Vol 45, No 8 (2023)
ARCHAEOLOGY
HYPOTHESIS OF DURYLIN ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF THE NORTHERN LABYRINTHS: RITE OF PURIFICATION AND PRAYER TO THE WIND
Abstract
In the early 1910s, S. N. Durylin explored labyrinths on the Bolshoy Zayatsky Island (Solovki archipelago) and first described the Kandalaksha stone labyrinth. Having collected information: location by the sea, on abusy ancient sea route, good preservation, rituals of the peoples of the North of the 19th – early 20th centuries,S. N. Durylin put forward his hypothesis about the purpose of the labyrinths. In his opinion, the labyrinths were theplace where prayers to the wind and cleansing rites were held before going to sea. The article discusses varioushypotheses of researchers of the XX–XXI centuries. All hypotheses are tested according to four criteria: the location bythe sea, climate, good preservation, the shape of labyrinths. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that when testingvarious hypotheses about the purpose of labyrinths, archeological data were correlated with data from folklorists, whichmade it possible to fit labyrinths into the general system of beliefs of the peoples of the North. The version ofS. N. Durylin meets the criteria and finds indirect confirmation in folklore and literature about sea voyages on sailingships. His hypothesis about the purpose of the northern labyrinths although not having been proved or rejected, is wellgrounded and plausible. Thus the question of the purpose of the northern labyrinths has not yet been resolved andcontinues to remain relevant. The version about the cult-trade ritual (???) and the version about rituals before going to sea, most likely, complement each other as parts of the same belief system, the remains of which folklorists and local historians found in the 20th century.
Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2023;45(8):8-22
8-22
ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY OF THE VIRGIN MARY OF THE KANDALAKSHA MONASTERY
Abstract
The Kandalaksha Monastery on the banks of the Niva River is the oldest in Russian Lapland – founded in the early XVI century. In 2013 and 2015, for the first time, archaeological work was carried out on the site of the destroyed monastery church of the Nativity of the Mother of God. The purpose of the work was to obtain new informationabout the cultural layer of the monastery, about the time of its foundation and about unknown stages of its history.Excavations have studied the eastern part of the church on an area of 47 m2. A well-preserved cultural layer XVII–XIXcenturies with a thickness of 0.8 m was found. Interesting objects were found under the church: the foundation of 1865,four masonry, two burials, the remains of walls and pillars. They are mostly dated to the middle of the XVII century, butthere are dates from the end of the XV – beginning of the XVI century, which is important for finding traces of the “premonastery”period. The “original” burial in the altar – two men lying on top of each other in the same pit, we consideras monastic and “status”. The finds are mostly nails and staples, there are not many individual artifacts: a screwdriver for an XVIII century gun, fragments of mica windows, one copper cross from the burial of a baby, ceramics, a fish hook, barley grains. The excavations have confirmed the relevance of the research and the prospects for their continuation.
Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2023;45(8):23-35
23-35
WORLD HISTORY
TSAR’S CHARITY TO CONSTANTINOPLE IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 17th CENTURY
Abstract
The Russian government positioned itself as the successor of the Byzantine Empire and supported theOrthodox world in every possible way in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, as the extant archival documents attest.Large sums, mostly in the form of “furs” were given to the patriarchs, hierarchs and monasteries of the Orthodoxworld through their representatives who came to Moscow. In the first half of the 17th century, regular aid was sent withembassies to Constantinople: Russian-Turkish diplomatic relations during this period were not interrupted, and ambassadorsto the Sultan had the opportunity to visit also the residences of the patriarchs of Constantinople and Jerusalem,as well as the churches and monasteries of Constantinople. The present work is the first to introduce into science theinformation contained in the orders and revenue and expenditure books of Russian embassies, as well as in the greek receipts and letters of recommendation with translations, discovered by us, preserved in the fonds of the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts, is introduced, which allows us to get a more complete picture of the relations between Russia and the Christian East in this period.
Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2023;45(8):36-40
36-40
THE ROLE OF CHINA IN THE FATE OF GIRS FAMILY
Abstract
The article is devoted to the representatives of the Girs family, who were in China at the turn of the19th-20th centuries due to civil service, as well as for family reasons. In China they were involved in solving state issuesrelated to the Qing Empire in this period. Foreign Minister N. K. Girs, envoy to China M. N. Girs with his wife M. N.Girs (Zamiatnina) are mentioned in the article. The study was spurred by the active interest of the Ministry of ForeignAffairs of the Russian Federation in the diplomats of the Girs family, as well as to the history of their descendants.Modern Russian diplomacy emphasizes the continuity of state policy, which is also illustrated by this study. In addition,the strengthening of bilateral relations between Russia and China at the present stage makes historians return to variousplots in the history of Russian-Chinese relations. The study is to analyze those stories and Girs family sources that mostclearly illustrated Russian-Chinese relations at the turn of the 19th – 20th centuries. The source base are archivalmaterials and diaries of contemporaries. The hermeneutic method made it possible to interpret archival sources in moredetail and supplement some well-known pages of Russian-Chinese relations. The author comes to the conclusion thatthe representatives of the Girs family, for the most part finding themselves situationally in China, did not seek to extend their presence in the country. Nevertheless, they conscientiously performed their duties. M.N. Girs`s diary written during the Boxer Rebellion is a valuable source of an eyewitness to those tragic events.
Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2023;45(8):41-45
41-45
HISTORIOGRAPHY, SOURCE STUDIES, METHODS OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH
MILITARY ANTHROPOLOGY IN NEW HISTORICAL CONDITIONS
Abstract
The article examines the study of “man at war” within the framework of military anthropology as ahistorical and interdisciplinary branch of science since its theoretical substantiation in 2000, highlights methodologicalapproaches, main directions, key problems and their evolution in the context of the Special Military Operation of theArmed Forces of the Russian Federation in Ukraine. The types of sources suitable for the analysis of this problem areshown by the example of the participation of foreign mercenaries in a military conflict. Questions are raised about theneed to apply the experience of the Commission on the History of the Great Patriotic War in the conditions of theSpecial military operation to form a source base for future research, about the difficulties of searching, collecting and preserving ego documents that have gone from paper to electronic and virtual format, as well as about the place of military anthropology in the process of teaching the modern history of Russia in higher school and its significance for the patriotic education of students.
Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2023;45(8):46-54
46-54
FEODR PETROV’S SPECIAL CONTENT CHRONOGRAPH
Abstract
The article deals with a unique historical writings named The Special Content Chronograph and composedby a priest, Feodor Petrov in Yaroslavl at the end of the 17th century – beginning of the 18th century. The Chronographhas never been really studied before and is not widely known. It consists of an introduction and a prayer writtenprobably by Petrov himself, and extensive compilations from Old Testament texts corresponding to the Ostrog Bible,borrowings from the Russian Chronograph, Dmitry Rostovsky Sinopsys, and a number of updates. The latter mainlyconcern local news of Yaroslavl city life: only this text informs of participation of foreign craftsmen in the building ofthe Dormition Cathedral in Vladimir. The writing also contains different extracts – from The Book of Degrees of theRoyal Genealogy, the Menologion, Zosima’s Voyage to Jerusalem, Ecclesiastical Calendar, etc. The work is illustratedwith engravings, headpieces cut from books, ornaments, etc. A part of the manuscript had been created in the lastquarter of 17th century. Petrov have been working mainly in the beginning of 18th century, and the work was completedin 1720. At the same time, the contemporary events having been taking place during the reign of Peter I, are notmentioned in the manuscript. The Chronograph is an evidence of the creative interest of a provincial priest to the Russian history and literature. The fact that the original manuscript had survived the time is of a great value, this allows to conduct a thorough analysis including historical and textual examination, of unique record from the times of Peter I.
Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2023;45(8):55-64
55-64
RUSSIAN HISTORY
“THE USEFULL CLASS OF CIVIL SERVANTS”: TO HISTORY OF FORMING RUSSIAN TEACHER-STUFF IN THE FIRST HALF OF XIX-th CENTURY (on the materials of Russian North)
Abstract
The history of the Russian school cannot be imagined without considering the position of the teacher asan integral element of the school system. Based on the materials of sources reflecting the regional projection of theeducational reforms of Alexander I and Nicholas I as a long-term course, the most important condition for theireffectiveness is considered, namely the quality of teacher training. On the basis of legislative and office documents, thelegal, educational and social status of provincial teachers in the 1800s–1840s, their family and financial situation aretraced. The authors analyze the public reputation of teachers, the peculiarities of everyday life and social mobility ofthis socio-professional group, as well as the social origins of the ethics of the teaching profession that was being formedat that time. The observations are based on the funds of the Ministry of Public Education, the Office of the trustee of themetropolitan Educational District, St. Petersburg University and Pedagogical Institute, as well as the little-studied fundsof three provincial school directorates: Olonets, Arkhangelsk and Vologda. The results of school reforms of the firstthird of the XIX century are traced on the regional material, the most important of which was the formation of a systemof schools and a staff of professional teachers operating in provincial and county towns. Their multiplicity, commonorigin and career paths, awareness of corporate unity and, moreover, the preservation and maintenance of ties with St.Petersburg testify to the important role of St. Petersburg University and Pedagogical Institute in the enlightenment ofthe region, performed by them both as administrative centers and indirectly – through their graduates as agents ofinfluence. In the early 1850s, the number of professional teachers in the three provinces under consideration exceeded300 people, not counting primary school teachers, which is comparable to the available data for other educationaldistricts. This local community is representative for understanding the peculiarities of the legal and social status of aprovincial teacher in pre-reform Russia. The management system of schools, as well as the personnel policy andconditions of the teaching service at that time were changing within the framework of the all-Russian model of education and social construction “from above”, therefore, the conclusions obtained from the regional material create an understanding of the stages and social results of the modernization project of the authorities as a whole.
Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2023;45(8):65-74
65-74
ORGANIZATION OF DEFENSE OF THE RUSSIAN NORTHERN BORDERS IN THE WAR WITH SWEDEN (1788–1790)
Abstract
The authors analyze the level of readiness of the northern territories of Russia for defense on the eve of and during the war with Sweden in 1788–1790 on the basis of official and clerical documents. The purpose of the study is to find out how the strengthening of the defense of the northern borders of the country was carried out at the timeunder study and to assess the timeliness of their implementation. The scientific novelty of the article consists in acomprehensive study of the measures taken to strengthen the defense of the northern territories of Russia, determiningthe reasons for Sweden’s failure to carry out an attack on northwestern Karelia and the White Sea, assessing theactivities of central and local authorities to solve defense problems in the north of the country. The authors conclude thatthe North of Russia, despite the importance of these territories for the industrial development of the country, thedevelopment of the navy, the provision of the army and navy with weapons, remained poorly protected and only theunwillingness of the enemy to simultaneous actions on the Baltic Sea, in Karelia and the White Sea saved the territoriesof the Arkhangelsk and Olonets governorate from ruin. During the war, all the main tasks to strengthen the defense of the northern borders were completed. The relevance of the study is related to the need for timely formulation and solution of defense tasks by the government of the country.
Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2023;45(8):75-85
75-85
PUBLIC THOUGHT IN SECURITY DURING THE POLISH UPRISING OF 1863–1864
Abstract
Public opinion in Russia was formed primarily through the press, which, under the conditions of liberalbourgeoistransformations of the 2nd half of the 19th century, actually acted as the “fourth” power. The wave of anti-Russian protest in the Kingdom of Poland and the North-Western Territory of the Russian Empire, which rose in theearly 1860s, relying on material assistance from Polish land magnates and spiritual support from the local Catholicclergy, threatened the state with the rejection of its western outskirts with the full support of leading Western countries.The struggle “for the minds” of Russian society was also actively waged by revolutionary democracy led by politicalemigrant A. I. Herzen, which aimed, in close alliance with the Polish revolutionaries, to overthrow the autocratic powerin Russia. The relevance of the work lies in the need to support the official press of the government in modern conditionsin order to prevent an internal political crisis. The purpose of the article is to consider how, in the current conditions, thepress supported the government policy pursued in the Kingdom of Poland and the North-West Territory, which became an important condition for victory not only on the battlefield with armed rebels, but also on the “intellectual” field, both over the enemy himself and over the internal opposition in Russia. The work uses retrospective, problem-chronological,historical-comparative, as well as general scientific research methods. Study results. The article shows that acharacteristic sign of public thought on the “Polish question” was that it was in constant dynamics and changing, evolving from restrained-approving rhetoric in the lead-up to the Polish uprising – to condemning the rebels and supporting government policy in the region, starting in 1863. The official press provided significant “intellectual”support for government policy in the Russification of the region. The article shows that a characteristic sign of publicthought on the “Polish question” was that it was in constant dynamics and changing, evolving from restrained-approvingrhetoric in the lead-up to the Polish uprising – to condemning the rebels and supporting government policy in the region,starting in 1863. The official press provided significant “intellectual” support for government policy in the Russification of the region. The article analyzed the views of both the revolutionary democratic and liberal and conservative press on the solution of the “Polish question”.
Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2023;45(8):86-93
86-93
REPLACEMENT OF THE PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN RUSSIA AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY (based on the materials of the epistolary heritage of F. V. Taranovsky)
Abstract
The article presents the features of competitive replacement of the vacant position of professor in prerevolutionaryRussia, reconstructed on the basis of studying the letters of the famous Russian jurist F. V. Taranovsky.Consideration of this issue is directly related to the problem of restoring a complete picture of the academic culture ofthat time. This is due to the relevance of the stated topic, caused by permanent changes in legal, socio-economic,historical and cultural nature. The study is based on the analysis of a complex of written sources, including letters,telegrams and open letters of F. V. Taranovsky to the Dean of the Faculty of Law of the Yuriev University V. E. Grabarfor the period from December 1907 to September 1909. The work is based on the principles of historicism and the valueapproach, highlighting individual phenomena of the past, which are of priority importance for the current stage ofdevelopment of society as a whole and historical knowledge in particular. The main methods used in the process ofworking on this topic are comparative and biographical. The description of the presented material is based on a problemchronologicalapproach. In the course of the conducted research, the procedure of the faculty election of a candidate fora vacant professorial chair was studied and described with its inherent specificity due to the provisions of the legislationof the Russian Empire, the established rules of local faculty consideration and discussion, as well as the personal characteristics of the elected and electing persons. The presented material and the conclusions drawn from the results of the study are not only a contribution to the consideration of one of the important aspects of the academic cultural tradition of pre-revolutionary Russia.
Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2023;45(8):94-102
94-102
NKVD TROOPS IN THE DEFENSE AND LIBERATION OF KARELIA DURING THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR
Abstract
The purpose of the research is to study the little-known history of the participation of the troops of thePeople’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs in combat operations on the territory of the Karelian-Finnish SSR during theGreat Patriotic War, to supplement the information base on the history of the war in Karelia. For the first time archivaldata of the Russian State Military Archive and the Central Border Archives are introduced into the scientific turnover,the scattered information about the composition and combat history of the units of the USSR NKVD troops operating in the territory of the Karelian-Finnish SSR during the Great Patriotic War on the Northern and Karelian fronts, as well as about their contribution to the defense and liberation of the republic in 1941–1944 is systematized.
Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2023;45(8):103-113
103-113
Reviews
The book review: Leontieva T. G., Begovatov D. A., Dmitriev N. A., Leontieva O. G. Church life in Soviet society in 1940–1950: religious practices of the population in the Kalinin region in the memoirs of “children of war”: Collective monograph / Ed. by T. G. Leontieva. Tver: SFK-office, 2022. – 240 p.
Abstract
The book review: Leontieva T. G., Begovatov D. A., Dmitriev N. A., Leontieva O. G. Church life inSoviet society in 1940–1950: religious practices of the population in the Kalinin region in the memoirsof “children of war”: Collective monograph / Ed. by T. G. Leontieva. Tver: SFK-office, 2022. – 240 p.
Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2023;45(8):114-115
114-115