geology scholars in the process of institutionalization of science in the North, namely the Institute of Geology of Komi Scientific Center of Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, organization of exploration works in the European North-East of Russia. His remarkable contribution to geological exploration of the territories of Russian North along with the discovery of Pechora coal basin is described. It is revealed that the history of establishment and development of Chernov’s scientific school, formed on the premises of Guerrier Courses in Moscow and in the Komi Branch of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union remains insufficiently studied.

Keywords: Komi Scientific Center, scientific school, geology, science history, historiography, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Chernov, the North of European Russia, biography, scientist-geologist, the Pechora coal basin

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2023.5.68714

Abstract: Statistics of the Soviet period in Altai originates from the system of statistical institutions formed before the October Revolution. These are primarily institutions of zemstvo, as well as resettlement statistics. Although Zemstvo statistics were not fully formed, they served as the basis for the creation of Soviet statistical institutions. In general, the education and activities of statistical bodies in Altai in 1917-1925 have not been studied enough. The article examines the formation of the system of state Soviet statistics in the Altai province from 1917 to the beginning of its reorganization in connection with the formation of the Siberian Territory (1925). The process of creating and reforming statistical bodies in the Altai Territory stretched for several years. During this time, much of experience has been accumulated in the practice of statistical accounting and scientific and methodological developments in the field of statistical science, statistical personnel was trained. Largely thanks to the enthusiasm of the workers, it was possible not only to protect statistical structures with their achievements from destruction, but also to build new ones that meet the needs of the emerging Soviet state. There is no doubt that the work carried out by Altai statisticians in 1917-1925 deserves the highest praise and should be the object of close study.

Keywords: province, census, institution, source, statistical office, Altai, history, statistics, formation, staff

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2019.5.31014

Abstract: During the Age of Enlightenment, a historiographic revolution took place. The professional level of historians rose, and their understanding of history became more profound. Many thinkers began to ask questions pertaining to the meaning and value of history, its role in the system of scientific knowledge, and its benefits to society. History consequently became a pillar for social transformation, as well as an instrument of national integration. From that period on, the knowledge of national character, dignities and vices of society were acquired through the study of history. These ideas captured the minds of not only European but also Latin American intellectuals, including the authors in New Spain. Using a comparative approach and conducting a content analysis of the works of several New Spanish historians from the 18th century, the author of this article comes to the conclusion that during the indicated period the approach to historiography and, in particular, to the use of historical documents had significantly changed in the intellectual environment of New Spain. While historians in the first half of the 18th century were mostly still religious chroniclers, in the second half of the century the percentage of researchers interested in secular history and, above all, in its pre-Columbian period increased significantly. In the works of these New Spanish authors, there is a tendency to secularize history. They began to pay special attention to the collection of historical sources and their rational criticism.

Keywords: Boturini, Jesuits, Colonial Epoch, Ancient history, New Spain, Mexico, historiography, Veytia, Clavijero, León y Gama

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2021.6.36902

Abstract: This article examines the informative capabilities of the body of materials from the personal archive of N. P. Vishnyakov for reconstructing the history of the senior member of the Moscow City Duma. Leaning on the historiography dedicated to the work with personal archive collections, as well as determining lacunas in the scientific literature, assessment is given to composition of the fund with emphasis on one of the varieties of sources stored therein – “Reminiscences of the Duma”, internal and external criticism of these materials. The example of N. P. Vishnyakov's “Reminiscences of the Duma” demonstrated the experience of development of the methods of archival studies, source studies, historiographical and specific-historical approaches towards examination of personal and family archives. Work with the body of materials from personal archive collections allows introducing the new historical sources into the scientific discourse. Based on the substantive analysis of the texts that comprise the source base of the article, the author attempts to reconstruct the everyday activity of the Moscow Duma, which draws interest of the historians in the context of sociopolitical history, as well as micro-historical analysis. The sources of N. P. Vishnyakov's personal archive bear the imprint of ego-documents, which allow reconstructing the actions “behind the scene” through the prism of personal relations and contracts of the founder, as well as direct participants of the historical process, including the figure of N. P. Vishnyakov.

Keywords: memories, city self-government, source studies, Moscow City Duma, Nikolai Petrovich Vishnyakov, Personal archive fund, Central Archive of Moscow, Nikolai Ivanovich Guchkov, personal history, archival studies

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2022.6.39366

Abstract: The purpose of the study is to analyze archival materials of the State Archive of the Altai Territory and the State Archive of the Tomsk Region for the possibility of studying differences in wages of mining workers and employees based on them. The prospect of studying the archival funds of the Kemerovo region and the Krasnoyarsk Territory is also indicated. The subject of the study is the information potential of archival sources of these archives. The chronological framework of the study covers the period from 1861 to the beginning of the XX century. The relevance of the study is justified by the need to expand the range of sources for a broader study of the topic of income inequality in the regional dimension. The paper considers and analyzes archival materials containing information on the salaries of full-time employees and the earnings of freelance workers at various enterprises and institutions of the Altai Mining District, as well as at private and state-owned gold mines and fisheries of nearby Siberian territories. Conclusions were drawn about the different information potential of the considered sets of sources, about their suitability in aggregate for studying the issues of wage inequality for different types of activities, categories of employees or positions, at different enterprises and territories, and the shortcomings of the identified materials were identified.

Keywords: Altai Mountain District, Siberia, economic inequality, industry, employees, worker, wages, archive, source, information potential

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2017.1.20700

Abstract: The study continues the author's research in the field of the Old Believers' booklore. The widespread interest in this topic is founded primarily by the fact that the Old Believers' culture in many ways grew out of a careful treatment of the ancient book. The general reasons for the topic's development are formulated in the works of N. Y. Bubnov, N. S. Guryanova, I. V. Pozdeeva, N. N. Pokrovsky and others. At the same time, many studies are of a descriptive nature. The suggested by O. N. Bakhtina and E. E. Dutchak approach ("social archaeology") has allowed to tie the questions of the use of one or other monuments by the social environment in which they existed. In the presented article, based on the principles of this approach, the author attempts to trace the changes in the reading circle of the Old Believers in the 18th - 21st centuries. In contrast with the previous article, which was based on an analysis of the content of Old Believers' libraries in the second half of the 20th - 21st centuries, this new work is based on the polemical texts of the Old Believers. To these one can rather conditionally call upon not only the works written as a reaction to the leading discussion, but also the texts of the Old Believers on the history of their agreements. As a rule, the latter were written also as part of a polemical discussion with their opponents. On the basis of the polemical works of the 20th century, created primarily in South Vyatka and Verkhokamye, on the information of field diaries, the author traces the fates of Old Believer scribes and reconstructs their collection of reading. The article shows the transformation of the relationship of different generations of tradition-bearers towards polemical monuments composed by their fellow believers and their perceptions of the information contained in them.

Keywords: polemical literature, Old Believer faith, Old Believer booklore, reading, expeditions, Verhokamye, South Vyatka, tradition, change, archaeography

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2017.1.68598

Keywords: polemical literature, Old Believer faith, Old Believer booklore, reading, expeditions, Verhokamye, South Vyatka, tradition, change, archaeography

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2017.3.22964

Abstract: The article allocates particular attention to the source study of the documental complex of the "Letters of the Chernosotentsy and other people" from the aspect of their informational value in the reconstruction of the perception by the letters' authors of the role, authority and significance of the Union, the publication of "the Russian Znamya" and their leaders in solving critically important to the writers issues, disputed conflict situations and daily struggles. The analysis of the information contained in these letters was conducted from the point of view of the communicative approach: messages are examined as consisting of three components: author, transmitted message, addressee, which has allowed to analyze them in the context of a certain dialogue between contemporaries and the Union, including the examination of the relation of the correspondents to the addressees. The source study analysis included a series of stages: classification of correspondence according to addressee, characteristics of the "types" of messages depending to who's name they were addressed, analysis of the informational value of the messages for the study of the perception of the Union by its contemporaries. The examination of the letters has allowed to make the following conclusions: in the first place, the correspondents, as a rule, deliberately chose a particular addressee for their messages. The Union of the Russian People was for them an organization whose heads and governing bodies were well-known to them. Secondly, the authors shared the main ideas of the Union, which they clearly demonstrated through their messages. The correspondents sought those powers’ protection that were close to their views. Thus, the analysis of the perception of the Union by the letters' authors offers information not only for the reconstruction of the image of the Union in the eyes of its contemporaries, but also provides the basis to analyze the social mood in general. Thirdly, the characteristic trait of the letters is the paternalism actively broadcast by the authors that points to the preservation of the behavioral stereotypes characteristic of patriarchal society, including such a component as the desire to delegate the worry of solving one's daily problems to the political power capable of protecting and solving the conflict "in fairness".

Keywords: legislative material, letters, Russian Znamya, General Assembly, Poluboyarinova, Dubrovin, monarchical sentiments, State Archive of the Russian Federation, archival material, Union of the Russian People

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2020.6.34033

Abstract: The subject of this article is the assessments of national researchers on various aspects of shipbuilding of the Azov Fleet in 1695-1712. The goal consists in revealing the key issues in development of shipbuilding industry as one of the branches of domestic military production by means of critical analysis and generalization of results of research conducted by the Russian scholars. The author examines the factors and prerequisites for selecting Voronezh as the center of construction of the Azov fleet, the key stages and evolution of shipbuilding industry and activity in the Voronezh Region, establishment of administrative branches and role of foreign experts thereof, results of shipbuilding of the Azov Fleet and its impact upon further development of shipbuilding industry in Russia. The novelty of this study consists in analysis of the works of national researchers dedicated to shipbuilding of the Azov Fleet for covering the problem of establishment of shipbuilding sectors of the Russian military industry, clarifying and generalizing debating points on the subject matter. The article describes the influence of the conditions of shipbuilding of the Azov Fleet upon the course of shipbuilding works and the image of forming shipbuilding industry. The factors of institutionalization of shipbuilding industry, the course of development of the first shipbuilding cluster in Russia, as well as the results of short-term and long-term shipbuilding activity of are revealed.

Keywords: Voronezh Admiralty, ship, shipyard, Azov fleet, shipbuilding industry, shipbuilding, Azov campaigns, iron works, ship masters, foreign specialists

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2018.4.26642

Abstract: In this article, the author draws up the results of the 350-year history of interpretations and studies of one of the largest monuments of Russian social thought: "Debates with the Greeks on Faith" by Arseniy Sukhanov. The article presents the results of a monographic examination of all the circumstances behind the creation, existence, and study of this work. The author completely revised the historiography of the "Debates", which served as the arena for a heated ideological struggle. The author also brought to light the hidden motives of the written monument's various editions and obtained a scientific explanation of the cause of their failure. The article presents the archaeography of the "Debates" in a new light, with the number of their identified lists doubling. For the first time in historiography, the author restores and publishes the texts of Sukhanov's own revisions of his work, created when he was the official representative of Russia in Targovishte, the capital of Wallachia, from June 6 to September 23, 1650. The article's author proves that the "Debates" is a diplomatic report on actual disputes with the Greek and Wallachian Orthodox clergy in which Sukhanov defended the official position of Russia as the new center of the Orthodox world. The article substantiates the conclusion that Arseny did not have hidden motives in the disputes, caused by some ecclesiastical disagreements in Moscow. The arguments, which the experienced diplomat was obliged to bring into the debates and to record in his embassy report, reflected the system of views adopted in Russia at the highest state and church levels. The prepared scientific edition of the author's editions of the "Debates" gives us a reliable source for studying the fundamental ideas of Russian society on the eve of Nikon's reforms and the Split of the Russian Church.

Keywords: Eastern Orthodox Church, Patriarch Paisius of Jerusalem, Debate with the Greeks, Arseniy Sukhanov, Ambassadorial Department, Moscow, Constantinople, New Rome, Nikon, Split

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2017.1.20874

Abstract: The research subject is the activity of the Russian government agencies on the central and regional levels in 1700-1760s in collecting information necessary for the study of the state’s territories in earth science and historic-cultural spheres, with the help of preparing and sending out particular surveys, as well as the result of this work – reports, answers to the surveys, books written on their basis. During this period scholars began a complex scientific study of Russian territories, with regard to which the named series of questions allows to trace how the development of the new methods of scientific mastering of the territory occurred, how the scientific study of these territories was tied to the actual government policy on the military-political and economic reclamation of the country’s regions. The research was conducted on the basis of the principles of historicism and objectivity with the application of the textual criticism and historic-comparative methods, and the method of systematic analysis. As a result of the conducted research it has been established that in 1700-1710s the collection and comprehension of the information regarding the geography, history, ethnography of Russian regions was carried out in the extreme conditions of constant military operations and implementation of vast government reforms. After the end of the Northern War, which chronologically coincides with the passage of the Tsaritsynskaya Watch Line that reduced the military pressure in the Lower Volga region, as one of the main means to collect information for the study of the region came to be used the distribution of surveys, the answers to which were prepared by the local clerks. The organization of surveys at this time, was primarily connected with the activity of several outstanding scholars, who realized the necessity of composing a general historical and geographical description on the Russian Empire – I. K. Kirillov, V. N. Tatishev, M. V. Lomonosov and G. F. Miller, and was not part of the constantly conducted government policy. Surveying allowed to accumulate information on the Russian regions, including on the Lower Volga region, in the Academy of Sciences and the Senate, but this method of collecting empirical material had a whole series of shortcomings, which under the existing conditions could not be overcome.

Keywords: local studies, Volga-Don canal, Tsaritsynskaya Watch Line , surveys, Vasiliy Nikitich Tatishev, Gerhard Friedrich Müller, Ivan Kirillovich Kirilov, historiography , Lower Volga region, regional studies

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2017.1.68599

Keywords: local studies, Volga-Don canal, Tsaritsynskaya Watch Line, surveys, Vasiliy Nikitich Tatishev, Gerhard Friedrich Müller, Ivan Kirillovich Kirilov, historiography, Lower Volga region, regional studies

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2020.1.31740

Abstract: The article's research is centered on the transcripts of industrial conferences, meetings and reunions of the Moscow Automobile Plant named after I.A. Likhachev (AMO ZIL). The aim of this study is to determine the information potential of the transcripts taken during factory meetings concerning production issues and to use them as a source for studying the socio-psychological aspects of the history of industrial enterprises. The author examines in detail many aspects of the topic, including the transcripts' reflection of the views of enterprise managers, unit leaders, engineering and technical workers and workers in the production process, the features of the business culture, and the motivation of production participants. In working with transcripts, the author applied the socio-psychological and illustrative methods to a comprehensive analysis of sources. The research revealed a high saturation of information contained in the transcripts of production meetings, showing the possibilities of their use for studying the socio-psychological aspects of the history of industrial enterprises, in particular, the economic culture, the mentality of organizers and production participants, the atmosphere within the team, the views of managers and employees on the production process, their work motivation, as well as other issues. The author introduces into scientific circulation previously unexamined archival materials.

Keywords: motivation to work, business culture, company history, socio-psychological aspects, sittings and conferences, factory production meetings, Verbatim reports, atmosphere of discussion, plant, AMO ZIL

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2017.1.21524

Abstract: The article's research object is the body of normative-legislative acts from the period of the First World War, published by the Senate press in the official volumes entitled "the Collection of Laws and Government Regulations". On the basis of this body of sources, counting 9297 regulations, the yearly lists of new laws on national economy were created, brought about by wartime circumstances. Their total number was 1279 documents, which were systematized into eight areas of the state's regulation of the economy: finances, prices, taxation, social sphere, internal market, foreign trade and enemy nationals. The article together with the traditional methods of historical research also uses statistical analysis, for the first time applied to these legislative documents. The scientific novelty of the results obtained is due to the unconventional approaches used on the studied material. Treating normative-legislative acts not as a single source but as a mass source has allowed to avoid the illustrative tendency in analyzing the particularities of economic regulation under emergency circumstances. Furthermore, this has given the opportunity to obtain new knowledge and to formulate conclusions on the substantial corrections to the management model and on the formation of a socially-oriented internal policy.

Keywords: emergency legislation, government regulation, institutional changes, government regulation, minister order, regulatory act types, decision-making level, strategic management, operational management, First World War

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2017.1.68600

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2024.1.68954

Abstract: Historiography of the construction of the White Sea-Baltic Canal and the Moscow-Volga Canal, the activities of the White Sea-Baltic and Dmitrov camps are the subjects of the study. A review of studies of the large-scale GULAG system was carried out. In such researches the role of the Solovezkiy, Belbaltlag and Dmitlag is outlined as stages of the Soviet penitentiary system development. It reflects the transformation of the country's leadership views on the role of forced labor in the construction of the economy. Special attention was paid to the studies of the channel Army daily life, historical and cultural phenomena that appeared in the conceptual landscape of the country together with the construction of canals, cultural, educational, creative and ideological components of camp life. A historiographical review of the White Sea-Baltic Canal and the Moscow-Volga Canal construction, as well as the activities of the White Sea-Baltic and Dmitrov camps as an integral system, was not carried out before. But namely this approach to the topic seems logical due to the continuity of both the canal construction organizations themselves and the camp systems that provided the construction with labor (Solovetsky, Belomorsko-Baltiyskaya and Dmitrovskaya). A comprehensive study of these materials allowed us to take a fresh look at the subject of research and identify a number of urgent tasks for the historian of the GULAG system.

Keywords: Reforging, historiography, kanaloarmeets, Solovetsky Camp, Moscow-Volga Canal, White Sea-Baltic Canal, The White Sea-Baltic Canal, GULAG, Dmitlag, camp press

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2021.2.35495

Abstract: The subject of this article is the assessment of the history of establishment and development of arms manufacture in Russia in the period up to the end of the XVII century given by the Russian researchers. The purpose goal consists in conducting a historiographical analysis of the works of domestic researchers of pre-revolutionary, Soviet and post-Soviet periods on the problem, and in formation of the general idea on the emergence of one of the critical branches of military industry in pre-revolutionary Russia. The author explores the initial period of firearms manufacturing in Russia and its geography; emergence and functioning of the Tula and Moscow arms factories in the XVI – XVII centuries; impact of the emerged in the XVII century blast-furnace hydraulic metallurgical plants and specialized arms manufacturing enterprises upon the development of the industry. The novelty consists in giving a new perspective within the domestic historiography on the problem of the initial stage of the history of arms manufacture in Russia. The article follows the evolution of arms industry at its initial stage, the regularities of existence of various forms of production organization and formation of centers of firearms manufacture. It is concluded that by the end of the period under review, the arms production capacities did not meet the actual needs of the Russian armed forces for firearms. The author makes recommendation on filling the gaps that exist in the history of arms manufacture in Pre-Petrine Russia.

Keywords: long gun (pishchal), military industry, metalworks, state smiths, Tula weapon-smiths, Armory Chamber, arms production, firearms, Armory Prikaz, Armory Sloboda

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2020.6.34114

Abstract: The subject of this research is the images of Siberia conveyed in the travelogues of English and American travelers who visited the Russian Empire at the turn of the XIX – XX centuries. Using the method of imaginal geography, the author attempts to reconstructs the initial representations of foreigners on the region, and their transformation during the visit. Interest towards Siberia among the travelers aroused due to the writings of G. Kennan, who translated image of the land, where political prisoners were exiled to. The authors of travelogues did not hide their desire to see the depicted horrors, although their trip to the region has transformed these perceptions. The conclusion is made on versatility of the image of Siberia in the writings of English and American travelers. The initial representations on the land of exiled were rather clarified; the focus of attention shifted from the political prisoners to the criminogenic situation of the region. However, most travelogues tried to show a “different Siberia”, creating a new image of the resourceful Russian colony, which has yet to fulfill its economic potential and overcome cultural and economic discrepancy with the European “core”. Such shift of tone, from the land of exiled to the land of opportunities positively affected opinion of the society on the Russian authorities.

Keywords: prison system, England, USA, the notes of foreigners, travelogues, representation of images, the image of Siberia, resettlement policy, Transsiberian railway, imaginal geography

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2020.5.33777

Abstract: This article examines over twenty lists of a popular chronicle of the XVII century, discovered only in the middle of the XX century. Historiography mentions approximately ten of them, and even fewer were described. Although the “Chosen Chronicler” enjoyed wide popularity and has a rich history. Such compositions that were revised by virtually every scribes and continued in their chronicles, represent a remarkable source on the history of culture. However, present considerable difficulties for research. The first one consists in detection, examination, and comparison of the greatest possible amount of list. This is the only accurate method to elucidate the evolution of the literary monument and the novelty introduced by each editor and continuator. The attribution of each list allows determining in which social circles and regions of Russia were created the lists and revisions of the literary monument, as well as their correlation in time. Preliminary comparison of the texts indicates the time, place, and composition of protographs of the chronicle tradition under review. Studying the lists also demonstrates the evolution of the “Chosen Chronicler”, who was born and became popular in the XVII century, evolved into the new monuments of historical thought of the next century.

Keywords: Yaroslavl Chronicle, Pskov Chronicle, Vologda Chronicle, Concise Moscow Chronicler, Choice Chronicler, Russian Chronicle, Simon Azaryin, Boltins, Buturlins, Chernyshevs

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2022.6.39386

Abstract: Тhe article discusses the information potential of sources related to the problems of wage inequality in Russia in general, and in the Central Industrial District (CID) in particular. Chronological framework of the study is 1910s – 1920s. The purpose of the study is to analyze archival materials of the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF), the State Archive of the Tver Region (GATO), the State Archive of the Tula region (GATO), allowing to identify features in the study of wage differentiation in industry. The relevance of the study is due to the lack of a structured description of archival sources of wages in the specified period. The analysis of sources is done taking into account the representativeness of the results of archival heuristics carried out on the basis of scientific reference apparatus and documents from the funds of federal and regional archives. The archival materials considered in the work contain information about the wages of various categories of employees, their distribution by regional and professional principle, as well as changes in these indicators over time. The author comes to the conclusion that the degree of completeness of the source base varies for different categories of workers throughout the chronological framework under consideration, but this fact does not prevent the solution of certain issues related to wage inequality.

Keywords: differentials of wages, industry, statistics, wages, Central Industrial District, regional archives, federal archives, information potential, economic history, source

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2020.5.34196

Abstract: From the perspective of historiography, the question of functionality of the institution of Baskachestvo in Rus’ is an integral part of the major problem of relations between Rus’ and the Golden Horde. This article is dedicated to determination and interpretation of the views of Russian scholars upon the following aspects of functionality of the Organization of Baskaks in Rus’: functions and duties; life span; factors of establishment and abolishment; its location. The object of this research is the scientific works of prerevolutionary, Soviet and contemporary Russian scholars. The writings are presented in chronological order of their creation, and grouped by the topic. As a result of this research, the author invented the fullest list of scientific works dedicated to peculiarities of functionality of the Institution of Baskachestvo in Rus’. The snalysis of scientific literature on Mongolian problematic revealed various opinions of the scholars on the key aspects of functionality of the Organization of Baskaks in Rus’. Various duties are assigned to Baskaks, the main of which is the collection of tribute. The scholars are unanimous with regards to the leading role of the Institution of Baskachestvo. Majority of researchers nominate Baskaks as the viceroys of the Mongolian khans. The emergence of the Organization of Baskaks in Rus’ is usually associated with the conduct of census in Rus’. The reason for the liquidation of the Institution of Baskaks is considered the transition in of the function of collecting the Horde tribute from Mongolian officials to the Rus’ princes in the XIV century. In the Soviet historical science, wide recognition gained the idea of A. N. Nasonov on the Baskaks as the leaders of the Mongolian military units. The contemporary researchers express different points of view.

Keywords: Russian princes, Horde Khan, Location of the Baskaks, Liquidation of the Basque organization, Tatar yoke, Obligations of the Baskakov, Basque organization, Golden Horde, Urban uprising, Historiographic research

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2021.1.34475

Abstract: Yamskaya mail delivery as the postal communication system played an important role for the Russian State. The word “yam” is of Turkic origin. The Tatar post stations were known as “yamy”. In order to understand the degree of influence of the Golden Horde on the Russian lands, it is crucial to understand what influence the Tatar (yamskaya) postal system had upon the formation of the Russian postal (yamskaya) service. This question has the scholars’ attention; however, there is yet no uniform opinion. The subject of this research is the factor of the Tatar influence upon establishment of the Russian postal (yamskaya) system. The object is the scientific works of pre-revolutionary, Soviet, and modern Russian scholars on the topic. The studies are demonstrated in chronological order. The article employs the traditional methods of historiographical research: historical-narrative and historical-comparative. As a result, the author determines the three groups of researchers: 1) Scholars, who recognize the considerable influence of the conquerors upon the formation of the Russian postal (yamskaya) service. Their conclusions indicate direct participation of Tatars in establishment of the Russian postal system, or taking the Mongolian system as an example; 2) Historians who denied the influence of the Tatar postal (yamskaya) system upon the formation of the Russian postal service. 3) Researchers who believe that the influence of the conquerors was significant, however not determinant for the Russian postal service. The experts underline the borrowing of terminology and introduction of the new postal tax.

Keywords: special tax, feed and wagon, post station, Mongol-Tatar impact, postal system, Yamskaya chase, yam, Golden Horde, Yamskaya duty, Russian land

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2016.2.17147

Abstract: The article makes an attempt to systematise the scientific literature regarding women's issues, placing at its heart the topic of the women's movement in Russia. The women's movement is reflected in a wide spectrum of topics, not only directly related to the position of women in various spheres of life, their role and place in society, and their assertion of economic and political rights, but also related to the general patterns of social progress with the perspective development of civil society in Russia. The analysis of the existing historiography on this question was conducted using the principle of chronology, defining the main directions in the study of the women's movement. In describing the information value of the literature concerning "women's issues", it is necessary to underline that this literature is in general limited to understanding the main conceptual approaches. The most popular topic remains the question of men and women's equal rights in diverse life spheres, the changes in gender roles, women's emancipation, and the fight for the right of having a free choice and the liberal political involvement of various unions and leaders of the women's movement. The history of the women's movement maintains scholarly interest, as well as its experience and achievements in historical retrospect.

Keywords: interdisciplinary studies, social movements, civil society, Feminism, gender, gender studies, women's movement, historiography, sociocultural approach, social history

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2016.2.67675

Keywords: interdisciplinary studies, social movements, civil society, Feminism, gender, gender studies, historiography, sociocultural approach, social history

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2015.2.16105

Abstract: The subject of this study is the presence of Volga Bulgarian history in Russian historical writing. At the beginning of the article the main features of Russian historical writing are given, as they are the main sources on the history of Russian principalities and of certain territories. Russian chronicles are of the utmost significance in the study of the history of Volga Bulgaria, as Bulgarian written sources as such have not been preserved. The Arab geographic and historical literature is of less significance because it tends to repeat the same information over and over during the course of several centuries. An exception to this are the notes of ibn-Fadlan, of al-Garnati, and of al-Umari. Special attention is devoted to the chronicles’ mention of Alexander the Great as the builder of Bulgarian cities, which is undoubtedly a remnant trace of ancient Bulgarian stories and legends. A comprehensive study of this question is carried out. The historical-genetic research method is applied to this work, which is one of the foremost methods of understanding and studying history. At the base of this method lie predominantly descriptive technologies. The focal aim of this method consists in explaining facts, exposing the reasons for their appearance, the particularities of their development and their consequences. The author’s main conclusion is that the interaction of Volga Bulgaria with the principalities of North-Eastern Rus was much closer and more mutually beneficial than it is noted in the scrupulous and condensed remarks of 15–16th century chroniclers, who used earlier chronicles for their description of the already existing realities of the period. The novelty of this research lies in the fact that the given aspect of this question is still practically unstudied in Russian and foreign historiography.

Keywords: Iskander wall, Dhul Qarnayn, Svyatoslav-Gavriil, “Tatishev notes”, Bulgarian legends, protograph, chronicles, history writing, “Yadjudj” and “Madjudj”, Yugorov land

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2015.2.66840

Keywords: Iskander wall, Dhul Qarnayn, Svyatoslav-Gavriil, “Tatishev notes”, Bulgarian legends, protograph, chronicles, history writing, “Yadjudj” and “Madjudj”, Yugorov land

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2021.3.35351

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the problem of seeking new ways in interpretation of the empirical material through the prism of the methodology of “structuralism” undertaken by a range of Soviet historians in the 1960s. The object of this research is the works of the medieval historian A. Y. Gurevich, who created a series of methodological articles on the “Soviet structuralism”. His opinion is most vividly reflected in the articles “General Law and Specific Pattern in History” (1965) and “The discussion on pre-Capitalistic Social Formations: Development and Structure” (1968), which marked the “methodological turn” in his works, and currently serve the object of this analysis. The conclusion is made that that the works of A. Y. Gurevich methodologically correspond to the concept of “structuralism”, although with peculiar orientation towards Marxism. The author demonstrates that the key parameters of methodological work of the historian were determined not by the influence of Western historiography, but by the revision of Marxist dogmas. The system of structures, described in his works, required a different theoretical field, which later found reflection in a number of other works of the historian of rather applied nature. The author believes that an unsuccessful attempt to “renew” the Marxist theoretical thesaurus leads A. Y. Gurevich to the methodology of sociocultural history.

Keywords: Structure, Global historical patterns, Social formations, Methodology, Marxism, Structuralism, Gurevich, Synchronicity and diachrony, Social order, Material and personal

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2023.6.69324

Abstract: The study focuses on Huaxia's beliefs regarding their kinship from the seventh to sixth century BC. One theory holds that the people living in the many ancient Chinese states at that time came together to form an ethnic group known as the Hua, Xia, or Huaxia, based on concepts of shared ancestry among other things. Citations from ancient Chinese texts are provided as confirmation, drawing a comparison between the "barbarians" and the foreign and unconnected polities and the "fraternal" and "related" states of the Huaxia. There are issues with this interpretation, though, as genealogical kinship between certain individuals is seen as evidence of the ethnic identity among the Huaxia, while translations of ancient texts are sometimes erroneous and the statement's context is disregarded. This work offers revised translations and interpretations of certain sections from Chun Qiu Zuo Zhuan (Commentary by Zuo [Qiuming to the] Chun Qiu). The author concludes that these statements refute any notion of a shared ancestry among the ancient Chinese as a whole. Rather, they deal only with the family links that existed between the several governing dynasties. Moreover, even in cases where there were no significant linguistic or cultural divide, the principalities ruled by unrelated monarchs or those whose relationship was deemed too remote could be left out of the list of "related," "fraternal" states. The question is raised as to whether the commoners were part of the emerging community of Huaxia, or whether this term still referred to representatives of the elite. It is obvious that the Huaxia are opposed to "barbarians", but it is not entirely clear whether the commoners were taken into account in the context of this comparison.

Keywords: Eastern Zhou, Chinese nation, Axial Age, Barbarians, Chun Qiu, Ethnic history of the Chinese, Chun Qiu Zuo Zhuan, Ethnogenesis, Early China, Huaxia

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2014.2.12457

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2014.2.65478

Abstract: The article examines the possible sources for an analysis of the social portrait of the “Great Terror” victims (1937– 1938). For this purpose it becomes important to give an assessment of the information potential of the “Memorial Books of the Victims of Political Repressions”, which contain short biographical data of the repression victims. The “Memorial Books” are compared with the archival investigational dossiers, which were compiled by the law enforcement agencies on all those arrested during the “Great Terror”. The files recorded biographical data in standard forms, as well as in interrogation protocols and various certificates. This research applied the comparative method of analysis. Two sources are being compared: the passionary of the “Butovo firing range”, where data about those executed on the firing range in Butovo was recorded, and the investigation files of those repressed, stored in the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF). The divergences and errors in both these sources are of particular interest. The article comes to the conclusion that although the investigation files contain more complete biographical information, it is often contradictory and needs verification. The “Memorial Books” contains more reliable biographical information than the investigation files. Consequently, the data in the “Memorial Books” can be sufficient to create a basic social portrait of the victims of political repression.

Keywords: investigation files, Memorial Books, information potential, social portrait, repressions, Great Terror, source studies, XXth century history, Stalinism, Butovo firing range.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2014.3.13739

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2014.3.65796

Abstract: This article (publishing a historical source) demonstrates on the example of an analysis of a specific juridical document the importance of scientific research of any historic juridical source, even when the source seems at first of little informational value and trivial. The scrupulous analysis of the testament of N.B. Yusupov-the Younger, is valuable in that it exposes precise – judicially verified – minute details of his biography, which complement and correct already known facts derived from other, private sources. The author analyses the named historical source, exposes little known historical facts, consolidates them with other historical facts drawn from other sources, and depicts a consistent historical picture. The value of the testament for source study comes from that it in itself sums up the life and activity of that historical figure, being tied, even if not always noticeably, to numerous seemingly unrelated documents. Through the process of exposing these ties and their enrichment with concrete facts of life, the author reveals a complete historical picture – which is the aim of any source study research.

Keywords: testament, house of Yusupovs, N.B. Yusupov-the Elder, N.B. Yusupov-the Younger, T.A. Yusupova, Z.N. Yusupova, Golitsyn princes, Alexander II, reforms, liberalism, Archangelskoe estate.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2014.3.13745

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2014.3.65797

Abstract: The article analyzes the book of Y. I. Kiryanov on the labor movement in Russia during the years of World War I. The author examines the historiography of the given question and details the context of the question, which was significantly altered after the publication of Y. I. Kiryanov’s book. Many questions on the history of the labor movement that were considered to be well-studied, received new light through Y. I. Kiryanov’s research. Y. I. Kiryanov thoroughly verified the data of the sources on which the post-Revolution historiography based the study of this question and convincingly showed the need to corroborate many enduring in historical science conclusions regarding the labor movement of the pre-Revolution era. The author discusses the book of Y. I. Kiryanov based on the results of his own research of this topic, which have been reflected in several works. The article gives special attention to a debate with the newest works on the history of World War I and the February revolution, the authors of which touch upon the question of the labor movement. According to the author, these scholars are not giving due attention to a whole arra y of social aspects of the mass-pr otest movements in the y ears of the World War I.

Keywords: World War I, February revolution, State duma, labor movement, strikes, protest, historiography, Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, food supply crisis.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2015.3.16519

Abstract: This article analyses the achievements of German historiography in elucidating the role of historical memory of the First World War in the life of the Weimar republic. The author critically reviews a series of conceptions made popular in recent years, summarising the results of the new approaches to the history of this great war. Noting the positive influence of the culturological turn in historical studies, the author addresses the complex question of the formation and evolution of political myths which played a particularly significant role in the German mass conscience during the interwar period. Examining historical memory inevitably poses the rather politicised problem of continuity and of the particularities of Germany’s historical path during the last two centuries. After citing the most intrinsic arguments of the main historiographical lines on this subject, the author presents a critical analysis of them. The author also addresses in detail the particularities of the used terminology and of source interpretations, selected on the basis of a priori advanced hypotheses. From the study’s results the author comes to the conclusion that historiography has overcome the previous stereotypes, but notes the necessity for additional studies in bridging the comfortable yet simplifying interpretations of the history of the Weimar republic and of the radical militarist organisations operating within it, for which today all the necessary foundations have been laid.

Keywords: continuity, brutalisation, National-Socialist German Workers’ party, myth, historical memory, Weimar republic, Freikorps, veterans, violence, Thirty-years war

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2015.3.67010

Keywords: continuity, brutalisation, National-Socialist German Workers’ party, myth, historical memory, Weimar republic, Freikorps, veterans, violence, Thirty-years war

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2013.3.62984

Abstract: The article is dedicated to exploring the practice of scientific and bibliographical department of Russian State Public History Library, related to the creation of auxiliary scientific bibliographical indexes on history and culture. It analyzes the methods for creating of fundamental anointed thematic bibliographies. The author views the latest biographic projects more closely: «Public authority of pre-Revolution Russia in bibliographic research of its contemporaries (XIX–early XX century)», «Soviet society in memoires and diaries». The author researches the «World War II in the Soviet Union» separately, speaking of the closest plans of the bibliography department: «Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin: anniversary publication», «History of pre-Revolution Russia in diaries and memoires», etc. The author narrates about novelties which were introduced into the Department’s work, as computerization progressed. The goal of the article is to demonstrate the importance of the existence of bibliographic indexes during history.

Keywords: history, bibliographic index, scientific and bibliographical department of Russian State Public Library, methods for creation of fundamental bibliographies, diaries, memoires, N.M. Karamzin, public authority of pre-Revolutionary Russia, Soviet society in memoirs, World War II.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2015.3.16525

Abstract: In modern historiography and in public consciousness the November revolution of 1918 in Germany is considered to be an “almost forgotten revolution”, although lately there has been a rise in interest surrounding its events. This article presents an analysis of the fundamental approaches in interpreting this revolution. Citing relevant publications of German historians, as for example Alexander Gallus, Andreas Wirsching and Wolfgang Niess, the author subjects to a critical evaluation both the classical topics of discussion and the new tendencies and directions. Additionally, the author gives particular attention to the relationship between the discussions of the November revolution and of the peaceful revolution in German Democratic Republic 71 years later. In this age, when the socialist dream has more or less disappeared, the question of whether the socialist revolution had missed its chance has also lost its previous relevance. At the heart of today’s discussions lies the question of the durability of the democratic system that came as a result of the revolution. The idea that the peaceful revolution of 1989 in German Democratic Republic is the first successful revolution in Germany contains within itself an indirect criticism of the November revolution. The author criticises the sidedness of such a position, which does not consider the complexity of the historical conditions surrounding the first democratic revolution in Germany during the modern period.

Keywords: Federal Republic of Germany, social-democratic movement, Bolshevism, democracy, Weimar Republic, November revolution, First World War, German Democratic Republic, USSR, peaceful revolution

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2015.3.67011

Keywords: Federal Republic of Germany, social-democratic movement, Bolshevism, democracy, Weimar Republic, November revolution, First World War, German Democratic Republic, USSR, peaceful revolution

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2015.3.16544

Abstract: The author demonstrates the genetic link and differences between the Soviet and post-Soviet/Russian stages in the historiography of the Weimar republic, and also elucidates the modern trends in its study. The source base for this article is comprised of some 200 dissertations, thesis abstracts, monographs, articles and theses from mainly 1960–2010s. The author subsequently came to the following conclusions. Firstly, in the study of the early history of the Weimar republic between the Soviet and Russian epochs there is a marked continuity in the choice of scientific research topics, as well as in the training of the next generation of scholars. Secondly, while the post-Soviet/Russian period saw breakthrough results, especially in the assessment of the party-political system of the Weimar republic, Russian historiography remains on the same Soviet-era level in the study of the November revolution. Thirdly, the methodological and methodical pluralism in modern German studies expanded the research horizons in general. Among this the main line of study is dominated by the tendency to search for answers regarding the history of Weimar Germany during the processes of the First World War’s concluding stage, the time of the maturation and formation of new forces, ideas, programs and leaders that determined the development of the German state for decades to come.

Keywords: Treaty of Brest, First World War, November revolution, Weimar republic, Kaiser Germany, post-Soviet historiography, Soviet historiography, constitution, party political system, “Spartakusbund”

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2015.3.67012

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2016.4.16666

Abstract: The article reviews main works published in the Russian Empire in the 19th – early 20th century that mention Japanese martial arts. Introduction to Japanese martial arts went hand in hand with introduction to Japanese culture and history. Martial arts were first mentioned already in Captain Golovin notes that were published in 1818. Publications analyzed in the article include academic and magazine articles, memoirs of historical figures, Russian translations of foreign education materials and popular-science literature. The author used basic methodology of historical research like genetic and typological methods, as well as historiographic analysis. This article is aimed to make an asset to the history of martial arts in Russia, history of sport and wrestling in Russia, as well as East Asian studies in Russia. The article discusses the attention of pre-revolutionary Russian-speaking public paid to Japanese martial arts and the stages of theoretical and practical knowledge accumulation in this field. Some published materials are used as historical sources for the very first time.

Keywords: Ju-Jutsu, History of martial arts, Russian literature, Historical sources, Japan, Martial arts, Russian Impire, Sport, Japanese culture, Orientalism

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2016.4.68148

Keywords: Ju-Jutsu, History of martial arts, Russian literature, Historical sources, Japan, Martial arts, Russian Impire, Sport, Japanese culture, Orientalism

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2016.4.19754

Abstract: Social planning in industry was an important part of Kosygin economic reform in the second half of 1960s. Based on the case study of Moscow factories - Lenin Electric Machine Plant and Kuybyshev Electric Plant, as well as Moldavian Soroca “Electropribor” Plant, this article discusses the problems of research approaches to the study of complex social development plans in Soviet academic literature. During literature research on methods for motivating workers at Moscow “Serp i Molot” plant and AutoVAZ, the author analyzed the scholarly trends in the Post Soviet period. This research was conducted following the basic scientific principles of history – concrete historical approach and comparative historical analysis. Scientific novelty of the article can be explained as the following: in terms of comparative analysis of social planning literature within different time periods, we can define a transition from narrow research on models of industrial objects social development to restating this problem in a wider context of critical reexamination of traditional administrative decisions and actions taken by plants’ administrations to develop the social sphere.

Keywords: distributive economy, supply, material incentives, motivating workers, work collective, house building, mechanical engineering, social funds, social sphere, social planning

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2016.4.68149

Keywords: distributive economy, supply, material incentives, motivating workers, work collective, house building, mechanical engineering, social funds, social sphere, social planning

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2013.6.10125

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2013.6.64173

Abstract: The article attempts to reconstruct the content of the autobiographical poem “On his consulship”, which the famous orator wrote between 62–60 B.C. The autobiographical works of Marcus Tullius Cicero for this period, primarily known through references made by the author himself and other Ancient authors, are of great value: it was mainly based on them (and not on the preserved speeches) that formed the historical tradition of the Catilinarian Conspiracy – one of the most famous events in Ancient Roman history. The author of the article analyzes Cicero’s correspondence and a fragment of the poem preserved within one of his philosophical treatises, which chiefly contains a description of the omens accompanying the conspiracy. The similarity of the poem with the Third Catiline Oration allows to conclude that Cicero’s description of the events of 63 B.C. in the lost works coincide with his consular speeches known to us. Thus the article represents a preliminary reconstruction of the “missing link” in the transfer of information from the eyewitness and participant of the events to the later authors, who were influenced above all by the Ciceronian presentation of the Catilinarian Conspiracy.

Keywords: history, source criticism, autobiography, Ancient Rome, the Later Republic, the Catilinian Conspiracy, Cicero, On his consulship, De consulatu suo, omens.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2013.6.11480

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2013.6.64174

Abstract: The article presents a description of the methodological developments in the study of Byzantine aristocracy, unfolding during the 20th century – primarily during its second half. The author attempts to show how scientific interest in the ruling class of Byzantium helped to widen the existing source base and advanced the elaboration of these sources, which consequently deepened the perception of Byzantine aristocracy in particular, and of the Byzantine Empire in general. The article specifically reviews the role of the prosopographical approach and of other auxiliary historical disciplines (sigillography and numismatics) in the elucidation of historical information and in the creation of new methods of its analysis. The topic is discussed on the basis of a systematic review of the main scientific works that lead towards the formation of a separate research field in Byzantine historiography – the history of the Byzantine aristocracy. The author highlights the main research stages in the study of Byzantine aristocracy and it is shown that the results of these researches significantly determined the development of such branches of Byzantinology as source criticism, socio-economic, military and political history, and others.

Keywords: history, the Byzantine Empire, society, aristocracy, Byzantinology, historiography, sources, prosopography, sigillography, numismatics.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2016.5.19547

Abstract: The article examines the first attempts at critically interpreting the episode in “The Tale of Past Years” for 1054 regarding the testament (ryad) of the Kievan prince Yaroslav I the Wise in Russian historical science during the middle of the 19th century, as presented in the works of S. M. Solovyev (“The History of the Relations Between the Russian Princes of the House of Rurik,” 1847) and M. P. Pogodin (“Studies, Comments and Lectures on Russian History,” t. 4, 1850), and also reviews the transformation of the critical interpretations in the following works of the named scholars. On the basis of a comparative-textological analysis, the author brings to light the main and particular tendencies in interpreting the testimony of Yaroslav I in the works of S. M. Solovyev and M. P. Pogodin. The article’s scientific novelty lies in revisiting the historiographical stereotype established in Russian historiography of the 20th century that ascribed the first critical interpretation of the chronicle tale on the testament of Yaroslav I for 1054 to the studies of A. A. Shahmatov, published at the beginning of the 20th century, concerning the history of the Ancient Russian chronicle writing.

Keywords: M. P. Pogodin, A. A. Shahmatov, I. A. Shlyakov, K. D. Kavelin, “Tale of Past Years”, criticism, interpretation, S. M. Solovyev, testament, Yaroslav I

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2016.5.68336

Keywords: M. P. Pogodin, A. A. Shahmatov, I. A. Shlyakov, K. D. Kavelin, “Tale of Past Years”, criticism, interpretation, S. M. Solovyev, testament, Yaroslav I

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2016.5.20012

Abstract: The article is focused on Old Ritualist booklore – one of the key topics in the historiography of Old Ritualism (the works of N. Y. Bubnov, N. S. Guryanov, I. V. Pozdeev, N. N. Pokrovsky and others). But despite these authors’ stated complex approaches, the study of the Old Ritualists’ book monuments and the destinies of the carriers of this tradition was often examined separately. Through “social archaeography” (an approach developed by O. N. Bakhtin and E. E. Dutchak), the named topic is brought to a new research level and the study of booklore in the context of the social sphere of its existence became a reality and not just a declaration. The author used works in old printed Cyrillic. The basis of this study consists of published catalogues, as well as field diaries from the expeditions in 1970–2010s to Verhkamye and South Vyatka. The derived information was subjected to quantitative and also descriptive methods of analysis. As a result, the author was able to trace the destinies of Old Ritualistic scribes, the history of particular book monuments, as well as whole bodies of writings, and to clearly demonstrate the process of the gradual displacement of old-typed book forms with newer editions. The last, according to the author, is related not so much to the fall of traditional booklore, as much as to the adaptation of local Old Ritualist communities to modern realities.

Keywords: archaeography, reading, Old Ritualists, Old Ritualist booklore, Old Cyrillic publication, expedition, Verhokamye, South Vyatka, field studies, tradition

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2016.5.68337

Keywords: archaeography, reading, Old Ritualists, Old Ritualist booklore, Old Cyrillic publication, expedition, Verhokamye, South Vyatka, field studies, tradition

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2016.5.20370

Abstract: The subject of this research is the main element of secondary documental information derived from archives – archival inventories and related archive descriptions, as well as other forms of documentation used for archival processing (clerical documentation, routine inventory, enumeration, listing, etc.). Until recently these records were regarded exclusively as ancillary information. However, archival inventory and archive description are significant historical sources that aid the study of the history and development of Russian historiography, including specific historical themes, and introduce new bodies of original archival documentation into scientific use and present other scientific uses as well. The article applies general scientific methods of study (logical, empirical and theoretical) to this material, and also methods of historical examination, including the comparative-historical method. The study’s main conclusion consists of substantiating the possibilities and need for a systematic source study of archival inventories and archive descriptions, tracing their evolution, drawing up their typologies on the basis of studied archive forms, completeness of content and accuracy, and the applied methods of creating inventories of original archive documentation used at various stages of archival processing (starting from the 16th century).

Keywords: archive heuristics, methods of historical research, Russian history, historical source, primary documental information, secondary documental information, archival studies, archive description, archival inventory, source study

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2016.5.68338

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2014.5.14682

Abstract: The article is a study on the sense of nature in the Medieval man. The given research problem is a particular topic in the larger scientific problem – the research of mentalities, i.e. the socio-psychological setting, habits, consciousness, ways of thinking of people of one or another period. In a larger context the study of the perceptions of nature is one of the possible means to understanding the outlook of a person from the past. For the purpose of this analysis only one aspect of this question was chosen that of the development of historiographical perceptions of the sense of beauty in nature before Peter the Great in Russia. The first part of the article contains a general theoretic-methodological survey, illuminating the problem of the Medieval individual’s perception of the outside world. It is shown that the study of the relations towards nature in that period was tied with certain difficulties, which were caused by the particularities of the sources. The reconstruction is based on the analysis of book-learning and partially figurative material, i.e. it reflects not so much the general perception of society, as much as of a narrow group of “creators” of elitist culture. At the same time, the very character of the sources allows to make the conclusion that that perception of nature differed with the modern one: the questions of outlook attracted a lot more attention than interest in specific points of space, landscape. The emotional-aesthetic experience of nature also existed, however it was most likely of secondary importance. In the second part of the article, the author demonstrates the becoming of the historiographical outlook in relation to the study topic. It shows the main milestones in the development of scientific understanding of the relationship between the Russian Medieval individual and nature from the time of N. M. Karamzin and up to modernity.

Keywords: scenery, Old Rus’, aesthetics, mentalities, historiography, Middle ages, book-learning, nature, outside world, landscape

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2014.5.66343

Keywords: scenery, Old Rus’, aesthetics, mentalities, historiography, Middle ages, book-learning, nature, outside world, landscape

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2016.5.20378

Abstract: This article presents a source study examination of three investigation cases concerning workers at the Barnaul Melange Combine – one of the biggest enterprises of the second Five-year plan. Particular attention is given to the investigation case of the first director of the combine M. E. Goldberg and his subordinates – deputy director K. Butov and engineer-technologist K. Reznikov, accused of creating at the combine in the beginning of 1937 a counterrevolutionary cell of Siberian center-rightist, linked, according to the investigation, to N. I. Buhanin, A. I. Pykov and M. P. Tomsky. The article’s research methodology uses the microhistory approach, network analysis, analysis of semantic text structure, archival heuristics, and the general historical method (historical-comparative). On the basis of the testimony of the accused, the author conducts an analysis in the altering of the original charged article of violation. Due to the discovery of inconsistencies in the cases regarding dates of arrest, interrogation, testimonies, as well as evidence of violation of the criminal-procedural codex of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the author comes to the conclusion that the investigation cases were fabricated. In addition to the noted examples, the article presents other investigation cases concerning combine workers that were opened at the very beginning of its operation in 1934.

Keywords: Bernaul Melange Combine, Altai, investigation case, source study, Great Purge, M. E. Goldberg, enemies, counterrevolutionary activity, interrogation, repressions

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2016.5.68339

Keywords: Bernaul Melange Combine, Altai, investigation case, source study, Great Purge, M. E. Goldberg, enemies, counterrevolutionary activity, interrogation, repressions

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2015.6.17432

Abstract: This article is devoted to the study of the public mindset towards the USSR among various population categories in Italy at the end of the twenty-year period of the Fascist regime. The author attempts to analyse the policy of the Fascist regime and its results in achieving a public consensus by means of implanting ideological concepts on the example of forming the image of the USSR, its introduction into the public consciousness, and its fight against the legally functioning Soviet structures on the territory of Italy that were developing propaganda in the opposite direction. The article presents the numerous factors that brought about the formation of a heterogeneous image of the USSR. The study of the public perceptions of the USSR was carried out by means of a comparative analysis of various sources. The sources include both previously unused materials, as well as documents that were already subjected to analyses by foreign and Russian scholars, however, examined under a different light in this article. This set of sources has revealed the dynamics of the changing perceptions of the USSR during the war under the influence of a whole range of factors. The author conducted for the first time in historiography a comprehensive analysis of the accumulated in Italian society knowledge, perceptions, and opinions regarding the USSR, which has allowed to evaluate the efficiency of the Fascist’s regime propaganda activity, on the one hand, and to study the reaction of the Soviet authorities within the framework of the “communications war” at the end of the 1930s – beginning of the 1940s, on the other hand.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2015.6.67469