New Series of Editions from the History Faculty of MSU

NEW SERIES OF EDITIONS FROM THE HISTORY FACULTY OF
MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY

I. Historical Sources
II. Historical Research
III. Instrumenta Studiorum
IV. Bibliography

Board of Editors:

S.P. Karpov (Director)
A.G. Golikov, V.N. Grashchenkov, V.I. Kuzishchin
Y.S. Kukushkin, L.S. Leonova, G.F. Matveev,
L.V. Milov, A.I. Morozov, V.V. Pimenov
G.M. Stepanenko, N.S. Timofeev, V.A. Fyodorov
E.F. Yazikov, V.L. Yanin

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   Through the publication of programs of general courses, the History Faculty of MSU opens a series of works designed to reflect the results of the most important research currently being conducted within the faculty, as well as to represent the experience gained through the teaching of historical disciplines. 
   The uncontrovertable and widespread growth of interest in history, the widening of the bases for source research, the extensive application of new information technologies, the need for objective, undistorted, critical understanding of the past itself and of methods of its study, the increasingly multidisciplinary approaches of scholars of different views and movements towards events and facts, all together make especially important the appearance of such complete editions, which, as much as is currently possible, represent different scientific schools.  The importance of historically reliable scientific work with verified and dependable information about the distant and recent pasts is especially important today, when in the book markets, alongside wonderful, trustworthy publications we may find a good deal of falsification which displays an absolute deficit of scientific expertise, but which claims to innovate the entire system of historical science.  Very often their garish and sensational "conclusions" pop up in textbooks for students.  Meanwhile, the basis for any educational material should be its truthfulness and relibility, and in accordance to the level of world historical science, which is very often represented in monographic research.  Without these monographs, there can exist neither the growth of collective knowledge, nor successful, resultative discussions of problems.  Discussions can develop science only in cases when scholars give exact interpretation of sources and have monographical inclinations towards their topics.  Otherwise the value of such arguements is very close to zero, and even extends into the negatives.  Overcoming the decline in the monographic genre and the genre of critical scientific publications is very important for Russian science today.

 

   The first series of works published by the History Faculty of MSU is "Historical Sources".  It was created for the critical publication of unknown or little-known archive materials.  This series opens with "Card Index 'Z'", which contains extremely valuable materials on the history of World War II and sheds light on the problem of the removal and destruction of cultural treasures in Russia, the Ukraine and Belarus.  In this series, the publication of additional books has been planned for the coming years.

   Among these editions, a handbook of documents on some of the more tragic pages of Russia's history from the beginning of the 17th century, under the title of "Reminiscences of the Time of Troubles.  The Tushenskii Thief" (compiled by V.I. Kuznetsov and I.P. Kulakova), will appear.  It will include diary entries, notes, letters written by contemporaries, legal documents, chronicle abstracts among other publications from the period of 1607-1610.

   The book, "Marriage with Russia" (Venchaniya s Rossiye) [compiled by L.G. Zakharova and L.I. Tyutyunnik] includes correspodence between the Great Prince Alexander Nicholaivich (future Emperor Alexander II) with his father Emperor Nicholai I which took place at the time of the heir's travels through Russia, May-December 1837.  These letters contain valuable information about both the personalities of the correspondents and about the many sides of life present in the different regions of the Russian Empire.

 

   The second series of works is titled "Historical Research". These works are devoted to different sides and aspects of Russian and world history.  Among the publications which are planned for the coming years is "The Policy of the Moscow Princes (late 13th century - early 14th century)" written by M.A. Borisov.  In his book, Dr. Borisov discusses the organizers of Moscow Rus--the Great Princes Daniil, Yuri, and Ivan Kalita. The author suggests his own full explanation for Moscow's victory in the competition with other feudal centers of Rus.

   M.V. Dmitriev focuses on the actual problem of relations between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, "Uniya" and prozelytizing in the Ukraine and Belorussia.  His book, "Ukrainian-Belorussian Orthodoxy of the 16th Century and the Genesis of the Brest Church Union of 1596", shows the deep changes in the traditional Orthodox culture of Belorussia and the Ukraine in the second half of the 16th century and explains their origins.

   L.M. Bragina has prepared a general research paper on Italian Humanism in the 14th through the 16th centuries, and represents in a single work the various social and philosophical tendencies which existed in the religious centers of the Italian Renaissance.

   In A.V. Tirsenko's book "Feliani (on the sources of French liberalism)", the author discusses the political movement around the French Revolution of the late 18th century which appeared as an alternative to Jacobinism and the Girondists.  The author's conclusions are based on documents from libraries and archives of France.

   Ethnographic and regional research and data from surveys of the Russian Geographical Society and the Ethnographic Bureau form the basis of a monograph by V.A. Fyodorov, "Culture and Life of the Great Russian Peasantry in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries".  It is, in its conception, research which attempts to present the vision of the world of a demographic majority of Russia's population during the period.

   A comparative study of the heritage of three German philosophers whose work is considered particularly influential on the modern science of historiography is undertaken by A.I. Patrushev in his book, "The Triad: Fredriech Neitzsche--Max Weber--Oswald Schpengler. An Essay on Life and Creativity".

 

   The third series of works is titled "Instrumenta Studiorum".  This work is composed of materials which may be used in the educational process.  This series is opened by a handbook of programs of general courses which are taught in the History Faculty of MSU through all five years of primary study leading to the Master's Degree.  The following books from the series are also included in the portfolio of the Editorial Board:

* Introductory Course, Information Science and Mathematics for Historians, edited by L.I. Borodkin and E.M. Garskova, which includes the basics of information science, mathematical methods in historical research, internet for historians;

* A unique book, An Introduction to Artifacts: a natural science approach to the study of ancient artifacts by U.L. Shapova;

* A textbook, Campaigns of the Late Crusades (Pierre I Luizinan--the King and Crusade) by S.V. Blizniuk, which contains the first translation into Russian of selections from the "Cyprus Chronicle" by Leontia Mahera, XIV-XV centuries;

* Source Sciences of the History of Southern and Western Slavs from the Middle Centuries to the 19th century, edited by L.P. Laptiva;

* Course of lectures of Professor E.F. Yazkov, A Contemporary History of European and American Countries. Part 1 (1918-1945).

 

   The fourth series is a collection of bibliographies of known scholar-historians of Moscow State University.  Now, scientific biographies and lists of works of Professor L.P. Laptiva and Professor V.A. Fyodorov arebeing prepared for publication.

   The authors of all of these editions are professors, teachers and members of the History Faculty of Moscow State University, individuals who maintain close relationships with scholars and researchers from other scientific and educational institutions.  It goes without saying that these series are not limited only to those mentioned above, which are scheduled to be released in the near future.  We hope that these works will contribute to the world's bank of historical knowledge.

Dean of the History Faculty of MSU,
Professor S.P. Karpov